In its essence, a yearbook is a story book. It does not only tell the story of a school, but it tells the story of a year, of events, of a community and, in many cases, the individual stories of the individuals in a school.

The purpose of good journalistic writing is to give your yearbook substance, give it purpose and most importantly of all, give your readers an accurate retelling of the experiences that have been experienced that year.

Although most yearbook staff write their own articles, it's always a good idea to team up with your school's English Department. This will help in building a great yearbook culture at your school and develop a reliable source of proofers for correction time.

The Basic Guidelines of Writing

Before telling a story, guidelines exist that all writers must understand and should try to follow. Following these basic guidelines will ensure that your writing is impactful and will result in more people reading it.

Know Your Target Audience

Who are you writing for? Who do you expect will read your article, your yearbook? Will they care about your story? Will they understand it? Good writing is not generic. It is specific because it is targeted towards its target audience with something common binding them.

Keep it Simple

Use short sentences with a simple sentence structure. Most paragraphs should be under 40 words. Use the language of the reader...but be aware of slang terms and proper grammar.

Be Specific

You want to avoid using words like "many", "a few", "several" or "a lot". Use real information; for example, instead of "The team had a good season", use "The team had a 7-2 season."

Active, Rather Than Passive

Use active voice whenever possible. Active voice means the subject is performing the verb. Passive voice means the subject receives the action.

Think (and Write) Like A Journalist

Always write in the third person ("he", "she" or "they"). Be sure not to editorialize...you're here to report on the year and not push your personal opinion. You'll want to make sure that you tell both sides of the story, and always check your facts!

Read It Aloud

Reading your work out loud allows you to notice things that you might not have noticed if you were just reading it silently. It will also help you realize if you are making sense and telling the whole story.

Avoid Using Slang, Code, Or Nicknames

Not everyone in your audience may be aware of certain terms. Not everyone is a sports fan or an artsy person. Make sure to use normal terminology to ensure that your entire audience can understand what you are trying to say.