OK, I’m going to try something new.
I used to think of writing as a static activity. Sitting down with all the notes, hunching over the computer screen and typing out the piece in a single seating was normal. But I’ve found with this technique that, especially when dealing with complex issues¹, distilling the most important aspect of a story from all the notes in front of me is difficult.
That’s when Missourian editor Katherine Reed linked to this Poynter article about writing nut grafs in her blog. In it were these words of wisdom from Chip Scanlan:
Experienced reporters say they find it helpful to constantly write and rewrite the nut graf through the course of reporting the story. Doing so tends to reveal holes earlier in the process and helps you avoid too many intriguing but tangential side trips.
(Emphasis is mine). I’ll try this approach on my new story about Columbia Public Schools outsourcing substitute teachers. I’ll report back on how well it works in the coming days.
1. I really wish I had heard about this before I wrote the story about No Child Left Behind and how it affected school transportation. I probably wouldn’t have stressed so much.
Behind Blue Skies 
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