Creative Writing in News Articles
How to Write Unique Articles without Bending the Facts
Aug 2, 2008
While there is very little room for creativity in a world of blacklists, slander and liable, writing robotically is not the most effective way to inform readers and maintain their interest. Remember not to confuse creativity with imagination: creativity is the method the facts are written whereas imagination is twisting and manipulating the facts themselves. Following the lead, use of subtle creative techniques can liven up the writing and improve its readability.
Thoroughly researching and interviewing a feature topic or news story should be the top priority, and after becoming an expert on the story's topic, the first step to creating a unique story is finding a unique angle. Finally, through showing instead of telling, including sensory details, and using an active voice instead of a passive voice the audience will not only be informed but also experience the news.
Show Don't Tell
Just because it's something English teachers have been pressing for years doesn't make it untrue. Showing not only employs creative tactics but can back up facts. Instead of solely quoting a source, it can be appropriate to describe body language if, and only if, necessary for further explanation.
If an environmentalist boasts about wasting in a sarcastic manner, a description ("I throw away everything from cardboard to plastic bottles," Hannah said, thrashing her arms and rolling her eyes. "It's too inconvenient to recycle.") might be more effective than trying to relay her tone, which can sound judging on the writer's part ("I throw away everything from cardboard to plastic bottles," Hannah said sarcastically. "It's too inconvenient to recycle.").
Include Sensory Details
Describing a scene - be it at a breaking news event or a planned meeting - can be one of the greatest tools to a journalist. When writing about the event's setting, keep it short and keep it relevant.
At a football game, instead of throwing numbers and adjectives about the people in the stands into an article, try capturing a moment to bring the audience back to the game. As always, avoid sensationalizing any story, especially breaking news. Instead, remain objective in the writing, including only descriptions that anyone present at the scene would agree on.
Use the Active Voice
When possible, choose the active voice over the passive voice, and choose unique and descriptive verbs over flat, overused ones. Compare the following sentences:
The mother flagged the fireman down, pointing to the second window where a fallen beam trapped the toddler.
The fireman was guided to the second window where a toddler was trapped.
In the first sentence has two specific subjects (mother and beam) acting (flagging and trapping) where the second sentence has no identified subjects and passive voice (was guided and was trapped). The first sentence uses rich details and specific details to not only show a scene, but also relay more information in less space. Be sure to stick to the facts and avoid exaggeration when choosing words and assigning actions.
Always use ethical journalism practice, and cut anything that exaggerates or offends. The more pressing a news article is, the less room for creativity, aside from necessary descriptions, but feature stories and less urgent news leave more space for unique angles and creativity. Using a unique angle and the preceding creative tactics to write an article will better involve and keep the interest of modern-day readers constantly on the move.
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