There's an old saying in journalism: "Less is more."
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| Flickr photo by by Alan Cleaver |
Forget about the times you wrote as much as you could about something in order to impress the teacher or give your reader the impression that you really know what you're talking about. In journalism brevity is key. Hard news stories must be concise or you'll confuse and lose the reader.
While feature stories allow writers to be more descriptive and more creative, that doesn't mean you should necessarily start writing a lot more. Right now we're focusing on short profiles so that means first do thorough reporting and interviewing, then pick the very best information to write your story. Don't give the reader all of the information. While your words may be sacred to you, you have to be able to cut what's not necessary and edit wordy phrases. Your powers of observation will also be key to collecting good, descriptive details.
Think of it as fat-free writing.
Click on the links below to see three more examples of 300-word stories by Brady Dennnis, then comment on which you like the best and why.
Looking for a laugh
One minute and $123 dollars
As time goes by
I think that "Looking for a Laugh" is the best story out of the three because while they were all very interesting and very real situations, it was the only one that had an inspiring aspect to it. This man hasn't had an easy past and struggles to do what he loves, but he keeps trying because when it does go well he's making other people happy. This one shows a dream with persistence and the reality of it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caitlin and think "Looking for a laugh" was the most impressive 300 word story. The story is about hope and not giving up on your dreams. Even though Nigel Davis has been through rough times, he wants to make people laugh, and he won't give up until he can. I found the story to be compelling and easy to follow. Also, the story captured your attention quickly by the lead. My favorite part of the article was the end when it said Davis would wait again until the next amateur comedian night. This shows that Davis will not give up on his dreams. "Looking for a laugh" was my favorite article because of the theme of hope throughout the article.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the article "One minute and $123 dollars" the most because of how he expressed the idea that something so simple could change people's live entirely. When I think about a "perfect" or "nice" wedding, I think of beautiful dresses, countless decorations and customized cakes. However, now my view has changed after reading this article. The people in the article came to America to find happiness, and all of their happiness was expressed in the article just by Dennis adding a few descriptive words. The story is beautiful yet so simple.
ReplyDeleteOnce again i agree with Caitlin. 'looking for a laugh' is the best story of the three. It offers a deeper look into his personal life than the other two. The two other stories were kind of confusing as to what the real story was about, it didn't connect as well for me. It was almost as if there was so much about everything it didn't connect to the nut graph as well. 'Looking for a laugh' begins with painting a picture of a sad life of a man who has had his fair share of heart break, if not more. But through that, shows his good heart by just wanting to make people laugh. He wants to make them laugh so that they can forget their troubles, even just for a few minutes. Because he knows just how burdensome having so many troubles lingering in ones mind can be.
ReplyDeleteWhile I enjoyed every article, the one I liked the most was "As time goes by". I think it shows how you don't have to have all these high-end, expensive things to live. Don Mullins likes to sell potatoes, fish, and watermelons at the end of his driveway while wearing his "plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up", and he's perfectly content with what he has. He simply says that he would like to die under some oak trees. He doesn't need a cell phone, iPad, or a television to keep him occupied. I think we can look up to someone like Mullins when we're concerned about material things.
ReplyDeleteAlthough all the stories were interesting, I agree with Katie; "As Time Goes By" was the best article to me. Unlike the other articles, this story did not have an obvious, funny, or touching punchline or point after reading it, which I thought was nice for a change. The writer of these 300-word profiles, Brady Dennis, started this column to expose the lives of ordinary, everyday people we see around us, and in "As Time Goes By", he does just that. Don Mullins' story may not have had a tragic, or heartwrenching, or inspirational note to it like the other two stories, but to me that makes it the most meaningful. Not everybody has experienced something in their life that is attention-grabbing or tragic or out of the ordinary, but that does not make us, and our stories, less important or worth being heard than Nigel Davis' tragic childhood and inspirational career choice or the woman in "One Minute and $123" who has finally found true love. I think Brady Dennis' article on Don Mullins' simple lifestyle and past was admirable, and the story showed that any person's life is important and worth hearing- even if it has been 'boring' or 'unexciting' by readers' standards.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caitlin that Looking for a Laugh was the most intriguing story out of the three. The lead drew me in and instantly made me question what the writer meant and it made want to continue to read which is a very important part of any story. All three stories were interesting to read but I liked Looking for a Laugh the best because the story is personal and very touching. It shows us a man who wants to make people laugh just because "For those few minutes, they aren't thinking about anything bad." Nigel Davis just wants to spend his life living his dreams despite all the obstacles in life that tried to stop him but he continues to pursue it. He is just an orphan without a very happy childhood but this element of hope in the story really made the story that much better.
