Few Washington Wizards Articles I've Writte

Will -

It's terrifically commendable that you care so much about writing at just 14. And no one thinks you're being pissy or rude. We don't do pissy or rude in the workshop. We're all here to make our work better.

You're off to a good start - by caring deeply about becoming a better writer. Do you write for your school paper? You should try to if you get the chance.

And we're not saying that you shouldn't try to share your thoughts and opinions about the Wizards. You absolutely should. But you should also understand, even at your tender age, that opinion pieces - the kind of thing you're writing now - aren't really of much value if you're not providing a) new information, b) entertainment, or c) some combination of the two.

In addition to all the reading I'm asking you to do, I'm going to ask you to do a couple more things now that I know a little more about you.

- First, find the journalism or newspaper adviser at your school, and start talking to him or her about how to become a better writer. Again, try to land a spot on your school paper.

- Second -- and this is one of the fundamental truths about writing -- write about what you know. It's great that you're interested in the Wizards; and it's great to have opinions about them. But why not try writing about your school basketball team for a while? A team that you do have access to - with a coach and players you can actually talk to and interview? It'll help you master the basics of writing and journalism much better than simply trying to write about the Wizards.

Again thanks for posting. And we look forward to helping in any way we can whenever we can. Good luck.

 

Will, as someone who PMed you with those concerns and to tell you humility would be your best friend...The thing with your above sentence is that you're denying coming off rude and pissy. What you should have said is "For those of you who think I am coming off rude and pissy, trust me, I'm not TRYING TO." Because what you're saying and how you're saying it comes off as rude and pissy (at least to me, though apparently not to jgmacg).

Now trust me, Jones and jgmacg are two guys to listen to. Take what they say and ask questions without challenging.

 

I said it before earlier in this thread...

Yeah I know, and I'm just trying to clarify some of those comments because I didn't understand. I wasn't trash on your comments, I just wanted to make it clear on what you were trying to say.

I know that I don't have good writing, but what do you mean by good information? Do I need to cite more statistics? Past examples? (This is what I mean when I don't understand what you are truly saying)

Yeah, I understand. I'm going to take a journalism class in my junior year, while learning everything I can until then. I'm going to read that Styles of Element book, and see what I can learn off of it.


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Well, when did you guys start to care about your writing? And "imjustagirl" pm'ed me about being rude and all that.

Did for a while in my freshman year, until I got loaded with homework and tests, I had to drop out. I'm going to return in my sophomore year for the rest of high school and going to take Journalism classes at my school for junior and senior years.

For new information, how do you suggest I should bring in new information? By new information, do you mean reporting breaking news I got from interviewing players? Or stating new ideas I have when I share my opinion?

From the blogs I read regularly, they don't have much humor and I wouldn't know how to add humor into my articles, myself, you know...maybe you guys can guide me to?

The newspaper at my school is open and anyone can come in and contribute anytime they want. I know and worked with the sports editor before, and I intend to return to the schools newspaper this year.

One of the articles I wrote about this year when I was on the school newspaper was about the swimming team, so I might look into more of the school's teams even more this year.

 

Jones and Jgmacg don't think I was coming off rude and pissy, but why do you?

I know they're the ones to listen to. I'm taking their suggestions, and then again when you don't understand what one is suggesting, don't you ask to clarify what they mean? That's what I am trying to do.

 

Will, you did not say you were 14 anywhere before on this thread.

jgmacg is a nice, kind, and patient man. I try to be, but you've worn me out.

Good luck, and all the best.

 

Read post 9 again.

I'm not putting down any of your suggestions. I've listened and understood about 75% of your guys' suggestions, but the other 25%, you guys aren't making clear, so I just question it.

 

Will -

I started caring about my writing very young. By the time I was about 10, I knew what I wanted to do. I'm nearly 50 now, so I've been at it a long time.

The easiest way to become a better writer is to read. Read everything. Get off the internet and read every book you can get your hands on. There's a lot of really bad, lazy writing online. The better the stuff you read, the better your own writing is likely to become. Reading a lot on your own makes school easier, too.

Frankly, you're not going to be able to get much new information on the Wizards, so maybe the thing to concentrate on is becoming a good reporter for your school paper. At least for now.

If you want to look at a funny sports website, you might visit deadspin.com.

But get in the habit of reading at least one major newspaper a day as well.

And don't worry about imjustagirl. She may have a toothache.

Now I have to go to bed. Because I am fantastically old.

Again, thanks for coming.

 

Will,

Let me give you a few pieces of advice. I started venturing around these parts when I was your age or so. I'm 20 now so I've been in your shoes.

