You’ll be told: “Everyone knows that” or “This is simply the way things are done”. But do some research and you might discover that things are different. A teen points to a basket of eggs. (Illustration by News Decoder) In journalism...
Books that are difficult to read win literary prizes. But if you want everyone to read your work, don’t make it longer than it needs to be. Unnecessary words are being cleaned off a counter top. Illustration by News Decoder. Writers love words. But for every...
To inform people you need to first get their attention. In journalism that’s the job of “the lead.” But crafting it is difficult. A man gasps reading a newspaper. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels Journalists are obsessed with leads. That was my...
A small grammatical error can cause a big misunderstanding. But there are many ways your story can be read in a way you didn’t intend. A man is late because he took a bottle of cabernet, instead of a cab. (Illustration by News Decoder.) Have you ever posted...
Writing for a teacher or group of academics is one thing. Now imagine the audience is a group of your friends. Would you write it the same way? A man tells a story to a group of friends. (Illustration by News Decoder based on a photo by bernardbodo for Getty Images)...
Many think writing a story isn’t worth the effort when you have AI to do it. But there is satisfaction that only comes by doing it from scratch. A woman chops vegetables. (Photo by Nicolesy) At News Decoder, we share advice for young people from experts in...
Don’t know who to interview? Can’t figure out what your story is about? Try thinking about it as a movie. And grab some popcorn. A movie director on a set. (Illustration by News Decoder) At News Decoder, we share advice for young people from experts in...
No matter how careful and talented a writer you are, you want an editor to give your story a careful reading. Here’s what a difference an editor can make. An editor takes a red pen to a story draft. (Illustration by News Decoder) At News Decoder, we share advice...
A book without dialogue is a slog to read. So is a news story. But once you get quotes from an interview what do you do with them? Here’s a quick guide. A reporter interviews an astronaut on the moon. (Illustration by News Decoder) In News Decoder’s Top...
It is tiresome hearing ignorant people spout off. But if you base your opinions on facts and knowledge, people will hear what you have to say. A teen works through her ideas for an opinion article while in the background are teens with ideas of their own....