18

Run With Your Assignment

In some ways, I believe anyone can do it, and yet they don't set aside the time or they don't do the revisions, or they do it and it sits, or they send it out to one place and when it gets rejected they don't send it out again.

~ ELIZABETH RUSCH, MOTHER OF TWO

The query is sent. The offer is accepted. You have squared away the assignment and negotiated payment, and you are ready to write! Typically, time will have passed since you worked so hard on that query and pre-wrote your feature. You may even have to reread your notes just to remember exactly what you proposed (I mean, you've sent out a lot of other queries since then, right?). Give yourself a big pat on the back and then get ready to write!

Feature Writing Tips

1. Refresh your memory. The good news is that because you pre-wrote your feature before submitting it, you have a container bursting with writing starts and notes that will help start your draft. But before you go writing off into the sunset, pull that magazine back out and remind yourself how your feature is going to match up. Here's what to look at:

Studying other people's work isn't meant to rein in your creative approach. On the contrary, it is meant to get you back in the mood. You may be tempted to jump back into a feature from memory, and that's fine for writing notes to yourself. But you'll be surprised by the things you may not have previously noticed you need because, before, so much of your energy was focused on your query. You may also want to pull out whatever market notes you collected on this publication (guidelines, editorial calendar, media kit), as well as your current assignment.

2. Keep writing projects orderly. I use a paper sorter with twenty-four compartments for my projects in process. That way I can store everything (papers, back issues, a book, and even my small audio cassette player and tapes) within reach and in good order. Folders and even folder pockets may not be big enough to contain everything you gather. But the paper sorter works great. And after an assignment is completed, even materials from the largest projects fit into folder pockets that I store in a filing cabinet.

3. Break it down into subsections. Draft your feature using whatever method feels most comfortable to you. If you feel overwhelmed by the depth or scope of your feature, break it down into subsections that correspond to a research folder. You will end up with several folders of research for one feature this way, but that works well, because when you sit down to work, you can focus on one section at a time. You can rearrange material for clarity as you tighten up your drafts.

4. Play the “Did I nail it?” game. When you get to the almost-done point, go back to your sample magazine and, again, align your title, subtitle, section titles, callouts, captions, sidebar headings, and anything else to those that characterize the magazine. You can play the “Did I nail it?” game to see how tuned in you are to your editor's likes and dislikes. Read the titles in the magazine aloud, and then read aloud your title idea, subtitle, captions, etc. You will hear the difference if your choices don't match up. Adjust accordingly.

5. Your strongest lede. Forget formulas for crafting ledes. Here's a better strategy: Write your best lede last. It's easier to write the guts of your feature first and worry about the lede later. For example, let's say you have just completed writing your feature. You now know what the reader does and does not need to know, the questions the reader will ask and how you will or won't answer them, and the key points the reader will take away from what you wrote.

illustration Become Accountable

Last summer when I was in a slump, I made a deal with my husband that if I accomplished my financial goals for the year (which he thought I was capable of doubling), we'd take the family to Disneyland. Guess who's rubbing noses with Mickey this summer?

Who is holding you accountable for your goals? Find someone or share the job with another writer. Then plan ahead for your next reward. Fill in the blanks:

When I accomplish … ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________, I will receive ____________________. And I will be accountable to: ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________ by updating them on my progress and successes.

Therefore, you are in a great position to write an irresistible lede. The whole point of the lede is to lure the reader into your writing so they can receive the value you've worked so hard to provide. Ledes hook the reader, and hook 'em good. Here's an example lede:

It's easy to forget to make time for yourself when you have to juggle an important meeting, three kids in three different schools, a traveling spouse, and commitments in your community. So how come other moms always seem to “have it all” and still have time to work out, read the latest bestsellers, and spend time with their friends?

I was not yet a mom when I wrote this lede, but I knew enough moms to be able to imagine the frustration a mom might feel. But to simply say that would be “telling,” not “showing,” so I described it instead, thus placing myself in the shoes of the reader. To heighten the drama of an otherwise not-terribly-dramatic list article, I posed a question that a frazzled mom might ask herself. The result? The reader wants to read on to find out the solution to a problem she can identify with.

