As I've progressed, to now becoming a Senior Writer at Rant Sports, I occasionally get asked about good ways to gets started as a sports writer, in terms of websites to write for and such, how I do things, etc., even though I sometimes I feel like I'm in the beginning stages of my own career in terms of what I'd ultimately like to do.
And so came that proverbial cartoon character "light bulb moment" where I started to think that my insight and experience must be considered valuable to others, and maybe it's a lot more valuable than I think it is.
So without any more of my back story, here are what I feel are the essential elements of good feature-length stories that are found on websites and in magazines and newspapers. I will take a sports writer angle, since that is what I know best, but I think these elements can apply to any type of feature or blog-length writing, be it news, entertainment or whatever an individual writer has their finger on the pulse of.
Part I-Setting The Stage
I could use phrases like "topic sentence", "introduction paragraph" and such, which would certainly make an English teacher proud, but I feel like this first paragraph or two is effectively setting the stage for what will come.
In the context of sports, what happened in a previous game, stretch of games or season is appropriate here, of course depending on the subject. There is room for some opinion here, and readers that know your writing best may pick up a hint of foreshadowing, but in general you should not give away your entire opinion in the first 100 words.
Part 2-The Meat and Potatoes
This area is about building, and in the sports realm looking back and forward can be appropriate depending on subject matter. If you're writing about a game, offering some highlights (player performances, trends, etc.) from said game is vital here. This is also an opportunity to offer data and statistics to re-enforce facts, offer context and support your overall opinion.
Part 3- Conclusion
Now is the time to tie up any loose ends, offer your definitive opinion and look ahead to what's next. Particularly in sports writing, looking ahead is essential because last night's game is old news very quickly and the reader wants to know what is coming that they can look forward to.
Other Notes
Typos happen at times no matter how much you proofread, but particularly In sports writing factual errors are not an option and easy to avoid. I'm talking having the names of players and coaches spelled correctly, statistics being accurate and days being cited properly in terms of when games happened, when games will happen and notable events occur. A lack of attention to detail in any of the aforementioned areas will wreck your credibility as a writer, and perhaps drive readers away from whatever outlet you're writing for as a whole. The information is out there, so use it and don't be afraid to double and triple-check simple facts.
As a sports writer, it's important to note what sports talk radio host Jim Rome implores his callers to do- "Have a take, and don't suck."
In my own writing, regardless of topic, I sometimes don't start a piece with a definitive and inflexible final take locked down. I often let the data guide me, where it's applicable, and simply writing serves as a de facto brainstorming session that leads me to an ultimate conclusion. I guess the lesson is to be flexible, and be willing to alter your initial thoughts if facts, statistics and other important insights start to prove them wrong.
One of my colleagues at Rant Sports had a useful tip to all writers recently, telling us to "be the authority" on the topic you're writing about. That is a good way to bring readers back to your work, whether they agree with your opinion or not.
A couple of final notes: It's absolutely critical to find your own unique voice as a writer. I like to think people that read my work can hear me saying the words I write about a given topic, and I hope that's the case more often than not.
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