What movies, comic books & songs teach us about writing powerful scenes
Scenes are the building blocks of dramatic storytelling and narrative nonfiction. As Poynter’s Roy Peter Clark explains in “Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer”: “From childhood, we...
View Article10 tips for journalists who want to be better presenters
Congratulations! You’ve been invited to teach a session at a journalism conference. That means your colleagues think you’ve reached a point in your career where you’ve got some wisdom to share. (Or it...
View ArticleThe 6 things you learn as a journalism mentor
Mentoring is one of the most important things we can do as journalists. But I wonder whether we’re doing nearly enough of it. It’s a difficult time in our newsrooms, and it’s easy to forget that our...
View Article3 things journalists can learn from ‘Linsanity’
Like most sports fans (and many non-sports fans, for that matter), I’ve been caught up in Linsanity. That’s the term fans use to describe Jeremy Lin’s stunning breakout performance as point guard for...
View Article5 ways journalists can strike a better work-life balance
One recent afternoon, I walked from my hotel through the historic Art Deco district of South Beach, following the curve of the ocean to South Pointe Park. My parents had chosen Miami as a place for a...
View Article5 ways young journalists can stay motivated, thrive in the newsroom
Dear Young Journalist, I’m writing this letter to you because I get the feeling you might need some encouragement right now. (Lord knows, we all need some encouragement right now, but let me focus on...
View ArticleHow to make every word count when writing about people, places & things
If you’d like to bring your story to life in a tight space — say, 500 words or less — try traveling back in time to your 3rd or 4th grade classroom. Back then, your teacher most likely instructed you …...
View ArticleHow race factors into the conversation about Ann Curry’s possible ouster from...
This week’s news of Ann Curry’s problems as co-host of NBC’s “Today” show makes my mind reel and my heart ache. It makes my heart ache because, as the son of Asian immigrants, I’ve felt an instinctive...
View Article6 questions journalists should be able to answer before pitching a story
I can’t believe that my former editor never threw me out of his office. That’s because, back when I was a cub reporter, I used to pitch story ideas by proclaiming that I wanted to write about “the...
View Article5 resolutions you can make to become a better journalist in 2013
Resolutions are daunting — especially New Year’s resolutions. Getting more exercise, quitting smoking, reading more books — can we stick to our resolutions past January, and will these new behaviors...
View ArticleFind your resilience: 5 tips for new editors
Dear new editor, Not long ago, I wrote a column encouraging young journalists to keep their chins up and pursue their dreams of working in a newsroom, even though many of those newsrooms have become...
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