Not Writing on NewsBreak? Why Not?
10 writing tips to get you going
“Journalism keeps you planted in the earth.” — Ray Bradbury
You’re probably like me: you signed up to be on a certain platform or to try something new and you do nothing! Just wait! It will happen when the timing is right, and all the stars align. Or maybe, you’re not sitting on it, and you’re diving right into it from the highest diving board — making the most splash, feeling sensational, and excited to start things from scratch, with a beginner’s frame of mind, which reminds of a Zen story entitled A Cup of Tea that I always think of when I learn new things or I’m the new kid on the block.
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868–1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the [cup] overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!” “Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
I definitely needed to empty my cup and start fresh on NewsBreak, and as of now, I have one follower — most likely one of my friends but that is a start and makes me excited and hopeful to think that all of you reading this article will follow me right here https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1591064?s=01 and that I will do the same, building another community of writers and voices, reading one another’s articles while drinking a cup of tea that is hopefully not overflowing on our desks.
My research and writing tips to get you going on Newsbreak
“It’s all storytelling, you know. That’s what journalism is all about.” — Tom Brokaw
- Yes, NewsBreak is about quality, unbiased reporting, and journalism, which means our personal opinions as writers, and the use of the personal pronoun “I.” Stick to the facts and back up your statements.
- Accuracy and fact-checking are a must! Don’t try to swing it, as this is not creative nonfiction or fiction writing. If you do want to do any of those, you will need to disclose that in the subtitle but it’s better to stick to journalism on NewsBreak.
- The articles need to be a minimum of 250 words. My first article that got published this week was a little over 2,000 words. Enjoy it when you go follow me, and please comment on this article so that I can follow you, too, as writing and supporting writers is a two-way street.
- The great thing about NewsBreak is that you can post videos that are ideally between one minute to six minutes. Videos need to contain a thumbnail picture, a headline, and a description.
- All articles need to include at least one image that is properly attributed. Two important things about pictures: all photos that are airbrushed must mention that and you must blur the faces of minors.
- Headlines need to be AP style, which means not capitalizing every word in your headline. They also need to be completely free of clickbait.
- When it comes to quotes, there is an important journalistic reminder: shortened quotes need to contain ellipses.
8. Do not go crazy with the bold and italicize features. Instead, use them sparingly.
9. No grammatical errors allowed, or at least not an article that has many of them.
10. And last, but not least, take time to read all their rules before writing to avoid getting a strike and accumulating them until you get removed as a writer on NewsBreak.
A few other things to keep in mind
“Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice; journalism what will be grasped at once.” — Cyril Connolly
I got accepted to be a writer on Newsbreak in January but didn’t do anything till this week after I got inspired by Yana Bostongirl’s article on her success on NewsBreak. See how important it is to read and support one another?
We entertain one another. We learn from one another. We support and inspire one another. We laugh. We cry. We clap and comment. We read and write. We have rules to abide.
Without Yana’s short form article, my writing on NewsBreak this week would not have happened, and this article would not have existed. So, shall I do a happy dance and toast to Yana Bostongirl? Absolutely!
Kid Dancing GIF — Find & Share on GIPHY
Like Medium, new writers need to get 100 followers.
Unlike Medium, new writers like myself (I published my first story this week) need to write 10 high-quality articles before Newsbreak might accept you into their paid program, which I understand can pay well for stories that engage a lot of readers and they have a huge platform.
On NewsBreak you are a reporter mainly, sticking to writing accurate articles and avoiding bias at all costs unless you’re trying to see if you can collect a strike, which is not a good badge to have on your profile.
Final Takeaways:
- As painful and scary it is to start a new adventure, think of it as a challenge that makes you grow as a person and writer. Just do it! Dive straight in! Make a splash!
- Don’t come to the new opportunity with an overflown cup of tea: empty your mind of any preconceived ideas and better yet, tame your egos.
- Study all the guidelines carefully to avoid making big mistakes.
- Go out there and have fun reporting an impartial local story from where you live. NewsBreak loves community voices like yourselves since you know your community best.
Time to sharpen your pencils! You got this!
