One of the most popular and widely-used models in journalistic writing is the inverted pyramid. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book...and it works! To write a fact-based story, it’s still the most helpful model when you’re trying to get your information in order. Draw a large, upside-down triangle on a piece of paper. Think of the most important facts and information in your story and turn them into a lead sentence. Put the sentence at the top of your inverted pyramid. Next, think of your supporting facts in descending order of importance. Add them accordingly -- second, third, fourth most important, etc. underneath your lead sentence. Finally, think of how to end the story by crafting a sentence that ties back into the lead and reminds readers of the central idea. Put that at the bottom of your inverted pyramid. You can flesh out a story as needed with extra information, quotes, or facts, but outlining your story in an organized fashion will ensure you include everything of major importance.
