The Process

You can always tell when the honeymoon is over when you start getting down to the business of figuring out the parameters of any situation.

Here's some things I've learned this week about newspapers, writing and photography:

1) Don't lose art.

2) As soon as your art is done, work it up, label it correctly, upload it and know where you've put everything.

3) If you have a very strong lead, let it stand as a paragraph all by itself. When you have this type of situation, stair step important information in the next couple paragraphs. When you have a real strong lead, chances are you don't have the four "W"'s in the first paragraph.

4) The four "W"s are: who, why, where, when. "What" is the rest of the story.

5) Get the four "W"s in the first paragraph of a story but make it really interesting.

6) Subheads in an article are used in a printed story when the transitions between sentences aren't real smooth or there is no other way.

7) It takes time to acclimate to a new news climate, but you'd better put a wiggle in it and get it done.

8) When given re-direction, write it down, make a note of it. If you don't understand it, ask for an example so you can see what it looks like.

9) Read the papers. Obvious, but read good writing and start to understand what bad writing is. Pay attention to what the writing you're reading is saying to you.

10) Keep a spreadsheet of your contacts and their phone numbers. Keep it up to date.

11) Get to know the people at the post office.

12) Always have a business card.

13) Keep your story information in folders and organized on your computer. Don't delete anything until you are SURE you don't need anything at the last second.

14) Reformat your cards as soon as you put them back in the camera. Don't wait or else you'll be looking like an idiot, standing there deleting 340 images of school kids. Then people at the tattoo parlor will be waiting for you and there will be new photos you've taken that you can't delete, so you have to scroll through and delete the old ones one at a time.

15) Five words are better than 17 when used in a story and space is limited.

16) Don't get too discouraged. Chin up.