Monthly Archives: September 2009

Make sure your quotes help tell the story.

It’s important to be selective about the quotes you use in stories. Too many stories get larded with quotes that don’t advance the story, quotes that provide information rather than insight into a character, a cause or a theme. Our … Continue reading

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William Safire, Wordsmith, R.I.P.

William Safire, the Nixon speechwriter turned Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times, cared deeply about words and the way we use them. It’s fitting, then, that his obituary today paid homage to his longtime column on language as … Continue reading

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National Punctuation Day!:?{-}(–)",;'…!

Rejoice, it’s National Punctuation Day! The brainchild of a former newspaperman turned newsletter writer, Jeff Rubin, the day is dedicated to the correct use of punctuation. Naturally, newspaper columnists and editors hungry for any idea they can turn around quickly … Continue reading

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Want clips? Know your audience.

By Tim Harper and Heath Meriwether It’s great to see the clips being generated by so many CUNY students. They’re a fresh reminder about how important it is, when you’re “selling” an article, to understand the audience you’re trying to … Continue reading

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How to write good leads.

The lead’s the thing. Editing sessions with new students last week suggested many of you struggle to come up with leads that hook readers.  A common flaw:  Too much information crammed into the first paragraph.  When you stuff most of … Continue reading

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