The Open Notebook

Ask TON: Who Should Trim Long Drafts?

I often turn in first drafts of articles that are over the assigned word count by around 20 to 30 percent. I do so knowing that the story will need to be trimmed but wanting the editor’s feedback on what should take priority, and I specifically ask for that feedback about where to cut back. Often, though, the editor sends edits without making any significant trims and asks me to cut things on round two. Am I wrong to expect that editors will help with this aspect of shaping a story?

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by TON Editors · July 24, 2018 · 1 comment

Ask TON: Crafting a Winning Fellowship Proposal

Fellowships can provide a supportive environment that yields more impactful stories, supplement commissions from journalism outlets, provide financial assistance for travel, and foster relationships with peers. Snagging a fellowship requires an application package that makes a strong case for your project’s urgency, showcases your track record and your ability to carry out what you propose, and includes enthusiastic letters of recommendation. Here’s advice about how to assemble a top-tier proposal.

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by TON Editors · February 20, 2018 · 1 comment

Ask TON: Sending Embargoed Papers for Outside Comment

My young science-writer friends recently disagreed over a question regarding embargoed studies. When seeking outside comment, some people send copies of embargoed studies to scientists in their initial email, while others will ask scientists to agree to the embargo before sending it along. What’s the correct approach?

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by TON Editors · October 17, 2017 · 1 comment

Ask TON: How Much Time Should I Spend Preparing a Pitch?

What is a normal amount of time to spend on preparing pitches for magazine feature stories? Some people say they spend as little as an hour, and others conduct multiple interviews before pitching. What’s usually the best approach, practically speaking?

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by TON Editors · November 10, 2015 · 0 comments

Ask TON: Finding Patients

“What methods do you use to find patients for a medical story, and what kinds of questions do you ask them, or their doctors, or yourself, to vet whether a particular patient is the right fit for a story?”

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by TON Editors · October 6, 2015 · 0 comments

Ask TON: Mastering News Turnaround

I’d like to learn how to write faster, so I could turn a story around in just a few hours. Are there some good tricks people who write news use to get stories done on a tight timeline?

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by TON Editors · August 11, 2015 · 2 comments

Ask TON: Using PIOs to Hunt Stories

I’d like to make better use of university public information officers to find ideas for features and front-of-book stories for magazines. What is the best way to do this?

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by TON Editors · March 10, 2015 · 3 comments

Ask TON: Nailing Physical Descriptions

When I’m reporting, everyone I meet seems to basically look ‘regular’ to me. It doesn’t seem worth saying that someone wears glasses or has smoothly brushed hair … I know I’m supposed to look for meaningful traits … What am I doing wrong?

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by TON Editors · February 3, 2015 · 0 comments

Ask TON: When Is Outsourcing Unethical?

To get myself out of a bind without having to tell my editor I was so far behind, I hired another writer who I trusted to help me with my reporting and drafting. It all worked out … but I felt kind of gross. Was it unethical for me to hire a subcontractor?

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by TON Editors · December 16, 2014 · 4 comments

Ask TON: How to Build Narrative in Explanatory Stories

You’re assigned to cover new developments in a complicated field. You know you have to include summaries of some results, and enough background to give readers a good overview. How can you bring some deliciously compelling narrative to a summary-type story?

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by TON Editors · November 11, 2014 · 1 comment

Ask TON: Conducting and Condensing Q&A Interviews

If you’re assigned a Q&A with a well-known doctor or scientist, how do you approach it? What’s the one question you should definitely ask anyone, regardless of background? And how do you decide what to leave out of a Q&A?

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by TON Editors · September 2, 2014 · 2 comments

Ask TON: Using Outlines and Storyboards

You’re finally ready to sit down and write your feature. How do you organize your interview notes and research? Seasoned writers and editors share tips on how to break down your ideas and combine them into a great story—either by outlining, chunking them out, or just letting it happen.

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by TON Editors · August 5, 2014 · 0 comments