Writing: Tell Me A Story 2023

Objective: In this lesson, I can: • Develop strategies for story research. • Understand the key components of research. • Define key yearbook writing terminology.

Photo by Jenna Shelton

Photo by Ashlynn Antillon

Now that you have an idea of the information you already know, as well as questions you need answered, you are ready to begin research. Writing a journalistic story involves more than sitting at a computer and putting your ideas together. The most important part of preparing to write a good story is personally attending all events that relate to your topic. Observe and take notes for later use. If the assignment is the talent show, you will need to determine when tryouts will occur, when and how the results will be announced, the date of the show and then plan to be at each. At each stage of the tryout and performance of the talent show, you will be both interviewing and observing (see the unit, “The Art of the Interview,” for more information on this topic). All of this may seem obvious, but it is easy to overlook story ideas and angles unless you have a process to follow. You must be curious and interested in getting a compelling story. Although you will never directly show up in the story as the writer, you must be there observing and learning about the topic at hand. You must be able to tell the reader not only what happened, but what it felt like to be there. Saul Pett, who won a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing, once said, “A story without the writer in it is as meaningless as a rimless zero.” That’s good advice and good writing.

6 Lesson 2 RESEARCH