How to Write Like a Professional Journalist
Designed for interpreters and multilingual professionals rediscovering their writing voice.
🧠Mindset: From Interpreter to Writer
Your interpreter skills are an asset. In writing, you’re no longer rushing to capture meaning—you’re curating, shaping, and guiding the reader. You move from instant translation to deliberate storytelling.
🔍 Step 1: Read Like a Writer
- Choose a feature from The Atlantic.
- Read once normally, then again with a pen.
- Underline structure, highlight emotional shifts, note verbs.
Exercise: Rewrite the first two paragraphs in your own voice.
🧱 Step 2: Use a Narrative Structure
Great journalistic stories use a flexible but clear shape:
- Hook: Set the scene, show tension
- Arc: What happened? Who was involved?
- Theme: Why does this matter now?
- Ending Echo: Return to an image, quote, or insight
✍️ Step 3: Write in Layers
- Draft 1: Just tell the story clearly
- Draft 2: Improve word choice and flow
- Draft 3: Add your voice—metaphors, rhythm, and flair
Tip: Try writing first in Vietnamese, then translate to unlock creative ideas.
🧹 Step 4: Edit Like a Pro
- Read your work aloud
- Use tools like
HemingwayApp or Grammarly
- Trim filler words, break long paragraphs
Watch how The Atlantic often uses short paragraphs—1 to 3 sentences—to keep readers moving.
đź“ť Want to Practice?
Start by rewriting this historical passage into a publishable short piece:
- Write a 1-paragraph lede
- Add 3-paragraph feature body
- Close with a 1-paragraph reflection
Use the Grand Review of 1865 passage. Send your result back for feedback!