'Don't Get A Mortgage Until You've Got Good Clips'

Doyle Murphy was kind enough to pass along his notes from this weekend's National Writers Workshop:

Leonard Pitts, new Pulitzer-winner Stan Tiner, Hank Stuever, Jack Hart and Gangrey readers Kelley Benham, Colleen Kenney, Chip Scanlan and Tommy Tomlinson told us everything — or damn close to everything — we need to know at the National Writers Workshop this weekend in Wichita, Kan. And those were only a few of the speakers.

After two days of furious scribbling and feeling lucky to be in Kansas, a few gems from the workshop:

Leonard Pitts says it's time to quit worrying if our sources like us and ask the tough questions. Find the truth and tell it.

Colleen Kenney loves the crappy assignment. That's where she learned the skills to write her series on Sioux runner Patrick Grass and the quick hits that make you glad you checked out the inside pages. She writes a few words at the top of each story to remind her of the theme she's chosen, and makes colleagues wish they'd covered Santa Claus at the shelter instead of begging off because the budget story is due.

Kelley Benham followed with examples of stories she did out of a 3-person, strip mall bureau during her first months at the Times. She covered the day to day but found time and room to add details that lifted her out of the city meeting drudgery and into the g.a. features job at the Floridian. At the closed down museum, she looked in the window to see the ferns needed watering. At the junk house fire, she saw the matching furniture and smudged angel that revealed a life that fell apart long before the flames.

Chip Scanlan says write early. Even if it's bad, even it will never make the paper. It's easier to revise crap than white space, and it shows you the weak spots when there is time to revise them.

Stan Tiner, executive editor/vice president of The Sun Herald in Biloxi says necessity forced his staff to work so hard and fast and connected them to Katrina victims so intimately they dropped the journalese. They became part of the community. They began telling stories like people tell each other stories. His newspaper has a Pulitzer now. Is there a way to learn to do that without a hurricane?

Hank Stuever says don't write it if you wouldn't read it. That's how you make people wonder why they just read two pages on a high-end Wal-Mart — after they've read eagerly to the end. He says newspapers are dying because they're boring, not because there isn't the demand. "People are dying to connect emotionally." Enter reality TV. "People are dying for attitude." Enter bloggers. And the people worried about losing their jobs and then their houses are taking all the fun out this business, for writers and readers. "American newspapers would be much better if more crazy people worked for newspapers and more renters worked for newspapers ... Don't get a mortgage until you've got good clips."

Tommy Tomlinson says a long interview with a source and a couple phone calls to the people who know her do not make a profile. You have to find out why someone does something. Hanging out is more important than the interview. Go to the store with sources. Go to work with them. Be there on the good days, and be there when they don't want to see another living soul. Sometimes sources won't even know why they do what they do until they've answered your questions.