The Sports Writing Handbook

by Thomas Fensch

Overview

Completely revised and updated in a second edition, this volume represents the only book ever written that analyzes sports writing and presents it as "exceptional" writing. Other books discuss sports writers as "beat reporters" in one area of journalism, whereas this book shows aspiring sports writers a myriad of techniques to make their writing stand out. It takes the reader through the entire process of sports writing: observation, interviewing techniques, and various structures of articles; types of "leads;" transitions within an article; types of endings; use of statistics; do's and don'ts of sports writing; and many other style and technique points. This text provides over 100 examples of leads drawn from newspapers and magazines throughout the country, and also offers up-to-date examples of sports jargon from virtually every major and minor sport played in the U.S.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805815283
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/01/1995
Series:	Routledge Communication Series
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1110L (what's this?)

About the Author

Authored by Fensch, Thomas

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface. The Art of the Interview. The Art of Observation. Page One, Paragraph One -- Story Leads: Types and Techniques. Quick 'n' Dirty Guide to Sports Leads. Outlining and Transitions. Two Types of Article Structures: The Inverted Pyramid and the Diamond Structure. Other Structures. Techniques for Effective Endings. Guidelines for Writing About Women. Writing Advance Stories. Developing a Sports Feature From a Sports News Event. Writing the Investigative Sports Article. Writing Editorials, Opinion Articles, and Columns. Seven Common Stylistic Errors Sports Writers Should Avoid. End Note: "Football Minus Frills -- and Drills."

Editorial Reviews

Reviews for the first edition...
"...has much to offer about good sports writing. It has much to offer about what makes good writing in any field."
—Journalism Educator

"The idea that sports writing precludes literary achievement is nonsense. One can write about sports well or poorly, as about everything else. When I was a young journalism student covering athletics for my college paper, I wish there had been so instructive a source as The Sports Writing Handbook. Whether the reader's interest in such a journalistic form is casual or intense, Mr. Fensch's book provides a wealth of instruction."
—Steve Allen
Author, Entertainer

"Even a cursory examination convinces me the book will be greatly helpful in the sports writing course I will be presiding over during the 1997-98 academic year on this campus. You can also be sure I will recommend the book to my students."
—Herb Kamm
California Polytechnic State University

From the Publisher