In the end I had five rough drafts, four articles, three typed pages of interviews (OK, so it was 21), two reports and an outline.
Thursday night I was swimming in notes — drowning, really. My story on the new post-9/11 GI Bill was due “before you go to sleep,” per my editor’s demand. In total, I had a small ream of paper filled with quotes, facts and statistics.
That’s more than 80 sheets of paper.
How could I possibly file before bed (or, um, before my editor woke up)?
Luckily, sorting through my notes was more time-consuming than difficult. My flotation device? Being proactive, starting early, making outlines, and writing and rewriting.
Lenore Devore, one of the Institute’s backfielders and the managing editor of The Ledger in Lakeland, Fla., is also a fan of outlines. They aren’t necessary for most daily stories but are vital for big projects, like the ones many of the students have been working on all week, she said.
“It helps clear your brain before you go start writing,” she said.
Chatting with a friend about your story can also be useful.
“The first thing you tell that person is probably the most important,” Devore said.
So Thursday, while writing the story, I could hear my editor’s voice, warning me the story was due before I fell asleep. But I bet he didn’t consider a loophole: not sleeping at all. In the end, I isolated myself in the student lounge, spread out my notes on a large table, and, with Hall and Oates playing on my laptop, I got to writing.
Jamie Klein