Newswriting

I don't like blogging. I'm a fairly private person, at least when it comes to cyber space, but unfortunately, I have to do it.

I have a lot of problems when it comes to successfully writing news stories.

First, constructing leads has given me a hard time. When I interview people, I typically find that I have a lot of information to sift through. While going through every thing, I also realize that I have lots of stories within my interviews. This leads me to question what would be an enticing article for readers.

Similarly, if writing leads is stressful, constructing the body text can be disastrous. Reading the textbook points me in the right direction, but it doesn't provide me with help on my own stories. I feel that after reading "Inside Reporting" I should know how to write a good story, but I only get frustrated when I find it incredibly difficult. Sometimes, the writing will flow naturally (the kind I love best), but more often than not, I'll sometimes stare at a blank Word document for 20 minutes.

And don't even get me started on interviewing. Most of my sources are very gracious and helpful. A few, however, have been disrespectful and bland. I spend my weekends chasing after people. I feel like a pathetic ex-girlfriend waiting for them to call me when they say they will and I'd say seven times out of 10, they don't.

One thing that has improved these last few weeks has been finding stories to write about. The UNH Media Web site has been especially helpful. There are always news stories about what is going on around campus.