2. Step 1: Brainstorm ideas Les Gura, adjunct professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University, says that there are THREE important questions you must always ask yourself when thinking about a particular story. You can use the same method to help you come up with important ideas: What’s my story? What’s the significance? What’s my point / why should anyone care or want to read it?
3. Think of how you’re going to write it Pros and cons story? Timeline? Compare and contrast (book or movie review)? How-to article? Prose story / work of fiction? A Top-Ten sheet (e.g. ten ways to beat the winter blues)?
4. What multimedia will you use? Video: Is there a relevant YouTube video out there I can link to? Can I shoot my own video and upload it to YouTube for this article? Audio: Is there a sound clip I can use? Still photos: How will the photos I use express the emotion I’m trying to convey in my piece? Maps and graphics: If I need to show where something is located or how something works, I can use maps or graphics. This way, people will be more intrigued by the story and maybe linger a little longer on the site!
5. Make your game plan Sketch it out on a marker board, blackboard or or use index cards and pin them to a corkboard to help shape your story idea. Think of yourself as a coach prepping a football team before the big game. You’re in the locker room and you’re showing the players what they need to do to win the game. Get to the drawing board and you’ll be amazed at how much better and more organized your writing will be Figure out what’s missing and what can be eliminated from the story…
6. Ask yourself: Who am I going to interview? What kinds of questions am I going to ask? Where will I collect my sources? What visuals will I use? How will I make my writing clean, clear and engaging? What other stories have been written about this topic and how can I make mine stand out from the rest? How can I improve the quality of my writing? When and where can I use photos, videos and slideshows instead of plain text? How can I use multimedia to enhance the story and make people want to send it to all their friends and family members?
