Story Craft

Mic drop? A veteran longform writer trades notebook for headphones, text for sound

Cynthia Gorney fumbled with gear and interviews to report her first podcast

By Cynthia Gorney • October 18, 2018

Cynthia Gorney in her home writing office, learning to podcast

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Short Takes

Don’t be a turkey: Earn your flight wings

What an impatient longform wannabe is learning from writing short

By Jacqui Banaszynski • October 17, 2018

Annotation Tuesday!

The Pitch: Can’t wait? A Marie Claire editor tries to answer pitches within 48 hours

Senior editor Kayla Webley Adler scouts for both hard-hitting and fun stories with women at the center. Helpful hint: pitch a story – not a topic

By Katia Savchuk • October 16, 2018

Featured Contributors

Steve Oney

Katia Savchuk

Julia Shipley

Jasmine Bager

Julie Schwietert Collazo

Tom Warhover

More contributors

Featured topics

Investigative Reporting Short Narratives Tom Junod Poverty Narrative Journalism
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Story Craft

Mic drop? A veteran longform writer trades notebook for headphones, text for sound

By Cynthia Gorney
October 18, 2018

Cynthia Gorney fumbled with gear and interviews to report her first podcast

Story Craft

Divining the true source of stories

By Madeline Bodin
October 11, 2018

A failed water system in Flint, Michigan, also revealed fissures in reporting: Journalists need to reach beyond officials to the people living a story

Story Craft

The craft (and art) of the interview, from thoughtful homework to whatever happens

By Sally James
October 4, 2018

Notes on interviewing process Jacqui Banaszynski The panel was promoted as “The Art of the Interview.” And based on the range of advice from four Seattle-based journalists, effective interviewing – arguably every reporter’s primary tool – is as much a mindful art… Read More

Story Craft

Letter from Sing Sing: Writing from inside

By John J. Lennon
August 9, 2018

A convicted murderer shares what he learned about writing, and what writing taught him about himself and about the power of true stories

Story Craft

Learning to read: The daily news as information and inspiration

By Jacqui Banaszynski
July 27, 2018

How deadline writers use sparkling words, creative context and clear explanation to delight, educate and enlighten

Story Craft

Learning to see: A landscape of ice, a blind boy’s eyes, a grizzly bear and a wall stain

By Jacqui Banaszynski
July 24, 2018

How writers use color to develop metaphor, meaning and emotion

Story Craft

Learning to see beyond first sight

By Jacqui Banaszynski
June 28, 2018

Insights from a writing practice at the water's edge

Story Craft

Steve Almond and “Bad Stories: What the Hell Just Happened to Our Country”

By Christine Mungai
May 3, 2018

In a collection of essays, the writer argues that stories matter, and bad stories lead to bad outcomes

Story Craft

Five immersive photographers share their experiences on gaining trust

By John Happel
April 19, 2018

How do they gain access to private, and often painful, lives? “Consider what you’re asking of people. Sometimes it just takes time and patience.”

Story Craft

The New Yorker’s “Lost Giant of American Literature” and the prism of race

By Ebonye Gussine Wilkins
April 5, 2018

In both the first novel by William Melvin Kelley and recent article by Kathryn Schulz, the story of blacks is told by whites

Story Craft

In Sicily, an old oral storytelling tradition tries to renew itself in the 21st century

By Stefania D'Ignoti
March 22, 2018

The once-popular puppet shows, which showcase the Italian island's rich heritage, hopes to win new audiences with modern themes

Story Craft

The evolution of wartime journalists in Syria: from activists to reporters

By Abby Sewell
January 25, 2018

Six years ago, the staff of Enab Baladi bore (angry) witness to the devastation of their communities; today, they cover stories the international media can't

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