Steps to Writing a Story

1. Find a Topic
What is your story about?
Who is your audience?
Why is this story important to your audience?

2. Find an Angle
What about your topic?
More specifically, what is important about your topic?
What should the reader learn?
Summarize in 3 words: Subject, Verb, Object
Wife awaits soldier

3. Collect Information
Who are the experts for this story?
Do you need opposing points of view?
What interview questions should I ask?
What other research must be done to complete the story?

4. Interview
Ask open ended questions.
Get good sound bytes. A piece of audio that can stand alone.
Have the person restate the question in the interview.

5. Shoot your reporter Stand-up
Should have a good idea what story is about.
Stand-up should provide information that audience doesnt know.
Use stand up for transition from one location to the next.
No first person: I went.

6. Organize your sound bytes
What quotes should I use?
How can I organize the quotes to tell a story?
What are my gold nuggets?
Sprinkle the nuggets throughout the story!

7. Write segues in your story
Use words that tie the interviews together.
What other information can I add to the story?
Can the story stand on its own?

8. Write the beginning and end of your story
Write body first
Best sound bytes for beginning and end.
Paraphrase a sound byte at the beginning.
Leave them with strongest sound byte at end.
Leave them with hope.

9. Write ins and outs (if necessary)
What should the anchors say to introduce my story or brong it to a close? No scoop went to find out.
How should the story begin and end.
Use attention getters at the introduction but avoid rhetorical questions.

A-Roll
Anything that is said in the story
Anchor in/out
Stand up
Interviews
Segues
Close

10. Collect B Roll
How can video enhance my story?
Make a list of items you would liked photographed.
How should I edit the audio and video together to enhance my story?
Should other enhancements like music,graphics, effects be used?