ReplyDeleteI agree with those who enjoy "Looking for Laughter." Like Zaynah said, I thought the lead was very interesting. It showed the tough things that Nigel Davis was going through. Right away I knew he had a hard, but extremely interesting life. I wanted to see how his terrible memories could relate to laughter. I also thought the headline was very intriguing. Not only was the story about "Looking for Laughter," but the readers are also looking for laughter in this sappy story. I thought this story was very touching. Despite Davis' tough past, he persevered and looked to the positive things in his life like his fiancee.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie. My favorite story was "As time goes by." Don Mullins lives a simple life and enjoys every bit of it. As Katie mentioned, he does not need expensive things to make him happy. He gets by with the love of his wife. The story was captivating for me because it gave a real glimpse into this mans life. He was very positive. I think we can all learn a lesson from this man. The story was very well written.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone who enjoyed "Looking for Laughter". I thought it was really interesting how this man who has been through so much tragedy continues to keep up his hobby of comedy, even though he clearly has bad days. He could take another route and become depressed and angry at the world after he has been through so much, but instead he still focuses on what he enjoys doing, even if it isn't always rewarding. I think that this man is actually very admirable and I really enjoyed the story.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all three articles I found, "One Minute and $123 Dollars" to be the most enjoyable. The fact that this simple ceremony brought such happiness to the Domingo and Adriana, forced me to look at weddings in a different light. They don't need to be a large, elaborate, and as said by Paisley, "perfect" affair. Also, I loved how the story focused on the fact that the couple met by chance and fell in love by choice. It was quite heart breaking to read how Adriana's first marriage was arranged when she was our age. I'm glad that she got her happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paisley that "One minute and $123 dollars" was the best of the 300-word stories. The way the story was written was touching, but also very simple. Many people get married in quick, courthouse ceremonies, but not much thought is given to their stories. It was nice to hear the unique story of these two people, especially in the way that Brady Dennis described it. The way the lead was written especially interested me. It made me want to read on and figure out exactly what was going on in the scene he described. His use of words throughout the article was able to bring the story to life for me.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite 300-word story is "As Time Goes By." I really like the message behind it. As Katie said, this story shows that you don't need expensive things to be happy. This story made me question the way I live my life. I also really like the mood Brady Dennis creates with this story. It's written so simply and it describes a normal guy, yet it makes you realize that you can be happy living a modest life. It's very heartwarming to see how happy Don Mullins is with his life. I love how Mullins says he can get by with his home, his church, and love of his wife because in reality, that's all that should really matter. Overall, I appreciate how all three of these articles are written about normal people, but yet Dennis makes their stories interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the story "Looking for a Laugh" the best. I liked this story the best because i immediately connected with the character after only a few short lines. I really appreciated the authors writing and how he got me interested at the first sentence. Although, this story was very sad I wanted to read on and learn more about the character. This story was very heartfelt, and interesting. I was very impressed with "Looking for a Laugh".
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ReplyDeleteThe story that I liked the most was "Looking for a Laugh". This 300 word story was really sad and thought provoking, I really enjoyed reading it and I thought the author did an amazing job of giving the reader insight into the persons life. The story was only 300 words, but it made me feel a whole lot. I immediately felt connected to Nigel Davis, the way the author just gave simple details about him really brought him to life. I am incredibly impressed with this story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the many that think "As Time Goes By" was the best story. All three stories were very good, but I enjoyed reading this one the most. Multiple things stood out from it among the others. One thing which I really liked about it was the tie in it had to travelers and people that drive by him. I personally have passed by many small produce spots. My family thrives off of local produce and to hear a story from a seller himself is inspiring to me. I think this story is a little depressing because the poor man has gone through a lot and has sat on the sidelines as life around him changed. He has done the same thing his whole life and plans on dying doing it. He doesn't want to change like everything else. I find this story quite interesting and I really like the way the writer portrayed his story. They made the life of a common man not so common. This sone really stood out to me as being the best.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paisley when she said that "One Minute and $123 dollars" is her favorite article. I also think when there is a wedding there should be all these beautiful flowers, and it should be a ceremony but this article showed me how they didn't even mind where they got married as long as they did. It was a very inspiring thing to see that they didn't need all the extravagant things to be happy with each other. I think this is an example that many people should look at, to see the good things and that not everything has to be one big event.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite article by Brady Dennis is, "As time goes by". I like this article because, even though it isn't long you can visualize the Amish man at his home. It is very descriptive about him sitting down and you can literally imagine the things going on around him. The quotes are placed effectively so that they back up what Dennis had earlier said. I agree with Alana that even though Don Mullins' life may not be a comedy, romance, or tragedy it is still a solid strong story. Dennis got me to visualize, understand, and analyze his entire story with only 300 words. Its not the quantity of the work but the quality.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caitlin that "Looking for a laugh" was the most interesting article to read. I was drawn in by the descriptive staccato lead that set the serious tone to the article. The lead, which can attract or bore readers, left me wondering how Nigel would turn out. The story describes Nigel Davis, man who had a rough childhood and a difficult career, as someone who enjoys making other people happy. This 300-word article is my favorite because it reminds you that the negative in your life can inspire you to do positive things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jasmine that "Looking for a laugh" was the best and most interesting article to read; although I did enjoy "123 Minutes". "Looking for a laugh" was the best to me because it was able to create an image in my head, I was able to picture exactly what the author was saying while getting to know Nigel Davis all at the same time. I did think the writing was a little dull, it still was able to keep me interested. Even after I finished I wanted to google Nigel Davis and see how he is doing.It is interesting to see how much you can learn about a person in so little of words.
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