Having a thick pad full of words doesn’t necessarily mean you know what an article will be about. You could have a great quote on one page, a date in the margin, a half-sentenced note, and an unspelled-out name from a source. If the notes are kept in the order in which they were recorded, the resulting first draft is likely to be an investigation, rather than an article. Reporting notes, in fact, should be organized into some rough sort of structure before they can yield a coherent lead.
Before you write an article, take your notes and give them a preliminary organization. Label them as verified facts, quotes, background material, observations, and unverified information. This could take the form of a label in a computer document; a subheading within a notebook; or just a mark in the margin next to a line. The purpose here isn’t to create aesthetically appealing notes; the purpose is to keep different types of information separate from each other.
Facts should have a source attached. The date, the number, the title, the cost, the schedule change, the outcome of the meeting, or the change in the policy all should accompany the reference. If a source said this, indicate the source. If this was found in a press release, a news story, a Web site, a record, or a schedule, identify that. The source attribution in an article can then be filled in later without a need to determine if the fact came from an interview, an observation, or public documents.
A different attention should be paid to quotes. Don’t just record a quote that sounds emotionally resonant or eloquent, but record quotes that add information, experience, or voice. In the margin of a notebook, for instance, you might note why the quotation might be useful. Does the quote help to support the lead? Does the quote express the sense of tension? Does the quote add another example? Does the quote come from a source with a unique perspective? Does the quote need to be followed up? A note like this will keep you from using quotations that only sound appealing.
Incorporating observations into an article can help the piece take on a more compelling texture, but you should distinguish observations from conclusions. The note “Five students waited outside the student affairs office at 8:45” is an observation; the conclusion that “the office is poorly managed” is not, without some additional reporting. While observation can add detail to a scene and the lead, and can raise questions to pursue, the journalist must use it with care. It’s best to first describe what is seen and heard and only then to think about the meaning.
Another useful part of a notebook is leaving space to list the items you still need to find. Write the names of people to call back, the data to confirm, the titles to double-check, quotes that need to be followed up, and questions that arose in an interview. An article that begins to take shape from unverified notes can seem finished even though it is still fragile. A checklist of information you have to check off prevents this type of premature satisfaction, before you ever begin to worry about grammar or spelling.
With your notes organized, your draft will seem less of a challenge. The opening of the article can be drawn from the best fact, the most compelling scene, or the greatest tension; the nut graf can articulate the importance of this lead. The quotes can be selected for purpose rather than for effect. The background material can be placed in the order that best suits the needs of the reader. Before you write a single sentence of the first paragraph, look at your notes. If all have a function, you have a sort of silent, hidden coherence.