Don’t Stop There!!!

1. Don’t Stop There!!! Some ideas for writing better heads

2. Tips from John SchlanderSt. Pete Times

3. Word association • Think of key words anddo some free association to develop angles. • So close, so Favre (when Brett Favre and the Packers stolea game from the Bucs).

4. Mental picture • What picture comes to mind as you read the story? Use that in your headline. • Wearing jackets of ice, crops weather freeze • Bashful moon to blush as earth passes by

5. Perfect verb • A fresh verb can really make a headline. • Summer muscles its way into spring • Deputies inch toward unionization

6. Perspective • Come at the head from a different viewpoint. For example, instead of writing the head from the government's perspective • Officials consider later high school starting times • write it from the affected person's perspective • High schoolers, don't reset alarm yet

7. Emotion • Hit 'em in the gut or the heart. • In thehot glare of fame, secret is revealed (Classy but still emotional head on story about Dr.J acknowledging Wimbledon sensation Alexandra Stevenson is his daughter.) • Healever, forget never (on a post-Columbine story)

8. Quote • Is there a great quote that sums up the story? Don't overuse thistechnique, but it can be effective: • ‘He never had a chance’

9. Foreshadowing • Give readers a compelling detail that foreshadows the actionand makes them wonder, but doesn't frustrate them with vagueness. • The "hot glareof fame'' head fits in this category, too. Instead of banging people over the headtabloid-style with Dr. J admits tennis star is his love child, we took another, betterroute.

10. Specifics • Sometimes, just making a headline more specific really helps. If youhave a rather vague head, sub in specifics. This method works on many everydayheads. Change • Slain woman mourned at service • To: 1,500 attend funeral forslain woman • How many people have that great a number of mourners showup for their funeral?

11. A touch of the poet

12. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns)

13. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat)

14. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound:

15. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound: rhyme

16. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound: rhyme • Repeated start consonant:

17. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound: rhyme • Repeated start consonant: alliteration

18. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound: rhyme • Repeated start consonant: alliteration • Reference to previous work:

19. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound: rhyme • Repeated start consonant: alliteration • Reference to previous work: allusion

20. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound: rhyme • Repeated start consonant: alliteration • Reference to previous work: allusion • Comparison to unlike object:

21. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound: rhyme • Repeated start consonant: alliteration • Reference to previous work: allusion • Comparison to unlike object: metaphor • A double meaning:

22. A touch of the poet • Use tropes (turns) • A trope is a return (repeat) • Repeated end sound: rhyme • Repeated start consonant: alliteration • Reference to previous work: allusion • Comparison to unlike object: metaphor • A double meaning: pun

23. A touch of the poet • Rhyming heads signal humor (or at least a light topic) • Library might allow patrons to snack within the stacks • Ham on the lam // Illegal Inky the pig bolts from stinky house, but now the sprinting swine is fine

24. Alliteration It took a lot of labor to find love on this day (on a column about a birth on Sept. 11) Fancy felines compete for the 'kitty'

25. Allusion • They’re off to seek the lizard! • Sex Drug Rocks 'n' Rolls, on Pfizer's success with Viagra • You’ve got wail: Hospital webcasts newborns

26. Metaphor • Comcast lets/ cable pirates/ off the hook • Bureaucrats / creep into garden / of well-seeded / retirement plans • Thousands / sink in sea / of bad debt // Overloaded credit cards, bankruptcies, home loans soar

27. Puns • California smokers are rebels without a pause • Record highs mean there's no business in snow business • To dye for: Bodies become canvases in San Pedro tattoo and piercing store

28. Puns • A word of warning: Puns are addictive • Once you get started, it’s hard to stop • But what’s funny to you may not be funny to others • Use sparingly!!!

29. I’ve got rhythm • The best trope of all

30. I’ve got rhythm • The best trope of all • Spoken English typically comes out in iambs

31. I’ve got rhythm • The best trope of all • Spoken English typically comes out in iambs (Unstress/stress) • Shall I / com PARE/ thee TO / a SUM / mer’s DAY? • Thou ART / more LOVE / ly AND / more TEM / per ATE

32. iamb’s opposite

33. iamb’s opposite • A trochee

34. iamb’s opposite • A trochee • AKA the doo-dah

35. Jim Barger (Pitts. P-G) • Everybody has at least hummed or whistled "Camptown Races," and it was out of the comfortable cadence of that old song that the doo-dah principle was born:

36. Jim Barger (Pitts. P-G) • The best headlines are the ones after which you can say "doo dah." They just sound right. Readers like the way they feel. And they're everywhere.

37. Jim Barger (Pitts. P-G) • Mary had a little lamb (doo dah, doo dah) … ” • London Bridge is falling down (doo dah, doo dah) • Nixon makes his final plea • Steelers win fifth Super Bowl

38. Improving heads • Use the techniques here • Pay attention to language • P(l)ay attention to language • Word choice, visual imagery, emotion, perspective, details, allusion, alliteration, metaphor, rhythm • Mix & match

39. Practice • Write a ‘better’ head, using one or more of these techniques (alliteration?) • First individually • Then in groups • Display & critique