Writing a sports story

[Jones]

These days, I squeeze off a good fart and 1,500 words come out of my ass. Writing long is a forking sickness, I've got to tell you.

 

[ballscribe]

If the topic interests you, and you have a lot to say, the words just come flying out of your fingers like one of Jones's Heineken farts.

I just wrote a piece (and for a daily) that probably clocked in at 3,000 words to start. Seemed like nothing. Took me, like, a couple hours. Seriously.
Had to get cut. And by basically eliminating one interesting but peripheral track, got it to 2000 in a snap. Somewhere around 70 inches of copy.
But it just reads like butter.
I don't remember writing anything that long so far, except a book. Nothing for the newspaper.
And it was a piece of cake.

Now a six-inch story on something I don't give a shirt about. That's a different story. :

 

[buckweaver]

Just wrote a 10K-word historical feature that I trimmed down to 6K for a magazine. Yay for unlimited Internet space -- the original's gonna see the light of day (i.e. hit the Web) at some point.

But it was harder to cut it down to 6K than it was to write the 10K. Honestly.

 

[joe]

Diarrhea is always easy, buckbob. It's always the cutting that is tough.

 

[Appgrad05]

A few days ago I popped out a 1200 word feature in a couple of hours.
Week before I did a piece that clocked in at 3000.

There was a time I struggled to write 12 inches.

 

[slipshod]

I'm usually too lazy to write it short.

 

[pallister]

Then read over it once or twice and get rid of what sucks.

This is perhaps the best sentence ever written on this board. Fantastic.

 

[blondebomber]

Research, research, research. Try to unearth information that hasn't been written about over and over. And the more reserach you do, the more obvious the hook will become.

 

[BornFreee]

Hey guys! New member. I'm just looking for some opinions/feedback. Please answer any of the following questions:

#1 - If you are given a sports topic to write about -- and it has to be about 1,500-2,000 words -- how do you approach it? What steps do you take? Research steps, statistical analysis, step-by-step, determining the lead? Describe the process you generally take.

#2 - Is there a certain program that you like to use? Do you simply write into Word? or do you have another software? Do you prefer the pen/paper method?

#3 - What specific pre-writing steps do you take before you attack an assignment (let's just say it's a 1200-word column about Albert Pujols). Do you write out a detailed outline? Do you separate topics into groups? Or do you just start writing?

#4 - Overall -- just describe the process and the length of time it takes you (in general) ... to sit down and write a 1,500 word column.

Thanks! Looking forward to hearing some of your different styles!!

Turning in a great story is 80 percent great reporting, 20 percent great writing.

 

[PulitzerInTheBag]

most stories don't deserve 1,500 words, but the writer drags them out that long so he can pat himself on the back and say, "i just filed 20 inches."

a lot of people say 1,500-word stories are child's play and commonplace because they use paragraph-long quotes and their writing is looser than a bangkok hooker.

if you write it tight, 800 should suffice.

 

[HeinekenMan]

Regarding writing programs, I actually prefer to write in columns of text similar to the way that it appears on the page. I split a normal 8.5 by 11 Quark doc into three or four columns and pound away.

I find this much easier than reading all the way across the page or screen.

It's just a preference for me. I suggested this to two turtle-like reporters once, and it seemed to speed them up. But I found them two weeks later reverting back to using Word. Of course, you can split Word into columns, too, I believe. So it's all a matter of choice.

As for length, I've written some space-fillers for trade mags in the past that ran past 3,000 words. If you're required to fill a lot of space, do the best job you can. As a rule, though, you shouldn't be shooting at such lengthy pieces unless the story warrants such treatment.

 

[joe king]

most stories don't deserve 1,500 words, but the writer drags them out that long so he can pat himself on the back and say, "i just filed 20 inches."

a lot of people say 1,500-word stories are child's play and commonplace because they use paragraph-long quotes and their writing is looser than a bangkok hooker.

if you write it tight, 800 should suffice.

Bag, 1,500 words is more along the lines of 45 inches than 20. Actually, 800 words is a little more than 20 inches.