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In a mistake-filled funk

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by strugglingwriter, Nov 22, 2007.

  1. hankschu

    hankschu Member

    Strugglingwrite, I I've been covering my sport for 20 years and I still absolutely get into these funks. Can't explain them, because I always reread my stories before I file (sometimes at the Evelyn Wood pace when I"m on deadline).

    Just as quick as I get into the funk, I get out of it. Drives you crazy when you're in the middle of it, doesn't it?

    If you have a track record, I wouldn't worry about these little mistakes.

    Enjoy your Thanksgiving.
     
  2. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Been there, unfortunately, a few times, and it's not a good feeling. Just gotta work through it. Look over everything two, three, four times and just regain some confidence. It'll break the right way for you eventually, but being in the middle of it currently isn't fun, but you just have to trust and believe in yourself that it will get better. And it will.
     
  3. reformedhack

    reformedhack Well-Known Member

    Here's one slumpbusting idea for you:

    If -- if -- you have time, print out your story and apply magazine-style fact checking to it. Take a pen, circle every fact/name/detail, and then proceed to check every one of them, whether it's with a media guide, online research or a simple phone call.

    Yes, it's tedious and time-consuming, and it's not practical to do this with every story for the rest of your life, but doing this for the next two or three could change your mindset somewhat. If nothing else, it'll shake up the it's-just-a-daily, crank-something-out mentality. It might even give you a different way to think about verifying details for future stories. And it certainly will save your tail if you're doing a decent/lengthy/clip-worthy feature.
     
  4. moonlight

    moonlight Member

    Check. Every. Fact. Do that before you give it to the deskers.

    If you don't have time, then take the advice of Harvey Penick:
    "Aim for the pin and trust your swing."
     
  5. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    This is as it should be. They don't have time to be checking every fact in stories.

    My advice: Don't assume anything. Look it up.

    Read over your copy CAREFULLY one last time before you send it in. Try to look at it fresh instead of skimming over it. Look for facts instead of trying to fuss over words.
     
  6. Now THAT"S a golf shot right there.
    As to the post, had stretches like that myself. The best you can do is suck it up and go get them tomorrow. If you start worrying over every little fact, you're never going to get from subject to verb without a massive breakdown. You know this is aberration in your work. Convince yourself of that and let it pass.
     
  7. I'm going through something like this now as well - to the point I stayed up until 4 a.m. the other morning worrying about what minor fact I may have fucked up in a big 1A story.

    Thankfully, I didn't fuck up anything this time. A couple of months ago I had to write a correction on a 1A exclusive story I dug up because I misspelled the name of a building that was important to the story. Turns out, I misread my own handwriting in my notes. So the story was right, but that small minor technicality definitely tarnished it.

    I'm glad to see the thread because there's been some really good advice on here.

    My surest solution in the past has always been to take a vacation, and it's always worked. I'm hoping my little three day weekend this week will have the same effect.
     
  8. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    I go through these funks from time to time, too. And it's almost always the result of relying too much on my own noggin, instead of looking things up.

    Just have to slow down and make sure everything is correct.
     
  9. I've been doing this for a while now, and it really helps your state of mind. Knowing that I've checked everything I can puts me at ease. I print out the story and underline every single fact I can check ... names, dates, titles, places, records, etc. Then, as I go through confirming everything, I highlight it. It's a visual signifier that I know that particular fact is correct and that I can move on. I know that might not be possible on a daily's deadlines, but if you can do it, it really helps.
     
  10. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    Everytime I get into these kind of ruts, I make sure to get some good sleep. It works every time.
     
  11. oldhack

    oldhack Member

    This works at our shop. It's really important to get reporters/writers out of the error rut before their confidence is totally sapped. Had three people try to quit because strings of errors demoralized them. One was afraid to come to work, once there afraid to look at his e-mail or answer his phone. Writers have to get themselves out of it, can't rely on the desk.
     
  12. Stone Cane

    Stone Cane Member

    read your story backwards

    last graph

    next-to-last graph

    etc.

    this will get you away from reading it the way you wrote it and let you read it with a fresh set of eyes

    or if it's a non-deadline type deal, zap it to a friend if you have one out of the business who is savvy on the topic

    just have him give it a good read

    can help a lot
     
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