Completely revised and updated in a second edition, this volume represents the only book ever written that analyzes sports writing and presents it as "exceptional" writing. Other books discuss sports writers as "beat reporters" in one area of journalism, whereas this book shows aspiring sports writers a myriad of techniques to make their writing stand out. It takes the reader through the entire process of sports writing: observation, interviewing techniques, and various structures of articles; types of "leads;" transitions within an article; types of endings; use of statistics; do's and don'ts of sports writing; and many other style and technique points. This text provides over 100 examples of leads drawn from newspapers and magazines throughout the country, and also offers up-to-date examples of sports jargon from virtually every major and minor sport played in the U.S.
Contents: Preface. The Art of the Interview. The Art of Observation. Page One, Paragraph One -- Story Leads: Types and Techniques. Quick 'n' Dirty Guide to Sports Leads. Outlining and Transitions. Two Types of Article Structures: The Inverted Pyramid and the Diamond Structure. Other Structures. Techniques for Effective Endings. Guidelines for Writing About Women. Writing Advance Stories. Developing a Sports Feature From a Sports News Event. Writing the Investigative Sports Article. Writing Editorials, Opinion Articles, and Columns. Seven Common Stylistic Errors Sports Writers Should Avoid. End Note: "Football Minus Frills -- and Drills."
