Girls' rule!

Mystery_Meat · May 18, 2009

Wait, so what IS the girls' rule?

Football_Bat · May 18, 2009

Mystery Meat said:

Wait, so what IS the girls' rule?
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it be negative numbers?

Think about it...

ArnoldBabar · May 18, 2009

This thread title is all ironical and shit.

Small Town Guy · May 18, 2009

SF_Express said:

Moderator1 said:

I just noticed my old paper's Web version ran this lede intact.
It's not really THAT bad, just a case of a writer trying to get cute and missing. I've seen a lot worse.
I would have made the second graph the lede and worked from there.
By the way, it is amazing how many stories out there work that way. You knock off the first graph and, wow, there's a story underneath.
Click to expand...

Some famous writer or editor -- and if somebody reminds me, it's going to kill me that I can't remember it right now -- said after you get done writing a piece -- feature, column, whatever -- you should go back through for one more self edit -- and kill whatever your favorite line is.

A little much, but an interesting overall notion.

My local paper liked that lead so much they made it their gigantic lead headline -- and then used a Baltimore Sun story instead.
Click to expand...

I've heard/read that rule about the favorite line as well, but I'm not sure how much I agree with it. I think about some of my favorite stories that had memorable lines. I'm assuming those were the best lines the writer had for the story and I was always glad they didn't get chopped. Or maybe even in those classic stories, the writer had a favorite line that they did cut in the end but we'll never know unless they talk about it in an interview.

jfs1000 · May 18, 2009

Small Town Guy said:

SF_Express said:

Moderator1 said:

I just noticed my old paper's Web version ran this lede intact.
It's not really THAT bad, just a case of a writer trying to get cute and missing. I've seen a lot worse.
I would have made the second graph the lede and worked from there.
By the way, it is amazing how many stories out there work that way. You knock off the first graph and, wow, there's a story underneath.
Click to expand...

Some famous writer or editor -- and if somebody reminds me, it's going to kill me that I can't remember it right now -- said after you get done writing a piece -- feature, column, whatever -- you should go back through for one more self edit -- and kill whatever your favorite line is.

A little much, but an interesting overall notion.

My local paper liked that lead so much they made it their gigantic lead headline -- and then used a Baltimore Sun story instead.
Click to expand...

I've heard/read that rule about the favorite line as well, but I'm not sure how much I agree with it. I think about some of my favorite stories that had memorable lines. I'm assuming those were the best lines the writer had for the story and I was always glad they didn't get chopped. Or maybe even in those classic stories, the writer had a favorite line that they did cut in the end but we'll never know unless they talk about it in an interview.
Click to expand...

I would say the point is, without your line is the story good or not? Strong writing, you should be able to eliminate almost any line and the stories strength remains.

My two cents. A one liner shouldn't carry a story.

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Girls' rule!

Mystery_Meat Guest

Football_Bat Well-Known Member

ArnoldBabar Active Member

Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

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Girls' rule!

Mystery_Meat Guest

Football_Bat Well-Known Member

ArnoldBabar Active Member

Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

jfs1000 Member

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