Finishing Is a Skill, Not a Mood

Nobody in a newsroom waits to feel inspired. The page closes at six, so the story is done at five-thirty, imperfect and alive.

Outside the newsroom, you must build your own edge. Pick a date, tell one person, and make the piece smaller until it fits the date.

Three small rules

• Write the ending first, even badly.
• Cut the opening paragraph; it is usually throat-clearing.
• Publish before you are ready.