Articles

Eulogy for Paradise: A breaking news story framed as the profile and history of a town

Eulogy for Paradise: A breaking news story framed as the profile and history of a town

The Facebook post was conversational and almost light-hearted:And on Day Two of Camp Fire coverage, I spilled water all over my notebook and laptop (tips?!). Seems fitting that the only…
November 15, 2018
Jacqui Banaszynski
“And a lean, silent figure slowly fades into the gathering darkness, aware at last that in this world, with great power there must also come – great responsibility!”

“And a lean, silent figure slowly fades into the gathering darkness, aware at last that in this world, with great power there must also come – great responsibility!”

 That’s how Stan Lee introduced Spider-Man to Marvel Comics readers in 1962. The narrator pronounces these words, which so many of us have heard so many times, in the last…
November 15, 2018
Jacqui Banaszynski
Serendipity brings two men together on the football field, and in the rest of life

Serendipity brings two men together on the football field, and in the rest of life

A story that garners wide acclaim, gets multiple plays across ESPN and draws tweets from Reese Witherspoon is not your everyday deadline fare. For most writers, it will never happen.…
November 13, 2018
JD Malone
A brother's death, written by a sister, channeling their mother's voice

A brother’s death, written by a sister, channeling their mother’s voice

Sometimes I push writing students to look for new ways to tell stories.Should you start with the “small” things? Is there a story in the way a character dresses? How…
November 8, 2018
Greg Bowers
"Developing a writer's voice is almost a process of unlearning, one analogous to children's painting."

“Developing a writer’s voice is almost a process of unlearning, one analogous to children’s painting.”

A clear grasp of “voice” in writing has always eluded me. Not that I don’t have one. Everyone does. But I’ve never been able to define mine, and certainly can’t…
November 7, 2018
Jacqui Banaszynski
Thoughts on voice: What it is (and isn't). And how to find yours

Thoughts on voice: What it is (and isn’t). And how to find yours

Growing up in a family of Chinese immigrant mathematicians and scientists, then ditching my PhD in biology for a career in journalism makes me somewhat of a maverick. But that…
November 6, 2018
Esther Wei-Yun Landhuis
The Power of Storytelling: Daring to bear witness to society's villains

The Power of Storytelling: Daring to bear witness to society’s villains

How do you tell the story of an extremist without allowing your own judgment to cloud your reporting? How do you interview people who are racist or violent, white supremacists…
November 2, 2018
Cătălina Albeanu
The Power (and challenge) of Storytelling: "Seeing more of the truth"

The Power (and challenge) of Storytelling: “Seeing more of the truth”

 Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of Polish journalist and media entrepreneur Zuzanna Ziomecka’s keynote at the 8th edition of The Power of Storytelling conference, held last month in Bucharest,…
November 2, 2018
Zuzanna Ziomecka
Narrative in a weekend conference, and the thank-you note that followed

Narrative in a weekend conference, and the thank-you note that followed

Power of Storytelling 2018, Bucharest, RomaniaBelow is a post offered on Facebook earlier this month as a thank you to speakers and attendees at the 8th Edition of the Power…
October 31, 2018
Cristian Lupșa
Telling the video story: Scatter visual breadcrumbs, keep the camera steady and shoot from the heart

Telling the video story: Scatter visual breadcrumbs, keep the camera steady and shoot from the heart

Early in his career, Eric Seals adopted a straightforward mission statement from a former colleague: “If you learn to shoot with your heart you will move people’s souls.” That has…
October 26, 2018
Mary Ann Colihan