What separates a mediocre journalist from a top-notch one? Successful journalists incorporate the 5 tips below into their writing to create the best possible news articles every time they write.
Follow these guidelines and your news articles will keep getting better and better.
Focus On the Article Some writers spend more time worrying about how much their article will earn, who will buy it and its critical merit than they do on the actual content of the article.
The article has a purpose - to tell a story and inform.
The crafting of that article into the best story it can be should be the writer's focus.
Use the process to your advantage.
Craft a strong lead, organize the story in a way that engages the reader and spend time editing it.
If you put your utmost effort into the article, the end product will make you proud.
Write What You Love Writing is an act of passion.
If you write on topics that don't interest you, it will show in your writing.
The article will be flat, dull and uninformed.
However, you can write a better news article by sticking to topics you are interested in.
Your passion will come through and make the article better.
Write it in a way that would appeal to you.
Editors and readers will either like it or they won't.
If you write in someone else's style or voice, you will lose you're your own.
Your style is yours to use, to exploit.
Let it shine.
Be Adventurous Write as though the article itself is a journey that beckons readers to tag along.
The more interesting and inviting the piece is, the more the reader will want to finish it.
The lead should catch their attention and make it impossible for them to ignore it.
Once they are baited, set the hook by keeping the story moving, like an adventure where each new paragraph is a discovery.
Stay Fresh Periodically review your body of work.
Do you often follow predictable patterns in crafting a news article? Break out of the mold.
Revamp your vocabulary.
Take a creative writing course and punch up your work.
Check and Recheck The first rule of good journalism is to check and recheck your facts.
Having multiple sources is ideal.
The same holds true for the grammatical and contextual aspects of your news story.
Nothing can diminish your credibility as a writer more quickly than sloppy writing.
An awkward phrase, a typo or a slip of the tongue in print can undermine all your efforts and render your news article average rather than stellar.