I know that you want to cover the Wizards/Nats/every big team out there. That's what the pros do but take a second and breathe. I've covered NHL/MLB. High school kids when you're in high school are a lot more fun. I shit my pants walking into a MLB clubhouse and saw a player chew out a reporter. It's fun to watch but I wouldn't want to do it on a daily basis when you're that age.

I've formed more great relationships with people I covered in my own high school and/or on the high school level. Learn how to OWN your high school. Learn to develop sources who trust you so much that you don't even have to go searching for stories any more(you should, of course) My senior year, people came to ME with stories/scoops. I could sit in on any film session I wanted to. I developed a great reporter/athlete relationship with everyone except the athletic director who still to this day calls me "Scoop". Trust me, there are stories in your high school that Jones and jgmacg drool over. You can connect with those sources because you're their age. My No. 1 goal(AP Style...check it) while covering my high school was NEVER to get beat by another newspaper...weekly, daily, buttfloss weekly, NO ONE. NO ONE comes in MY SCHOOL and out reports ME. Cocky? maybe. But it was a goal. Pretty sure I accomplished it.

That being said...I did too much work in high school. I freelanced for way too many papers. I didn't sit down and read enough. I didn't focus on the grammar like I should have. I didn't focus on the AP Style like I should have. READ EVERYTHING, just not sports. There's other things you're interested in. READ THEM. I loved space when I was kid, I picked up Jones book and read it in two days. The best sports writers are those who borrow from other literature and bring it to sports. If you're not reading things and say "WOW, I wish I could write like that an I want to" or "Damn I SUCK!" then you're reading the wrong things.

Step 1: Listen to Jones and jcmacg. There's a lot of fools/bums on this board but these two are not. I've annoyed a lot of people on this board but I've apologized. You ran off Jones...not good buddy. I was 14 once too. I thought I knew everything. You don't. Not even close. Don't act like you understand these forums. Don't act like you know what's left from right..ask questions. Act like you're dumb, even if you're not. Be HUMBLE.

Step 2 Go buy "Writing for Story" by Jon Franklin. It's not about sports. It's about writing features and the natural order of great stories. Any ?s send them to me.

Step 3: Go buy an AP Style Guide. Read a page a day. That's what I do. Put your last name in Sharpie on the front in BIG ASS bold letters. Meet your bible.

Step 4: OWN your high school. Report in your high school. Find the great stories that exist in every high school, pitch them to your weekly newspaper, a daily, anything. Meet reporters in your coverage area. Give them the extra scoops you can't fit in the high school newspaper. Talk to everyone in the press box at the games you cover. Kiss anyones ass you can. Go to sporting events...talk to people. Parents. Boosters. Refs. the money taker. REPORTERS. Everyone has a story.

If you don't get pulled out of class at least twice and chewed out for something you wrote in the paper, you're not turning enough stones over. Write hard news, write long features that take a month to write, write columns about your school(not national, EVERYTHING that goes in your paper should be HIGH SCHOOL RELATED)

Step 5: Enjoy high school, dammit.

Much Love,

Simon

 

Will,

Read a major paper and one that's not a major, too. You'll often find the quality of writing by some sports people at smaller places to be just as good as some at majors.

I learned more about this profession by reading other people than almost anything else. I went to one of the most repected journalism schools in the country and learned more just by reading and observing than four years in Scripps Hall.

And listen to the people here. The people who come here care about their craft and want to see it stay relevant and of high quality. If they didn't, they wouldn't be here.

And by the way, I checked. Your age doesn't appear until late in this thread.

 

Master Will,

Just seeing this for the first time. Apologies for arriving late. I'm seconding Mr Simon's suggestions.

Maybe your goal is to write about the NBA but, as you noted, access is an issue. Start with what you have access to. That's not to say "start small" or "have modest ambitions." High school sports might have seemed a marginal beat back in the day, but it's hardly that now. (Given the Bullets'-Wizards' fortunes for awful stretches, high school might have been richer turf, but I digress.) You actually have some advantages reporting high school as a high schooler--no one is going to be intimidated by you and it will be easier to win the trust of your peers. You're embedded. If it's just ball that you want to do rather than the panaroma of high school sports, fine, focus on that. In reporting at the high school level you'll end up making contacts with players who'll move on to college, maybe coaches who'll do the same or at the very least recruiters. That will serve you well in almost no time--players in college will always remember you as the one who was there first. And you'll get them before they develop filters and an array of safe quotes--not just access but the best access anyone will ever get. Have a look at The Last Shot by Darcy Frey and The Jump by Ian O'Conner, a great and a very good book about high school ball. Blog, phone in scores to the area paper, write for your high school paper, whatever.

Don't take any of this as a discouragement or personal criticism.

YHS, etc