My Life as a News Story

Most people don’t live exciting lives. Not many of our daily experiences would make the newspaper. But if it did, what would it be like?

This assignment is to write about a day in your life as if it was worthy of front-page news.

You can be as creative as you like. You can talk about an especially memorable event in your life or  just write about a normal day as if it were breaking news.

The article might start like this, for example:

Today in Winchester, Virginia, high school student Emmet Overstreet achieved what no one ever thought possible, making his bed entirely on his own without being reminded by his parents.

“I’ve never been so proud,” Nancy Overstreet, Emmet’s mother, said through tears.

The act was shocking to Emmet’s siblings, Todd and Clarisse. “Honestly, I didn’t know Emmet even know how to make a bed!” the bewildered big sister told us…

Try to imitate the feel of a newspaper article, including a third-person point of view, formal tone, and direct quotations. Remember that this is an expository assignment, so provide as much information as possible. Answer all the questions a reader might think of asking.

Also keep in mind that newspaper articles usually include the most important information at the beginning of the story, moving to the more minor details as the story progresses.

Feel free to use short paragraphs—even one sentence paragraphs are ok in news articles at times. Just be sure to be thorough. The paper should be at least one-and-a-half double-spaced pages.

Suggested Length: Two to three pages