ON THE LOOSE

Sir Ken Robinson (via pepediokno)

(Source: makhila, via pepediokno)

Finding, developing and maintaining good sources is crucial for an investigative reporter.

Remember:

• “Everybody is a source.” (Monk Manny’s Guide to Source Development – IRE Tip Sheet) Having sources who hold senior positions is great, but some of your most valuable information and story leads might come from sources in the lower ranks.

• Know your sources. Talk to them about things unrelated to your reporting. Find out about their lives and find something you have in common to chat about; a favorite football team, a hobby, kids, vacations.

• Keep in touch. Call them occasionally, even if there’s nothing you need from them. Few sources want to talk to a reporter who only calls when there’s a crisis. You don’t want to be best friends; you do want to be friendly.

• Never lie to your sources and let them know you expect the same from them. Also, allow them talk to you about their fears and concerns on the story, or an any other issues.

• Always do background research on your sources and ask them to tell you about anything you don’t know and which could be used to discredit them after your report is published or broadcast.

• Double-check everything they tell you and keep asking the question: “How do you know this?” Sources sometimes mix facts with assumptions. Some might exaggerate or engage in selective story-telling. Sources often have agendas. It is your responsibility to fact-check their statements.

• Practice the “rule of threes”: After you interview a source, ask them for three other people you can talk to who are knowledgeable about the story. Repeat the process with the next three. That makes the source feel valued and it protects you. You want to get as many voices as possible if you’re going to have a complete story.

• Using unnamed sources is controversial, but sometimes necessary. Do your best to convince your sources to go on the record. If they don’t agree, make sure their reasons are convincing enough. If you agree to protect their identity, do it sparingly — you need to be prepared to go to jail to protect a source.

• After publishing a story, call all your sources, as well as the people you investigated, to talk to them about it. It is a great way to develop sources and build respect, even amongst those who were upset by the report.

  Source: http://ijnet.org/stories/how-cultivate-sources-investigative-reporting

Janet Fitch’s 10 rules for writers

Janet Fitch is the author of “White Oleander” and “Paint it Black,” and she teaches writing at USC. It seems like every time I run into her at a reading, she introduces one or two or more of her students who she has encouraged to come along, people whose work she praises. This enthusiastic engagement makes her, well, nicer than many writing teachers, and that niceness might be why she’s posted a list of 10 writing tips that can help almost anyone on her blog. But the list shows that just because she’s nice, she’s no pushover in the classroom.

The list — intended for fiction writers but good for many of us — is reprinted in its entirety below, with Fitch’s permission.

1. Write the sentence, not just the story 
Long ago I got a rejection from the editor of the Santa Monica Review, Jim Krusoe. It said: “Good enough story, but what’s unique about your sentences?” That was the best advice I ever got. Learn to look at your sentences, play with them, make sure there’s music, lots of edges and corners to the sounds. Read your work aloud. Read poetry aloud and try to heighten in every way your sensitivity to the sound and rhythm and shape of sentences. The music of words. I like Dylan Thomas best for this–the Ballad of the Long-Legged Bait. I also like Sexton, Eliot, and Brodsky for the poets and Durrell and Les Plesko for prose. A terrific exercise is to take a paragraph of someone’s writing who has a really strong style, and using their structure, substitute your own words for theirs, and see how they achieved their effects.

2. Pick a better verb 
Most people use twenty verbs to describe everything from a run in their stocking to the explosion of an atomic bomb. You know the ones: Was, did, had, made, went, looked… One-size-fits-all looks like crap on anyone. Sew yourself a custom made suit. Pick a better verb. Challenge all those verbs to really lift some weight for you.

3. Kill the cliché. 
When you’re writing, anything you’ve ever heard or read before is a cliché. They can be combinations of words: Cold sweat. Fire-engine red, or phrases: on the same page, level playing field, or metaphors: big as a house. So quiet you could hear a pin drop. Sometimes things themselves are cliches: fuzzy dice, pink flamingo lawn ornaments, long blonde hair.Just keep asking yourself, “Honestly, have I ever seen this before?” Even if Shakespeare wrote it, or Virginia Woolf, it’s a cliché. You’re a writer and you have to invent it from scratch, all by yourself. That’s why writing is a lot of work, and demands unflinching honesty.