No matter what, your lede must:

This is no easy task. A lede is not a gimmick. It's not a trick that writers play on readers to fool them into reading their writing. I offer you these simple keys to writing ledes as strong as you will ever need:

Occasionally, I hear about a writer who has to have a perfect lede before she can go on to write the rest of a feature. But more often, a writer has a solid middle before she has a beginning or end. The solution is to try three ledes and go with the strongest one. Write the three quickly when you finish the guts of a piece and see which works best the next day.

And don't forget your caboose! You need a strong finish for your feature. Although some editors seem to like conclusions, while others just chop them right off, be sure to offer one, just in case. Tying your conclusion back to your lede is a simple way to get the job done.

6. Get some stylebooks. Remember that wish list? Now you will better understand why you need to add stylebooks to it. Even though they may not be exciting to collect, stylebooks sure come in handy when you are finalizing drafts of articles. Whether you are trying to choose between lay and lie, wondering if a comma or semicolon is more appropriate, or unsure whether to capitalize or not, stylebooks have your back. And they are available new, used, or at your local library:

For all writers: William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, 4th ed. (Allyn & Bacon, 1999)

For magazines: The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, ed. Norm Goldstein (Perseus Books, 2002)

For books: The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2003)

illustration Scraps

Consider composting your old work as you go along. Hold onto everything you write at least until you know you no longer can squeeze any value out of it. Here's how: Keep an extra document open in your word processing program. It should be named the same as your original document plus the word “Scraps.” Anything you cut that you think you might want to use or reference later can be tossed into this document and saved right next to your working draft.

Occasionally, pull up all of your “Scraps” documents. Skim them, either on your computer or as hardcopies, and see if you can generate any new ideas on old topics. Sometimes the material in your Scraps document is interesting, but irrelevant to the old topic. Consider recycling still-viable topics into something new, especially if the topic is in your area of expertise.

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Appropriate Perfectionism

It's time to polish your words. Look at your latest draft while asking the following questions. Circle your answers.

THE LEDE

Y

N

Does my lede cut right to the chase of what the article is about?

Y

N

Does my lede pull the reader in? Hook the reader by helping him identify with the topic??

Y

N

Have I used my lede to focus the rest of my article or essay?

Y

N

Does my lede transition smoothly to the body of my piece?

THE BODY

Y

N

If an article, does the body of my piece have a clear rhythm/organization?

Y

N

If an essay, does the body of my piece have a compelling narrative throughline?

Y

N

If an article, is the body of my piece broken up into easy-to-read chunks?

Y

N

If an essay, does the body of my piece evoke the senses with accurate and specific details?

Y

N

Are my descriptions succinct and relevant?

Y

N

Are my anecdotes, facts, allusions, and resources succinct and relevant?

Y

N

Have I eliminated every extraneous word?

Y

N

Have I eliminated redundancies?

Y

N

Are my verbs active and punchy?

Y

N

Have I checked my facts to make sure they are current and accurate?

THE CONCLUSION

Y

N

Do I have a conclusion that ties back to my lede?

Y

N

Does the the reader now know something that she didn't know before reading the article?

IN GENERAL

Y

N

Have I honored and maintained my voice and writing style?

Y

N

Has the piece been read by one to three people whose opinions I respect?

Y

N

Have I given this piece my very best effort?

Y

N

Have I proofread the piece for grammatical errors?

Writing Career Ups and Downs

Remember the board game Chutes and Ladders? If not, you will probably become reacquainted soon. Your writing career will follow a similar up-the-ladders and-down-the-chutes pattern. No doubt you'll discover that your career makes steady progression, punctuated by triumphant ascents and discouraging setbacks. What I have noticed is that the “ups” tend to follow smart choices and good preparation. There is no such thing as “luck” in the publishing industry; there is only the fruition of cumulative efforts. What follows are some typical writing career fluctuations, in the style of the board game that was one of my childhood favorites. It's by no means comprehensive, but should offer you plenty of fair warning:

SQUARE 1: GOING UP!

Join a professional writers association. Learn relevant, current industry insights and break in faster.

SQUARE 4: GOING UP!

