STORY CHECKLIST
LEAD
__ One sentence, under 25 words.
__ News in the lead, no menu language
__ Attributed unless directly observed
__ Statement first, then attribution.
EXPANSION/DEVELOPMENT OF LEAD ANGLE
__ Story angle moves forward in every sentence until complete
PARAGRAPH LENGTH
__ Every paragraph is no longer than three typewritten lines.
ACCURACY
__ Spelling of every proper noun has been independently verified.
ATTRIBUTION
__ Every statement is attributed to its source, whether a direct quote or a paraphrase.
__ Attributions are placed skillfully to avoid monotony.
__ Your opinions and interpretations are absent.
DIRECT QUOTES
__ Quotes are set up in advance if necessary to make them understandable.
__ No “patched” quotes
PRONOUNS
__ Every pronoun has a clear implied or explicit antecedent.
__ Every pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
__ Every sentence is a complete sentence, with subject and predicate.
__ Run-on sentences have been eliminated.
