What interested you about the reading and why?
- Replace in the vicinity of with near. Choose investigates rather than will conduct an
investigation of. Substitute at this point in time with now. Use despite instead of despite
the fact.
- I liked how the text talked about how people have short attention spans, and how you
must be quick in your story.
- Don’t use currently or presently
- Ask yourself if the word adds meaning. If it doesn’t, strip it out.
- Ask yourself if the direct quote adds to the story or is the information better paraphrased.
- Cut overused phrases or expressions.
What surprised you about the reading and why?
- Overall, the average reader spends about 16 minutes a day reading newspapers.
- It’s not just phrases that can be redundant.
- Politics and political stories are often packed with clichés.
- Seasonal stories overuse clichés. Avoid ‘tis the season or Christmas came early
What questions do you have about the reading?
- All my questions were answered throughout the reading.
