Writing Ledes

And if you ever get stuck trying to write a lead, don't try to write it. Write the rest of the story. You'll find your lead somewhere. Cut-and-paste and move stuff around, and you have a story. On deadline, especially, don't spend more than five minutes staring out the press box window thinking of a lead. Heck, don't spend two.

 

I actually find it easier on deadline if for no other reason than you don't have forever to hem and haw. When something comes to me you basically have to go with it, for better or worse. If I'm ever struggling, it'll usually come to me while I'm listening to the quotes.

I find it more difficult on features because you have much more material and much more time to try to make it perfect. Still though it usually comes to me shortly after finishing the interviews because, as most others have said, I begin to think about it immediately. Of course sometimes with a feature something better will pop in my head after I've started, so you just adjust accordingly.