game story protocol

I disagree with the score in the first three paragraphs. Who won, including with the score, should be told in the headline/subhead. I agree the final score has to be the first score in the story. I'd say: "Up two possessions late and with the ball ..." instead of "Up 54-50, the Podunk Punks went on a 6-0 run and won..."

 

Albert Belle glared exclusively at the Post.....classic.

 

score in the headline, really?

 

Not likely to be in the headline, but it would probably be featured somewhere in a box with the story. Not saying it should keep you from including the score early, but many people will know the score before they begin reading.

 

yeah. i get the point i was attempting to make.

 

The inverted pyramid is to good writing what USA Today is to in-depth storytelling.

If you jam all the good stuff on top, you'll train the readers not to bother reading past the first 3-4 grafs.

A skilled writer knows how find a good hook and then keep doling out the material so that the reader will follow it to the end.

Now, if your staff has a bunch of hacks, then I guess the inverted pyramid should rule. But do your really think the good writers live by an inverted pyramid? The thing is, you have to have confidence in your storytelling ability to hold back something for the ending.

 

It's a bad idea to assume display type will carry the weight of what should be in stories. I have seen many a time writers put vital information in a chart to run with the story, for example, except the chart didn't run for whatever reason and the information wasn't in the story.

That's why my eyes roll whenever someone insists a chart isn't needed because the information is in the story or the information doesn't need to be in the story because it's in the chart.

So to assume that the headline will provide information you don't feel you need to put in your story is wishful thinking, at best.

What if there isn't a deck hed? What if the editor decided that Pudunks pummel Pirates is a better hed that Pudunks prevail, 5-0?

 

I agree with your disdain of the interveted pyramid, which was a necessary evil when stories had to be cut on the fly when no more hot type fit on the page or more was needed to fill a hole.

But regularly putting the score in the first three grafs doesn't mean the story is a by-the-numbers account.

I get antsy when I read a clip/story and can't figure out if it is a game story, sidebar or mid-week feature.

 

I know what you meant. I wasn't trying to explain anything, just saying.

 

I don't disagree with putting the score up as high as possible. But the inverted pyramid is for the birds. Think -- and I'm not arguing with you Ace, just saying in general -- Buster Olney was following an inverted pyramid when he was crafting his insightful game stories for the NYT?

 

I thought I was saying that I don't like the inverted pyramid and it has long outlived its usefulness. Perhaps I should have put that higher in my post.

 

BTW,
When I start a rock band, it will be called Inverted Pyramid.

I can see it now:

APPEARING TONIGHT AT PODUNK COUNTY FAIR

C&C Music Factory
DeBarge
Inverted Pyramid