Avoid the obvious

Why would you have obits? Everyone there would've turned into zombies.

 

So, some of you are OK with stupid leads because... the readers are OK with it?

 

I agree. Don't do anything Halloween-themed for your headline. Everyone is thinking it. Everyone is expecting it.
Just like when a running back scores four touchdowns in one game and runs for 200 yards. EVERYONE expects you to mention it in the lede. That's why I ignore it totally and spend 82% of my game stories where this happens talking about how hard the band worked in the week leading up to the big game. Then, in the last sentence, I'll sneak it in.

"Marshal and Rob, man, they're the real heroes out there," Band leader Timmy Young said. "We put in 20-25 hours a week working on this routine and we do it for the fans but without those two, we wouldn't have done a single thing right during the half."
{300 words about the band with a special focus on the lead trumpet player}
The band's efforts at halftime were the highlights of a game in which Podunk High player Al O'Neill scored four touchdowns and ran for 232 yards to lead the Panthers to a 32-23 win.
Podunk travels to Shelbyville next Friday night and Young says the team, and its band, are ready.
"They may not let us perform during halftime," Young said. "We're still working on the logistics but we'll be ready. We're always ready. Also, our football team is pretty good, too."

 

Oh, also, if you're going to use a hoary overflogged cliche, don't try to weasel out of it by prefacing it, "As the old cliche goes... "

In which you signal to your readers that you, of course, are far too literate and erudite to resort to cliches yourself, but you'll still glom onto one when you need it.

 

Man, some of you guys are old crabby bastards and you'd do yourself, your newspaper and your readers a service if you'd get out of the business.

If you're a writer and you've got a Halloween lead, then run with it. If it swims it swims, and if it sinks it sinks. It's not the end of the world or the beginning of it, either way.

The idea is to encourage creativity, not discourage it. Write and learn.

 

Seen it all before, huckleberry. You think this is something new?

 

Every kid who plays in a game tonight is going to remember that it happened on Halloween. I'm not saying to force it, but don't actively avoid it if it's part of the story. And by all means mention it somewhere.

We're often so wrapped up in avoiding the obvious story, and it extends all the way to the pro and college beats, where we preach to avoid the story everyone else is telling. I'm not great fan of pack journalism, that's for sure. But your first obligation is to tell people what happened. What was important?

 

Firstly, the idea is to encourage clear and concise reporting of newsworthy information, not "creativity."

Second, it is in no way "creative" to make a made-up holiday with no greater significance whatsoever an integral part of a story you're writing about high school sports. I've seen hundreds of holiday ledes, and lots of weather ledes, and can count on one hand how many of them were "creative."

Third, I'll bet good money the percentage of kids who actually care that they're playing a high school football game on HALLOWEEN!!!! tops out at 5 percent.

 

I'm not sure. I guess I'm thinking this way, in part, because I wrote a piece this week looking back at an old game in which a Halloween decoration played a minor role.

 

Did the decoration get windblown onto the field, cause a major injury or otherwise affect the game? No? Then take a picture of it for secondary art and move on.

By being "creative" and writing a story framed around it, you're telling readers that it is among the three most newsworthy things about any given event. It's just not, any way you slice it.

I used to tell my copy editors to not be shy when it came to cutting from the top. Any "cute" holiday lede was usually the first thing cut.

 

No. It was used to taunt the other team in pre-game.