From the Editor #3 rule of pitching: Flyspeck your copy In story pitches, first impressions count November 20, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski Writing history as we live it It has become a common refrain in these chaotic times: We’re not just reading history; we’re living it.That’s always been true, I suppose, for anyone living at any time. But… November 10, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski Story roots and consequences Some years ago, I was involved in the edit of a story about children born to developmentally disabled people. In 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld states’ rights to forcibly… October 20, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski #2 rule of pitching: Respect submission protocols Following form doesn't have to limit creativity, and shows you are a professional October 9, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski #1 rule of pitching: Study the publication Researching the basics of the site you're pitching to — story length, purpose and tone — reveals respect for the work of reporting September 25, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski 7 Fatal Flaws of Story Pitches How to identify common mistakes that get in the way of landing that big idea September 3, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski The power of a pronoun It would be folly to follow the thousands (millions?) of sentences that have been written since Tuesday (Aug. 11, 2020), when presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced that U.S.… August 25, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski If no one reads the news, did it happen? The self-checkout line at my funky neighborhood grocery was wide open, but I waited for the old-fashioned line, with a checker and a bagger. I don’t like to weigh my… July 22, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski How to become a “five-tool” storyteller Major League Baseball, that beloved summer sport, returns to a shortened season later this month. Or at least it is scheduled to, but as with all things in the time… July 14, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski Four questions mine for bottomless wisdom During the 15 years that Chip Scanlan taught writing workshops at the Poynter Institute, he wrote a popular column called “Chip on Your Shoulder.” Searching Poynter’s archives takes some work,… July 10, 2020 Jacqui Banaszynski Previous 1 … 11 12 13 14 15 Next