FS - Writing a Sports Story Lesson

Writing a Sports Story Lesson

Introduction

Here are some things to consider as you move towards writing your own sports story:

1. When writing your sports story make sure you have a strong lead or interesting aspect of a story. 2. Be specific. 3. It is important to have working knowledge of the sport you are writing about. 4. It is important to follow the match or game by focusing on the beginning, middle, and end. 5. Use quotes and incorporate those into the body of your article. A fan who was sitting in the stands. 6. Be sure to present accurate facts.

  1. When writing your sports story make sure you have a strong lead. Good sports articles get the reader's attention with a strong summary of the story to follow. Usually sports reports place emphasis on the most important or interesting aspect of a story.  
  2. Be specific. Make sure that you write clearly and concisely.
  3. It is important to have a working knowledge of the sport you are writing about. This means you should know about the players and coaches. You should also know the rules and the current controversies. You have to have a deeper understanding of what you are covering.
  4. It is important to follow the match or game by focusing on the beginning, middle, and end. This means following who does what and when during the match or game. For example, what were where the big plays, big mistakes, turning points, and those momentous moments? Think of it as if you are creating a play-by-play highlight reel for that match or game. It is up to you to determine what is important to report. You want to create a mental picture of what happened.
  5. Use quotes and incorporate those into the body of your article. It always adds credibility to an article when you can use the words of those involved. For example, a quote from the quarterback about the winning touchdown may tell you more about the game than one from a fan who was sitting in the stands.
  6. Be sure to present accurate facts. Sporting events use a lot of statistics. They also tend to be very quick-paced. Remember to give credit where credit is due.

Review

Features can be about any subject. In fact, features are found in every section of the paper, from news to business to sports. Feature stories aren't defined so much by subject matter as they are by the style in which they are written--in other words, anything written in a feature-oriented style. When writing about sports, your audience often already knows the outcome before they start reading. What makes sports writing different is that you are writing a story so compelling that they wish they had been there. Sports writing is full of climaxes and telling details that can be highlighted by your writing style.

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