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A New York Times profile of a Ukranian sniper confronts the “myth of a ‘good...
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thomas Gibbons-Neff served with the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan; he now writes for The New York Times, covering the war in Ukraine. Karl Marlantes served with the U.S. Marines in...
View ArticleCircling your way to a story
By Jacqui Banaszynski A sign of the times… or, to be wordier but more precise, a sign of my obsessed mind in these divisive times in these dis-United States … My closest friend’s husband reads comic...
View ArticleA 3,000-word story, 70 email questions ~ and a grateful writer
By Jyoti Madhoosoodanan (from a Facebook post) Currently in an email thread that is 70 messages long (and growing) — all to check the accuracy of a 3,000 word story, with a special focus on a few...
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So many newsletters: Reading to learn to write to be read
By Jacqui Banaszynski I try to take notice of writing approaches in all manner of places. As a kid, I read the back of cereal boxes, which probably were promo-style or maybe kid-type stories. I read...
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Respecting the tortured voice and troubled choices of the mentally ill
By Chip Scanlan The best narrative writers know they need not just to interview after the fact, but to observe in the moment. They want to be on the scene, where they see characters and action unfold...
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Following an unfinished story: A year in the life of a post-Roe family
By Trevor Pyle When reporter Kavitha Surana and photographer Stacy Kranitz profiled a Tennessee mother forced to endure a life-threatening pregnancy shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned, they could...
View ArticleTrue stories embrace the dualities of life
By Jacqui Banaszynski Above are a couple of spring daffodils for you as the world passes the spring equinox, and the tilt of time once again shifts. I send them for no other reason than it’s spring...
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Triad ledes: The power of three to tell the story of all
By Jacqui Banaszynski Classic news narratives tend to follow a single primary character through a story. There are other characters, of course, including people connected to the main character or more...
View Article2024 Power of Narrative: Compelling stories delivered on tight deadline
By Madeline Bodin It’s a chronic problem with narrative journalism. No matter what media you work in, no matter what genre, no matter whether your deadlines are short and solid or long and adjustable —...
View ArticleReverse engineering and story construction
A recent phone conversation has me thinking about construction. Not of the firewood holder waiting in the garage to be assembled (a spare Allen wrench, anyone?). I’m thinking of construction as it...
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2024 Power of Narrative: Double the power of your story with a braided structure
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of ourdispatches from the 2024 Power of Narrative conference at Boston University. For the first post, see deadline narratives by a Wall Street Journal podcast team....
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How an old story taught new lessons about reporting trauma
By Line Vaaben Much of my shaping as a journalist traces back 25 years, when I covered a deadly fire in Sweden. But it wasn’t until I returned to the scene a quarter-century later that I realized how...
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2024 Power of Narrative: How to bring empathy to your reporting
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third dispatch from the 2024 Power of Narrative conference at Boston University. For the others, see deadline narratives by a Wall Street Journal podcast team, and the...
View ArticleThe why, who and how of interviews
By Jacqui Banaszynski A recent social media post from a journalist-turned-professor sparked my interest. The professor told a quick story about a student who went into an interview with trepidation...
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A time capsule of journalism’s romantic age
By Jacqui Banaszynski If walls could talk, the tales whispered through the rooms of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong would hold me in thrall. The club is a throwback to another time in our...
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The power of the pun, from Shakespeare to Walter Cronkite to Roy Peter Clark
EDITOR’S NOTE: This essay is a share from our friends at The Poynter Institute, with gratitude. By Roy Peter Clark All good writers play with words, even when they write about grave matters. The device...
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2024 Power of Narrative: “Be human first” when covering trauma and children
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth dispatch from the 2024 Power of Narrative conference at Boston University. For previous posts, see deadline narratives by a Wall Street Journal podcast team, the...
View ArticleJournalism awards: Free j-school
By Jacqui Banaszynski It’s awards’ season in the journalism industry, and with that comes your free continuing education. And with it comes a chance to refresh and refocus your journalism — for free....
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How to turn all that “stuff” into narrative
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is our final dispatch from the 2024 Power of Narrative conference. For earlier posts, see deadline narratives by a Wall Street Journal podcast team, the braided structure used by...
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How to stop “performing” and write as only you can write
By Ruth Tam Steve Almond has lived many lives in pursuit of his most elusive dream: publishing a novel. He’s been an investigative journalist, tortured poet and author. Before he published “All the...
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