Pedestrians Hit By Council Snow Plough
Last week I had my first story in the Strathspey & Badenoch Herald, about the dangerous access ramp at a Co-op store, and this week I had my first front page story, about a shocking incident in which a pedestrian was hit by a snow plough — because the driver didn't want to stop in case he lost traction! Yes, it has been said before, but truth is often stranger than fiction.
It can be interesting to see how stories are edited, shortened and improved as they progress through the editorial process.
For example, here is my original version of this story. Now, the paper saying that it happened on New Year's Day instead of New Year's Eve was my fault, as I rewrote the first paragraph at the last minute and put the wrong day. But apart from that, you may be interested to see how the editor changed the opening paragraphs, and tightened-up the closing section.
Paying attention to all of these little details can stack up to help you improve the quality of your writing, and the likelihood of your story getting published.
