“The best writers seek surprise, delight in what they do not expect to find.” Murray explains about surprise. A journalist should look for things that are not always obvious. To understand good writing, a writer must look beyond what is front of their face. Reporting for surprise means something different to each person. To me I see it as meaning find the aspect of the story that hasn’t been reported on. Keep looking at the information until a new direction is found. A direction that no one else has reported on.
A writer must use all of their senses to produce a good story. They must be constantly aware of what is going on around them. Look everywhere and observe everything going on. A journalist must always be aware of their surroundings. Look for the unexpected. A writer must learn to listen when they ask questions. They should learn to understand what the person is saying, not just wait for their mouths to stop moving so they can talk again. Really listen and understand their point of view. Touch is something not many reporters rely on. When writing a story a person should feel the words on the page. The same goes for taste and smell, they are not used often, but when writing a good story a writer should remember them.
A good journalist should anticipate the questions a reader will ask. Questions that should always be asked is who, what, when, where, and how. Then those answers should be answered in the order the reader will want to know the information. While asking these questions the writer might find out information that hasn’t been brought up yet. The story should answer every question that the reader might have. That’s the basis for a good story, if there are no questions left unanswered.
“The reader’s appetite for fresh stories is never satisfied, and as soon as you get an idea it’s used up,” says Murray about finding new ideas. He says a writer should inventory the obvious. List what is going on in the lives of the people around and see if there is a story in there that people will want to hear about and learn more about. A writer can also change their point of view. They can do something out of the ordinary for them. Such as, drive a different route or sit at a park at a different hour each day. Observe the difference and the reason for the differences. A writer can also create a notebook or journal to keep track of different ideas they might have during the day. The notebook should be kept on them at all times so that no idea goes without being considered. Writers should also read things outside their interests to stay in touch with things they wouldn’t normally know about. A writer should also free write as much as possible and let the words lead them to their news story. Take a step back and look at what is written. What things didn’t get in the story that should be in the story, and what things are in the story that should be taken out?
