Week 5 Forum

Topic 1
I believe that my best story so far has been the report on the new Philosophy Club at LBCC.  I was the most prepared with questions that would help the story and I used a lot of techniques that didn't get utilized in other stories.  I recorded the meeting which allowed me to use more information that I didn't get a chance to write down and I also stayed diligent in taking notes and getting quotes.

My biggest challenge has definitely been the execution of the writing.  It seems easy with a clear guideline like the inverted pyramid but the style is so different from any other writing that I have done that I cannot confirm for myself whether a story is good or even finish or not.  My first story ended up coming out a lot more dry than I intended because I was focused so much on trying to stick to the facts all the way through.  My second story ended up being too filled with ambiguous descriptions that didn't accurately portray the situation of the event.

I would like to improve my writing confidence because I sometimes can't identify a good story from the information that I have accumulated from my sources.  I like the stories that we read in class and can recognize good reporting when it is presented to me but it is hard to find within my own words.

One of the most important things I have learned through Edna Buchanan's book and her experiences that she is sharing is the power of reporting and how much help stories can give to a community.  One of my favorite quotes of Edna's is when she tries to insist on including a picture of the suspect in the paper when cops denied it, claiming that it would only deter the investigation: "That drives me crazy. You almost wonder which side they are on.  I usually lose patience and mutter something derisive such as 'Why?  Are you afraid you might catch him?'  Which, of course, does not endear me to their hearts."