Check out "No crying in journalism except ..."

I have long objected (yes, I chose that verb deliberately) to the claim that journalists are, should be or even can be objective. Yes, we should strive to be fair. Yes, we should maintain our independence. But we lie to ourselves and our readers when we claim to be objective. We're not objects. We're people. And sometimes our humanity helps us tell great stories. Check out Cathleen Falsani's "There's no crying in journalism except ..."

In light of recent revelations about government snooping into phone records of journalists and their sources, you might want to check out this "Advice for Paranoid Reporters" from Jack Shafer:

If you want inspiration, examples and guidance to help develop your narrative skills, take some time (and you can take a lot of time here) to check out the Nieman Narrative Digest. Don't read just the stories. Read Mark Kramer's comments about the stories as well. And read the essays on craft.

And check out Chip Scanlan's advice on self-coaching.

You also might want to check out the tips from writing coach Ken O'Quinn.