How long is too long?

What ever happened to cutting the last 3-4 inches if it is not needed?

Nothing looks shittier than a fill ad because the person wrote short.

 

I'm with you there.

 

I see what you're saying. I'm talking about overwriting, which many sports writers tend to do. Throw in a few personal observations and you have a 20 inch story that probably could've been done in 12 inches.

 

Me too. At least you learn some. But I'd argue it takes more time than an internship to do it really well.

And I'd argue if they'd told you "ten inches max" at the outset, you would have sacrificed something you eventually liked in your edited down version because you were worried about getting it all in. Beat writers shouldn't be an AP service.

 

I can remember the same thing happening when I was an intern many many moons ago. The space was for "the regular writers" but I had great copy eidtors who showed me how to trim the fat away from stories. I became a better writer and a better reporter because I'd ask questions that i knew i wanted in the story.

 

But... But...

 

Communication is an amazing thing. We're in the communications business and we have a problem communicating with each other.

 

I'm glad you used the caveat that this might not work on deadline. Thing is, I believe there are many writers who DON'T have desk experience and don't understand this concept.

You must plan a section. To an extent, you plan a section on the fly and part of the deal is to make adjustments on the fly. But you can't send a squadron of writers out to high school football games on a Friday night with the charge of "writing what the story deserves."

You, the page editor, must make your determination of what the story deserves. If the writer comes back and says some kid ran for 420 yards in that game, well then, yes, you adjust. Cut back on art, shrink another story. But you have to start with expectations. And I'm not going to make eight size adjustments an hour before deadline. I have other pages to deal with, other tasks on my plate.

A writer comes in from a game and you tell him you have 14" for him and he tells you, "Oh, this is only worth 11"? Hey, I know you're being magnanimous. I know you're "writing what the story deserves." You know what? I planned the section. I know what I have. Just write the damn 14 inches.

 

Shot, the goal on Friday night is getting the stories out accurately and correctly. You're right, if you're in the slot, you have to allow for adjustments. However, when you're in the slot, you have to go in with a blue print of how you want the page to be. Without it, you're lost. I always say that a goal without a plan is a wish. I don't like to wish on deadlines.

 

Exactly.

 

That's my rationale for having clear limits. And those limits can be adjusted. But it fucking sucks to have cut even 50 words on tight deadline. A writer who can't stick to a limit is at risk of having the bottom of their story hacked off if deadline is tight. I hate to do it, but I have. When you've got six stories to edit and two people to do the editing and 15 minutes until deadline, shit happens.

 

I will say that if I have a writer on the page who isn't precise with his lengths, I tend to use art against deadline that is cuttable vertically and play the story off it. But I also make sure that the writer knows that it's a bad thing to be imprecise with his lengths.

If I get to slicing off the back end of a story, I make darn sure that I'm not sabotaging the story in order to teach the writer a lesson. I'd rather be three minutes late than do that.

But now there's another factor. Writers have come to realize that there's no inch count online. So they'll send a 30" story over for a 14" news hole and say hack it, I'll get the whole thing online. And it's only going to get worse in that regard.