Yearbook Writing:

or the egg

Presented by Brian WilsonWaterford (MI) Kettering HS

?the chicken

Why don’t students read your copy?

One of Fitzgerald’s more prestigious organizations is the student council. These meetings were directed by president Bob Boik. Unlike most organizations, the student council met twice a month during a school hour to discuss topics that concern the student body.

The council organized both the Homecoming and Snowcoming dances. They also organized the Red Cross Blood Drive which raised blood for those in need. They managed to raise over 70 pints last spring. The student council also donated five hundred dollars to the V.I.C.A. canned food drive. During the fall, they enjoyed a day of fun when the took a trip to Camp Tamerak. This adventure taught them to be leaders. This group worked hard to make this district a better place.

How ‘bout this one?If you wanted to see hard working girls in major motion, then Track is where you should have been. Led by Captains Liz Powell and Shannon Manoulian, the team of 17 girls achieved many goals. They finished 4th overall in the league, which was an astonishing accomplishment for them as they went up against teams with as many as 30-40 girls.

How ‘bout this one (cont)?Our ladies fared very well at Invitationals and the Regional Meet, winning many medals. High jumper Powell qualified for the states. Even the freshmen contributed wherever they could and achieved several personal bests. These girls can be proud of themselves and all their accomplish-ments. Bigger and better things are bond to come for this terrific team!

But they WILL read.

The 10-80-10

Rule

Appeal to EMOTION

Make them:

• Laugh

• Cry

• Go “Awwwwwwwww”

• Grossed out

Appeal to EMOTION

When you look at me, you probably don’t see me for what I am. You see just another face, but my life is much more. I’m a goal-setter, an achiever, an optimist, and one hell of a mother. Everyone expected my to become lazy, ignorant, stop learning and wallow into some book of statistics. If they still want to put me in a book, it will have to be called “Kiyuana Proves Them Wrong.”

Details and Specifics9:30 p.m. An oppressive, sticky heat. Fans whirring

helplessly in the background.It’s a deadline night.Junior Farah Kent, News Editor for the High Tide,

pulls her thick brown hair back into a messy bun and scoots the plastic wheely chair closer to the pearly white Mac. Kent sighs in frustration as she struggles to fix the dimensions of photos from Club Sign Up Day, many of which are coming out too cloudy or pixilated. A community bottle of red fruit punch Powerade is being passed around in a desperate attempt to cool off the frantic staff members.

From the sidewalk, the tiny convenience store looks much as it has for decades. The display case is lined with tins of chewing tobacco and rolls of toilet paper. A handwritten sign advertises bottled water for 35 cents. Another warns that the proprietor doesn’t take debit or credit cards--cash only.

Details and Specifics

Connect to your reader

She sat in the cold, hard seat and tried to concentrate on the Calculus test in front of her, but it was difficult. She had to go to the bathroom really bad.

Trends in copy

Story Telling Devices

• Shorter bursts of copy• Quotes, quotes, quotes-10:1 rule• Extended captions• Information boxes:

– Q&A– He said/She said– Top 10 list

• Find the gravedigger.

(or Alternative Story Forms)

How to get better stories

• Observe and report

• Hold Quote/Caption panel interviews

• Share great writing

• Brainstorm

• Throw profile darts