Author

Tommy Tomlinson

@tommytomlinson

Tommy Tomlinson spent more than 15 years as a local columnist at the Charlotte Observer. A 2005 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in commentary, he believes he is the only journalist in history to have covered the Super Bowl, the Bassmaster Classic and the National Spelling Bee in the same year.

A writer who cared enough to strap in; an editor who cared enough to show up

A writer who cared enough to strap in; an editor who cared enough to show up

EDITOR’S NOTE: It is not unusual these days to come across yet another announcement of the death of a notable journalist. Those who came into the profession during the heady…
June 14, 2019
"Why's This So Good?" No. 105b: Michael Brick and Finding Shade in a Legend's Shadow

“Why’s This So Good?” No. 105b: Michael Brick and Finding Shade in a Legend’s Shadow

This is the fifth of ten stories Storyboard will post from a new collection honoring Michael Brick [see our 5 Questions on the project], each featuring an introduction by a writer who…
June 2, 2016

Keeping it simple: On plain language

A few years ago an intern did a study of the writing that showed up in our newspaper. He ran our stories through a computer program that measured the reading…
May 8, 2014

The intersection of “Breaking Bad,” Marty Robbins and “El Paso”

In the first scene of the last episode of “Breaking Bad,” Walter White opens the glove box of a car he’s trying to steal and the case to a Marty…
October 29, 2013
Foreshadowing, detail, flashback and story hook with the late great George Jones

Foreshadowing, detail, flashback and story hook with the late great George Jones

Sometimes, when I get stuck for ideas, I imagine some of my favorite songs as real-life narratives. What if you could find a real story as good as the song…
July 11, 2013
Everything you need to know about storytelling in 5 minutes

Everything you need to know about storytelling in 5 minutes

I spoke to the Public Relations Society of America’s Charlotte chapter on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. They’re a good group. Sometimes I speak off the top of my head at this…
May 24, 2013

Storytelling with Gordon Lightfoot (yep, that’s right)

Sometimes short nonfiction pays. Today we’re going to talk about a (mostly) nonfiction narrative of 457 words that made it to No. 2 on the pop charts.In 1975, a freighter…
April 12, 2013
The Venn diagram of hip-hop, country & narrative

The Venn diagram of hip-hop, country & narrative

Songs speak not just to us but also to one another, crossing years and miles and even genres. One of last year’s best hip-hop singles, written by a rapper from…
January 31, 2013

The essence of story, in a 358-word song

When I was little, my mama worked the early shift at the seafood plant. She’d drop me off at my Aunt Janice’s house before dawn and they’d lay me down…
February 14, 2012
“Why’s this so good?” No. 26: Moehringer KO's a mystery

“Why’s this so good?” No. 26: Moehringer KO's a mystery

The hell with my lede. Let’s start with his:I’m sitting in a hotel room in Columbus, Ohio, waiting for a call from a man who doesn’t trust me, hoping he’ll…
January 3, 2012