Quick tips for good writing

Interview more sources than you’ll ever need for one story. The more information to work with, the easier to write the article.
Write in past tense, third person, plural.
Include first and last name, year and major when attributing quotes.
Show, don’t tell. Use descriptive language to set the scene.
Answer the five W’s and the H; who, what, when, where, why and how.
Use “said” when attributing quotes. Do not use “says” or “stated” or “exclaimed.” Focus on what a person said, not how they said it.
Always double check the spelling of people’s names and their majors.
Majors are always written in lower case with the exception of English or foreign languages.
Before submitting a story, read it out loud. Does it sound good?
New speaker = new paragraph.
Do not use cliché phrases.
Avoid wordiness. Don’t try to impress readers with lofty vocabulary.
Be specific. Don’t use words like: some, a few, a lot, several or many.

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