Story Craft

From Sept. 11 to COVID: Using the personal to write the global

From Sept. 11 to COVID: Using the personal to write the global

How do you write about a shared event that changes the world, but that we each experience personally? And how do you then share that personal experience back to the…
A panoramic approach to a book about the Sept. 11 boat lift

A panoramic approach to a book about the Sept. 11 boat lift

In “The Art of Description: World into Word,” Mark Doty writes that Proust endeavored to “dilate the sentence toward its outer limit, so that one would feel the blur of…
Pitching ProPublica's Local Reporting Network: Focus on sources and impact

Pitching ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network: Focus on sources and impact

"Why does this story need to be told here, in this community? And why does this story need to be told now?" says ProPublica’s managing editor for local
#6 rule of pitching: Stay focused

#6 rule of pitching: Stay focused

A good pitch is not a scattershot, but a clearly stated central idea or question that is fresh, relevant, and a fit for the publication
Sage writing advice from the editor of Column One

Sage writing advice from the editor of Column One

Steve Padilla of the Los Angeles Times urges writers to tune up their writing with song
#5 rule of pitching: Make it sparkle

#5 rule of pitching: Make it sparkle

Don't lose an interesting idea in a boring pitch
How narrative moments can elevate a non-narrative story

How narrative moments can elevate a non-narrative story

Two foundational definitions of news are proximity and immediacy. The closer and more urgent an event or issue, the more likely it is to grab a reader’s attention. That can…
An award-winning food writer explores the legacy of sexual identity in the food world

An award-winning food writer explores the legacy of sexual identity in the food world

 For Mayukh Sen, a James Beard Award-winning food writer and adjunct professor at NYU, the entry point into food writing has always been the stories of the people behind the…
Who, How and Why? What we can learn from an interview with the Super Bowl streaker

Who, How and Why? What we can learn from an interview with the Super Bowl streaker

Curiosity grounds all good journalism. Following up on curiosity — wondering about everything, and then caring to find out — is what makes journalism soar.Lane DeGregory finds and follows stories…
Jumpstart your writing routine: coffee, journals, sketches and postcards

Jumpstart your writing routine: coffee, journals, sketches and postcards

I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions this year. However, I did launch a new morning routine.Every morning I get up, make coffee, get the woodstove going, sit in my…