Storytelling

Finally, validation for tabloid journalists struggling to fit a complex feature story into 15 inches or less. Short really can be sweeter.

Don't get to the point, get to the story. An overview of narrative journalism.

Don't look for answers, look for questions. And six other reporting koans.

Often the hardest part of reporting is finding real people to talk to. Their truths can make the best non-fiction.

Sometimes you have to cry at the funeral you're covering. In other words, who ever said feeling a little on the job will interfere with your objectivity?

Get your readers to get past the lead. Pacing your story appropriately will help pull them along.

Generating features means having a long memory and asking what if?

Get the name of the dog and the brand of the beer. Thirty tips for better stories.

Book Writing

How do you write a 300-page book? Well, first you take eight years out of your life...

How do you turn an idea into a book? First rule: If it's already a trend, it's too late to join in.

The transition from journalist to novelist takes a little longer than your typical phonebooth quickchange.

Got a book? Here's the best way to circumvent the slush pile: Get an agent.

Basics

Don't let your beat turn into a prison — creative ways to spin features out of the daily grind.

How not to let daily deadlines kill your creativity. Find time for enterprise reporting.

It's a short-cut, to be sure, but sometimes it's a necessary evil and you might as well do it well. Tips for email interviews.

Diversity in reporting: all the excuses why we don't do it and all the reasons that we should. A checklist to ensure your stories are inclusive.

Interviewing — basics, tools for cracking hard nuts, teasing out anecdotes, and all the corny Barbara Walters questions you could ask for.

Checking for accuracy methodically or using a checklist can save you untold grief.

Be the next Bob Woodward. Tips on investigative reporting from the pros.

Time management tips for non-clock watchers.

Ways to write like the wind on deadline (start with a coffee and a deep breath).

Newsroom Navigation

Enough with the reporter-desker animosity already. Read 10 Things to Love About Copy Editors. Then spell-check your copy.

Editors talking to each other? Real communication in the newsroom? No utopia, this. The SPJ says it can be done.

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