I\u2019m obsessively organized in most areas of my life, and I do the same with reporting and writing. I like the comfortableness of having a routine and that\u2019s how I typically produce my best work. Even though the process is sometimes elongated (for a story I report for a month or longer) or condensed (when doing 15 minutes of research prior to football availability), the steps stay consistent.<\/p>\n
I have a reminders list on my computer that is called \u201cStories to write.\u201d It\u2019s essentially anything I\u2019m curious about and think could turn into a story. This reminds me of how Clark said he had bins with big-picture themes. I leisurely explore those topics, simply because I\u2019m interested, and slowly I\u2019ll make additions to the bullet point, such as a possible source to talk to, a stat I need to I look up and sometimes even an entire lede.<\/p>\n
I read a lot. I do a ton of background research, particularly if it\u2019s a story that\u2019s fairly large. It gives me a feel for the angles that haven\u2019t been explored and it helps me create better questions. This is the step I never skip, even if it\u2019s just rapid research at a football availability. I don\u2019t write unless I\u2019ve read something on that topic. In terms of reading to become a better writer, I try to do that whenever I have the time. There are a few stories that I\u2019ll read every month or so simply because I think they are so well-written that there\u2019s no way I can\u2019t continually learn something from it.<\/p>\n
For a few of my biggest stories I\u2019ve done, I print my transcriptions. I read them, highlight and make notes. I constantly ask myself, \u201cWhat is the story? Who are the characters? Why do they act they way they do? Is there a conflict?\u201d That\u2019s helped me more than anything, just asking myself, \u201cWhat is the story here?\u201d I outline because in the long run it saves time. I outline when I\u2019m on deadline, and I outline when I have all the time in the world. I don\u2019t do sophisticated Roman numerals or anything of that nature, but I think of all the main points I need to hit and write them down. That way, it\u2019s easier to make structural changes. When I write, it\u2019s quick because of the work I\u2019ve done on the back end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"