Earlier this fall, Mark and I traveled to Xenia, Ohio, home to Athletes in Action, Cru’s ministry to student and professional athletes and their fans. We helped train their communications team to tell better stories. But as usual, we gained every bit as much as we gave from spending time with them.

Bruce, one of their free-lance writers, drove seven hours from his home in Wisconsin to spend the day with us. He interviews baseball players who have a faith-based testimony. He easily moves from one interview to the next. When asked for his secret to getting great interviews, he told us he asks for them. We smiled. He explained further.

When he interviews an athlete he asks for the name of a teammate who can answer questions about that players faith. During the second interview, he asks that player if he can tell his story, too. Of course, they all agree. He continues, in this way, to interview athletes and write their stories. His work is posted at beyondtheultimate.com. You can read his work here:  http://www.beyondtheultimate.com/athlete/Ben-Zobrist

While we were in Xenia, I taught one of my favorite seminars. I call it Sort. It’s step two of the writing process. Can you finish the sentence: This piece is about…. Once a writer clearly states in a sentence or two what the piece is really about, then that writer can pick the details that most closely fit that statement. I call this the focus statement. Not every detail can be included in every piece. By picking and choosing which details to include, the author helps the reader more easily understand the point of the story.

We had a spirited discussion among writers and editors in the room. Writers want to include everything. They usually think they need more words. I know this. I’m a writer. Editors want to tighten up what’s already been written and think the writers could write their stories using less words. I know this. I’m an editor. As they talked to each other, I smiled because I have been on both sides of that discussion.

Mark and I were grateful for the time we could spend with our new friends in Ohio. We’re going back again this spring for a longer conference. We’ll invite other staff members from the region to join us. Already, we’re planning content for that conference. We’ll keep you posted about our progress.