Sift and mix some of your separate audiences into more narrow audiences (for example, parents who are also fitness buffs or entrepreneurs). Land assignments that are fun and easy for you to write and lead to a specialty.

SQUARE 9: GOING UP!

Schedule a monthly “Breakfast with Champions” (meeting with already published writers). Learn from the people who are in the know and can refer you to industry insiders.

SQUARE 16: GOING DOWN!

Ask a well-known writer for a personal referral, when she is unfamiliar with you and your work. Whoops! Now you are embarrassed and referral-less!

SQUARE 21: GOING UP!

Encourage another writer into action, not ego. Together, you try to get away from attempting to be “great writers” and simply try to be productive writers. You'll be there to cheer her on when she needs a push and give her permission to do the same for you!

SQUARE 28: GOING UP!

Help a first-time published writer promote his book by writing an Amazon.com review, requesting his book at your local bookstore, and sharing news of the book and how to purchase it with appropriate friends. Reward: Author connects you to his agent with a personal recommendation!

SQUARE 36: GOING UP!

Identify your writing and publishing needs, goals, and areas that need improvement and address them with specific classes, resources, and books. Overcome the blind spots that flag you as a beginner or keep you from steady work.

SQUARE 46: GOING DOWN!

Spread gossip about a writer friend you secretly envy. You lose her trust and the confidence of your other friends. Be more honest about your envy and keep it in check.

SQUARE 47: GOING DOWN!

Unwillingness to start at the bottom and work your way steadily to the top causes you to to cut corners, skip steps, and take shortcuts. Your submissions and queries end up in the literal and virtual garbage. Be as conscientious and informed as possible, and don't skip steps.

SQUARE 49: GOING DOWN!

Decide to mass e-mail your queries without doing due diligence on each publication and editor. Figuring you will be recognized for the great writer you are without needing to waste your time doing silly marketing, you instead earn a spot in those editors' “Flaky Writer” files.

SQUARE 51: GOING UP!

Make yourself a cover, query, and manuscript checklist and use them religiously. You keep as many of your manuscripts and queries in play as you can, and begin to land increasingly higher-paying assignments and reprint multiples of your past writing!

SQUARE 62: GOING DOWN!

Your house is a mess, you don't care how you dress, and your final drafts could use a makeover too. But you don't care; you just want to get it done and move on. Downside: Editor keeps sending your work back for rewrites while making a mental note not to offer you the next assignment she had earmarked for you.

SQUARE 64: GOING DOWN!

You're too proud to ask for help. You're going to do all of this all by yourself — and can't understand why it is taking you so long to establish any kind of sustainable success.

SQUARE 71: GOING UP!

You tell your assigning editor, “Sorry, I can't take on another assignment right now. I'm all booked up, but thanks for the offer. I hope you'll keep me in mind next time.” Bonus: Spend quality time with the family getting and giving much-needed hugs and kisses!

SQUARE 80: GOING UP!

Follow your gut and submit your work to a prestigious contest. Win first place and cash reward! Family vacation, here you come!

SQUARE 87: GOING DOWN!

You make up “true stories,” falsify quotes, facts, and statistics, and lie when you need an extension, rather than develop a personal code of writing ethics in which you can take pride — and you get caught. Article gets yanked. Public humiliation. Lesson: Track facts and sources and give credit where credit is due.

SQUARE 93: GOING DOWN!

Scared writer: Too shy to seek input. You are intimidated by experts and editors and can't get beyond list articles and tips.

SQUARE 95: GOING DOWN!

Too proud to take low-paying or free gigs on topics you like because you think you're a pro (although you have zero clips to show for it).You quit after six months of not being able to land assignments because editors want to see examples of your published work (clips).

SQUARE 98: GOING DOWN!

You take on too many low-paying assignments in swift succession, get burned out, and can't understand how anyone could make decent money in a profession that values writers so little. You quit just when you could have moved up the ladder to the next natural level for your writing.

SQUARE 100: WIN-WIN-WIN!

You work hard, leverage your experience, gain confidence and wisdom, earn the recognition of your professional peers, and are a respected colleague of editors and agents!