Short Form Writing
Brady Dennis 300-Word Stories / The St. Petersberg Times This series earned the reporter a O. Henry Award and consists of several 9-inch stories (with one photo each), all trying to capture the less dramatic, but still powerful, moments of life.
Four Word Reviews - The ultimate in writing the short review
Post Secret - Touching, funny... and it all fits on a postcard.
Long Form Writing Examples
This is a constantly growing list, of course, since even in today's breathtaking rush to get news posted as quickly as possible there are still quite a number of publications that still support in-depth, quality reporting and writing.
The Cynic and Barack Obama / Esquire magazine
Creative feature article with great research and a new style of journalistic writing.
Gene Weingarten feature on subway violinist / The Washington Post
This won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing. Just enjoy.
Jim Sheeler - Final Salute / The Rocky Mountain News
This meticulously researched and beautifully written in-depth (15,000 words) takes readers along with a Marine officer who informs family of combat deaths. Todd Heiser's photographs accompany, and both earned Pulitzer Prizes in 2006.
Gary Smith - Remember His Name / Sports Illustrated
This article is full of voice, careful reporting and emotion. It's the piece that first made clear all the issues surrounding Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan. It's like a rhetoric course in one piece.
Great Columnists
"Voice" is one of the most elusive qualities for young writers, but they can take a step toward finding their own voice by following one or two columnists regularly. Below are some of my favorite national columnists.
Gene Weingarten "Below the Beltway" column
Columnist and feature writer for the Washington Post, Weingarten is one of our sharpest minds. And he won the Pulitzer for Feature Writing in 2008!
Rick Reilly "The Life of Reilly" column
Doesn't include everything, but not a bad way to get to know one of the finest sports columnists working. These were first published in Sports Illustrated. Now Reilly has moved to ESPN The Magazine, as of June 1, 2008.
Maureen Dowd Smartest woman in the room, with an acid tongue. Fun and provocative... a great vocabulary builder.
Thomas Friedman Author of "The World Is Flat," this NYT columnist provides readers with global perspectives.
Paul Krugman His blog is "Conscience of a Liberal," and he often approaches politics and world events from an economic perspective.
David Brooks This New York Times columnist is often described as "right of center," though he would self-describe as independent.
Dan Barry His beat is all of America, and anything a bit off-beat. Just a terrific stylist. Not to be confused with Dave Barry.
Garrison Keillor One thing we want from columnists is "voice," and Keillor's is distinctive. A mix of progressive politics, old-time Midwest values, and wry humor. If you listen to "Prairie Home Companion," you can almost hear Keillor on the page.
Leonard Pitts Jr. A consistently great stylists and progressive thinker, writing for the Miami Herald.
Bill Plaschke He is a sports columnist for the LA Times, but he writes about much more than athletic events. He understands that all stories are about people, and he consistently provides insight into what it means to be human (through sports).
