I moved to New York City in November of 2004. I’d been hired as an assistant editor at Dance Teacher magazine, which at the time was a monthly print publication. This opportunity came after I did a summer internship with the magazine group in 2003; basically, I finished college, sent my former internship director an email that said something to the effect of, “I’ve graduated! Let me know of any entry-level openings!” and crossed my fingers.
I stayed with the company, progressing from assistant editor to associate editor to managing editor, until giving notice in summer of 2008. I left that full-time job because I was preparing to start graduate school for creative writing. I wanted to be able to give my creative work as much of my focus and attention as possible.
But I never stopped writing dance articles. I’ve remained a frequent freelancer for Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit, Pointe, and other publications. I have watched the magazines evolve over the years, particularly from print to web. (In fact, Dance Magazine is the only publication I currently write for that still has a print edition; all of the others are web-only.)
In case you’re interested in reading some of my work, here are a few relatively recent articles that aren’t behind a paywall:
“How could the audition process be better for dancers—and hiring teams?”
“Black Artists Dance Collective’s summer program gives back to the Atlanta community.”
“2024 Dance Teacher Award of Distinction Honorees Ronald K. Brown and Arcell Cabuag are consummate community-builders.”
I genuinely enjoy this type of writing—and not just because I am a lifelong dancer.
Starting out in magazine journalism—and keeping a toe in that world, even as I shifted my primary focus to writing books—has made me a better all-around writer.
I’ve been working on a freelance article this week (topic: how competitive dancers can repurpose their competition solos for college auditions). I’ll also be taking on some extra work with the DanceMedia group this summer (more on that soon!). I’ve had dance-writing on the brain lately, and I’ve been thinking about all of the lessons I’ve learned from doing this work for the past 20 years.
I decided it might be nice to spend a few newsletters sharing some of those lessons with you!
This week, I want to talk about one of the main skills you have to hone as a journalist.
When I’m assigned an article, I’m given a word count. There’s a bit of flexibility, especially for web pieces, but I am still expected to do my best to submit something close in length to what the editors have asked for. A news brief might be assigned at 400-600 words. An informational piece could be 700-900 words. A feature or cover story might run as long as 1,000-1,200 words.
That’s not very many words in which to tell a complete story.
Which is why, as a journalist, you have to…
Make every word count.
My early drafts tend to be too long. I’ll put in every bit of information I’ve gleaned from my interviews and research. After I’ve gotten all of my thoughts on the page, I inevitably have to start cutting. But what stays and what goes?
I start by looking for repetition. Have two of my sources basically said the same thing, but in a slightly different way? I don’t need both quotes. Have I introduced a quote by stating what the interviewee is about to say—or have I restated what the interviewee said, immediately after their quote, as a sort of “in conclusion”? That extra text outside the quotation marks is me, the writer, inserting myself.
Cut, cut, cut.
Meanwhile, some quotes don’t need to be printed word-for-word. They can and should be paraphrased. Giving the gist of what someone said, rather than letting them ramble on, can streamline a paragraph significantly.
It’s also vital to stay within the scope of the assignment. Often, sources will say something during an interview that’s fascinating—but tangential to the topic at hand. As much as I like the quote, it might not belong in this story. (Sometimes, in this case, I’ll email my editor to pitch that fascinating tidbit for a future piece.)
And then, of course, I do a pass through the article to eliminate “throat-clearing.” I don’t need to begin a sentence by saying, “It’s important to point out that…” or “One thing to remember is…” Instead, I can simply state the fact. Also, how many times have I used extra words like “just” and “very”? Have I opted for passive voice when active would be better? Do I even need that many dialogue tags?
These days, it doesn’t take me very many drafts to get to a polished, submittable piece. I’m proud to say that I rarely receive significant revision notes from my editors. I’ve learned what is being asked of me—namely, to fit a lot of content into a small amount of words—and I’m able to sit down and make it happen.
This skill has been invaluable in my fiction writing.
Once I have a finished draft, I’m able to be pretty ruthless about trimming the fat. Just as when I’m polishing an article, I scan for unnecessary repetition. For places where I’ve rambled on, when I could easily paraphrase and streamline. For sections where I’ve strayed from the intended scope of the scene. For extra words and throat-clearing.
Of course, in fiction, there’s a lot more creative leeway. I might be using repetition for dramatic effect. I might want a character to ramble; it could be that person’s unique voice, or it might demonstrate a confused or anxious state of mind. I might be side-stepping away from the main plot or hemming and hawing rather than getting to the point, on purpose.
But that’s the key: I need to be doing it on purpose.
I can look at what I’ve written and spot things that don’t need to be there. Knowing what doesn’t need to be there helps me determine what does.
You obviously don’t have to be a magazine writer to hone the skill of making every word count, but I’m glad working as a journalist has put this tool in my toolkit.
Does this resonate with you?
Next week, I’ll share another skill I’ve acquired from my years as a freelance writer, so stay tuned!
~Kathryn