Wednesday, April 8, 2009

profile research

This week I'm working on profiles of strong, determined women from New York. I love the research. It's a challenge to stop collecting information and write the profile. I'm always hoping to uncover a gem that will make the piece more interesting.

William Zinsser, in On Writing Well, advises collecting more material than you will use. "Every article is strong in proportion to the surplus of details from which you can choose the few that will serve you best."

My audience and my word limit help me decide what material to include and what to leave out. Even though I can't include it all, I'm learning lots! These women who have accomplished so much deserve our respect. Check out the new "America's Notable Women" series from Apprentice Shop Books.

1 comment:

  1. I enjoyed writing my profile so much. Hoping Mur gives me another one. It was my first biography but fun to do the research and challenge myself to write it for the age of the audience.

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