Welcome to the Reporting, Writing and Editing portion of Poynter High. Here we'll bring you suggestions for improving your journalistic craft, in words and pictures.
Our first tip comes from Chip Scanlan, a member of Poynter's faculty, who offers the
"Ten Paradoxes of the Writing Life."
Feel free to share your comments or observations by leaving feedback, below.
In "Ten Paradoxes of the Writing Life," Chip
Scanlan explains that if your expectations are too high, you'll be
vulnerable to writer's block. Your inner criticism will prevent
you from filling the page.
Instead, lower your standards, at
least in the first stages of writing. It will only get better
from there. As Chip wrote, "Accept the faults of your first draft; it contains the promise of the final one."
That's just one of Chip's 10 paradoxes.
Follow the link for the others.
Just remember, don't be satisfied with the first
attempt. Don't spew something onto the page and then refuse to
look at it again. Revision! Rewrite the whole thing, if
necessary. Experiment with different leads. Review your
quotes. Run through Roy Peter Clark's
Fifty Writing Tools: Quick
List and look for things you could try. The point is, get
something written, and then make it
better.
A few inspirational quotes:
"To write well, you may have to write badly. At first." -- Chip Scanlan
