Your Longest Inch Count

55-incher on a local Murderball gold medal winner.

 

I had a 60-inch feature chopped to 32 once when we ran out of space and a rookie designer didn't realize it until it was too late. He put my story in last after designing the whole section. A week's worth of work cut in half. I wasn't too happy but I got over it. Im great friends with the guy now.

 

I've had briefs 40-inches long.

Several stories over 120 inches.

 

My personal best: 110 inches, on local HoF college tumbling coach. Written in narrative style, following her hectic day and intersplicing her 25-year history. Also hit 100-plus mark on a profile of a hugely polarizing sports talk radio guy here in our state -- again, sitting with him throughout his day and intersplicing his story into it.

I guess I could be in the minority, in that I green-light long features provided they are on interesting subjects and are written well. We have had at least 10 triple-digit inch counts come from my writers in the past 12 months -- and every one of them have been outstanding. When 100 inches reads like 15, you know it is the goods.

rb

 

I wrote a 110-inch story on Ted William's best friend, who lived town I was working in. It could have easily been 1,110 inches. The stories this guy told were unbelievable. It's still my favorite thing I've ever written. All told, however, somebody should have probably cut the thing. That's when I was going through my 'I'm the next Gary Smith' phase.

 

RB, just curious, have any of those super-sized features won awards? I'm not saying they weren't good, I'm just wondering if judges look at lengthy stories the same.

 

Had about a 45-incher a few weeks back on a triathlete who is a double-amputee below the knees.

 

Matter of fact, yes -- one of them we found out just hours ago won our state sports writers' association's Story of the Year award. It was the paper's first such Story of the Year honor in that particular contest in 30 years.

I am not saying we throw 100-inchers in there willy-nilly. Of the 10 or so from last year, a good six or seven anchored our "Gameday" special sections we run the morning of big U. of Podunk sporting events (read: every football game, and the occasional tumbling, basketball, softball and baseball epics). But there are also times -- like now, for instance -- when I can let a guy take a week to craft a standout feature story on a subject that deserves it. Present good writing the right way -- with subheds, good design, etc. -- and it serves the readers well. Awards are a by-product.

rb

 

Yes, but anytime spent with the Radio guy is nails-on-a-chalkboard torture.

 

Without reading a word beyond that, I would bet $1 that it was a standout story that could have easily "breathed" even a little bit more. A couple more sources to paint a full picture of someone/something/some issue fascinating like this, and it deserves to be told in full. At least I think so ...

rb

 

Well, it wasn't a profile on Peaches ... but for the idle-week Sunday section in the fall, it hit the spot nicely.

rb

 

That's exactly what I was asking. That kind of work, time and presentation will usually earn an award.