4. Variety is the key. 
Most people write the same sentence over and over again. The same number of words–say, 8-10, or 10-12. The same sentence structure. Try to become stretchy–if you generally write 8 words, throw a 20 word sentence in there, and a few three-word shorties. If you’re generally a 20 word writer, make sure you throw in some threes, fivers and sevens, just to keep the reader from going crosseyed.

5. Explore sentences using dependent clauses.
A dependent clause (a sentence fragment set off by commas, dontcha know) helps you explore your story by moving you deeper into the sentence. It allows you to stop and think harder about what you’ve already written. Often the story you’re looking for is inside the sentence. The dependent clause helps you uncover it.

6. Use the landscape. 
Always tell us where we are. And don’t just tell us where something is, make it pay off. Use description of landscape to help you establish the emotional tone of the scene. Keep notes of how other authors establish mood and foreshadow events by describing the world around the character. Look at the openings of Fitzgerald stories, and Graham Greene, they’re great at this.

7. Smarten up your protagonist. 
Your protagonist is your reader’s portal into the story. The more observant he or she can be, the more vivid will be the world you’re creating. They don’t have to be super-educated, they just have to be mentally active. Keep them looking, thinking, wondering, remembering.

8. Learn to write dialogue. 
This involves more than I can discuss here, but do it. Read the writers of great prose dialogue–people like Robert Stone and Joan Didion. Compression, saying as little as possible, making everything carry much more than is actually said. Conflict. Dialogue as part of an ongoing world, not just voices in a dark room. Never say the obvious. Skip the meet and greet.

9. Write in scenes. 
What is a scene? a) A scene starts and ends in one place at one time (the Aristotelian unities of time and place–this stuff goes waaaayyyy back). b) A scene starts in one place emotionally and ends in another place emotionally. Starts angry, ends embarrassed. Starts lovestruck, ends disgusted. c) Something happens in a scene, whereby the character cannot go back to the way things were before. Make sure to finish a scene before you go on to the next. Make something happen.

10. Torture your protagonist.
The writer is both a sadist and a masochist. We create people we love, and then we torture them. The more we love them, and the more cleverly we torture them along the lines of their greatest vulnerability and fear, the better the story. Sometimes we try to protect them from getting booboos that are too big. Don’t. This is your protagonist, not your kid.

Almost a decade ago, Elmore Leonard published his 10 Rules of Writing in the New York Times (he later expanded it to a book). Many of his rules and Fitch’s coincide, but she’s a much bigger fan of description than he is — if you like using an adverb once in a while, stick with Fitch. 

— Carolyn Kellogg

November 16, 2011

November 17, 2011 

November 16, 2011

 

A friendship between two great creative minds can sometimes yield a bounty of great work, inspiration and mutual admiration for one other. Of course, it can just as easily spur on jealousy and hurt feelings. Both have been the case in real-life friendships between some of the biggest, most notable giants of the literary world. While we might hope these connections would always work out for the best, there are lessons to be learned from even the most tumultuous of relationships. Whether you’re a writer yourself, a college student or just love learning about literature, take a look at these great bookish bromances for some lessons on how to be a good friend to your nearest and dearest in life.

1. Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald
   

   

   Already a successful writer when he met Ernest Hemingway in 1925, Fitzgerald was familiar with the greenhorn’s work and eager to help him move forward. Hemingway was not quite so charmed by his eager, self-appointed mentor — who was a bit of a sycophant and a drunk — but benefited greatly from the connections and help he offered. For a time, the two were close friends, working and socializing together in the literary heyday of pre-war Paris. Yet things were not meant to last between the two, as Hemingway could simply not abide Fitzgerald’s rocky marriage to Zelda, rampant alcoholism (a bit ironic, don’t you think?) and his lack of writing discipline. Hemingway became increasingly critical, and his public belittling of the man and his work, especially his unflattering portrait in A Moveable Feast, severed their friendship. Close friends say Fitzgerald was always hurt by Hemingway’s rebuff, but the other man’s opinions never softened — not even after the former’s death in 1940. The lesson? Choose your friends carefully — they may not always respect you as you do them.

2. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

   

   It only makes sense that two writers, both famous for creating immersive fantasy worlds, would find common ground in real life and strike up a friendship. That’s just what happened between these two men, who met at an Oxford faculty meeting in 1926 and quickly discovered their mutual love for all things mythical. It was this friendship that helped spur both authors to write their now-famous trilogies. They bonded over their experiences in WWI, the loss of their parents and the desire to create make-believe places to escape from these deeply emotional pains. While always marked by differences in opinion, their friendship grew more distant as Lewis became more successful. Both personal and professional disagreements, including Tolkien’s hatred for theNarnia series, were to drive them apart. This unfortunately severed a close connection that had served the men well for many years. The lesson? Sometimes keeping your opinions to yourself can save a friendship.

3. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

   

   Two of the biggest names in 18th century poetry, Wordsworth and Coleridge often held very different ideas about what constituted great verses, but that didn’t stop the duo from forming a strong friendship. The two met in 1795 and would go on to publish a joint volume of poetry titled Lyrical Ballads, a turning point in their careers and the larger Romantic poetry movement. The two were to remain close friends for many years, working together, influencing and evolving each other’s work and helping push forward their philosophies about writing. The two idolized each other, with each dedicating apoem to the other. Yet there were disagreements between the two (largely about Wordsworth’s poetic ideals) and their relationship was further strained by Coleridge’s opium addiction and resulting unstable personality. Eventually, they would grow apart as Wordsworth’s fame grew and Coleridge sank further into addiction, ending with the latter’s death from a heart attack in 1834. The lesson? Don’t do opium– it will ruin your career and your friendships, even if it does inspire some crazy poetry.

4. Philip Larkin and Kingsley Amis

   

   While they might not be household names today, these poets and writers were some of the top British literary figures during their lifetimes. They were also friends from their days at Oxford, showing each other their poetry and prose and providing encouragement towards what would become successful literary careers. Larkin helped Amis write his workLucky Jim (which is dedicated to him), and the two frequently wrote of and talked about the other in popular media. The two remained great friends throughout their lives, and with Larkin’s death Amis lamented that they would no longer be able to share, critique and promote each other’s work. The lesson? True friendships are born out of mutual respect and a desire to see the other succeed, even when you’re both competing in the same field.

5. Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus

   

   Key figures in existentialism, Camus and Sartre met in June of 1943 at the opening of Sartre’s play The Flies. The two immediately hit it off, and when Camus moved to Paris they spent hours sharing their ideas, passions and even ridicule of other literary figures. Already having read each other’s writing before they met, their friendship was cemented within the first few months of their meeting, a relationship that would be filled with mutual admiration and respect. Yet a few years into their friendship, cracks began to show and the differences between the men came into stark focus. A battle over a seemingly innocuous political idea formed the downfall of their relationship. Sartre’s literary magazine published a negative review of Camus’s book The Rebel, and Camus felt it was a personal attack on him. Though the review was not written by his, he still responded with an open letter attacking him. Neither man willing to back down and neither willing to reflect on the qualities which had made them so eager to be friends from the beginning, everything dissolved. The lesson? Sometimes it’s better to forgive and forget than to try and win an argument– especially if it is pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things.

6. George Sand and Gustave Flaubert

   

   The friendship between George Sand and Gustave Flaubert is an unexpected one. The two held fundamentally different views on just about everything under the sun. Yet they didn’t let this stand in the way of their friendship, and instead worked around their differences with a great deal of understanding. One striking example of this is that Flaubert sent a draft of A Sentimental Education to Sand to read, even though it mocked everything she stood for politically and religiously. Sand chastised him for being so harsh, and despite his desire to publish the politically charged novel as it was, he promised to remove anything she found spiteful — and he did. The two wrote numerous letters to one another which readers can peruse online — a great archive of their friendship. The lesson? A person is much more than their political and cultural beliefs. Your best friend might just be your exact opposite.

7. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau

   

   Emerson was impressed with Thoreau from the their first meeting and saw the younger man as a worthy protege. Thoreau, likewise, saw Emerson as a potential guide, mentor and friend, and though the two didn’t always get along they would form a friendship that lasted for decades. In fact, if it were not for the influence of Emerson, Thoreau may not have pursued writing as a career at all. During their relationship, Emerson found Thoreau work, hiring him as a live-in handyman and gardener and eventually helping him obtain a teaching position. The famous Walden Pond, where Thoreau would write one of his most well-known works, was on land Emerson owned. It was Emerson who would push Thoreau to self-publish and help him get the recognition and success he deserved. Sadly, the two had a falling out in 1849, but they still remained on speaking terms. Emerson wrote the eulogy given at Thoreau’s funeral and would continue to refer to him as his best friend until his death 18 years later. The lesson? The love and admiration of friendship doesn’t end, even if participants have to part ways.

8. Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley

   

   Introduced by a family friend, Byron and Shelley were instant friends, and even rearranged their summers so they could spend them together as much as possible. Their friendship proved beneficial to the creative work of both writers. Byron was influenced by Shelley’s intellectualism, and some of his best works might not have been completed without his influence. Shelley was inspired to create a flurry of work in the time he spent with Byron, even borrowing some of his poetic forms in the works he created. While the two had their differences, Shelley made light of them by using them as poetic fodder for his work “Julian and Maddalo.” Their friendship was only to last six years, however, but not because the men had a falling out. Shelley drowned in 1882 when his ship, ironically named Don Juan after Byron’s famous poem, capsized and sank. Byron died two years later. The lesson? The right friendships can inspire you to be better (whether creatively or personally) than you would have been on your own.

9. Mario Vargas Llosa and Gabriel Garcia Marquez

   

   The friendship between Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa and Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez devolved into one of the most bitter and acrimonious literary feuds in 1976. At a movie premiere in Mexico City, Llosa punched Marquez in the face for reasons that are still a bit unclear today, giving the victim a black eye and severing their friendship. Previously, the two had been close friends, with Marquez even being the godfather to Llosa’s son Gabriel, who was also named after him. While they differed politically, most believe that is was more than likely a woman who split them up. Earlier that year, Marquez had advised Llosa’s wife to divorce him after he took off with a Swedish stewardess. While this advice alone might have been enough to set him off, there is some speculation that Marquez may have consoled her in other ways as well. The two were thought to have finally reconciled in 2007, 31 years later, after agreeing to work on a book project together. The lesson? No matter how long it’s been, it’s never too late to mend a broken friendship.

10. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

    

    While Hawthorne’s most famous relationship may be his bitter feud with writer Herman Melville, his friendship with Longfellow is a much more inspirational story. The two men had a lot in common. They came from same area, had an early relationship with sea, found success and publication at an early age and even attended the same college and took classes together. Yet despite knowing of each other in school, it was not until much later when they became friends. In 1837, Hawthorne sent his novel Twice Told Tales to be reviewed by Longfellow, then the more successful of the two. Longfellow agreed, and wrote a glowing review of the work, sparking a lifelong friendship. It was not only Hawthorne who benefited from the literary advice and inspiration, however. It was from Hawthorne that Longfellow heard the story about which he composed one of his favorite poems, “Evangeline.” Ironically, Hawthorne’s praise of this same poem got him fired– a mark of the loyalty and love the friends had for one another. Hawthorne passed away in 1864, and Longfellow was not only a pallbearer at his funeral, but wrote him a farewell poem. The lesson? The best things in life are better when shared with a friend.

11. Emily Dickinson and Thomas Wentworth Higginson

    

    In 1862, Dickinson saw an open letter Higginson had printed in the Atlantic Monthly directed at young writers and wrote back to him directly, asking him to read and critique her poetry. The two developed a lifelong relationship, with Dickinson sending over 70 letters and 100 poems to her mentor. The two were an odd match: Dickinson was a reclusive, shy poet, while Higginson made a name for himself as a fiery abolitionist, minster, war hero and women’s right activist. Though Higginson did not press Dickinson to publish during her lifetime, after her death he helped bring her work into print, even co-editing a volume of her poems which was well-received by the public– a task Dickinson would most likely have been glad to leave to such a close adviser. The lesson? Sometimes inspiration, a confidant and a friend come in unexpected packages.

    Source: http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/11-literary-friendships-we-can-learn-from/

All Good Things - Official Trailer [HD] (by trailers)

“All good things come to those who wait.” Ibang movie yun, pero it for tonight! 

Kaboom - Official Trailer [HD] (by trailers)