Chat with others in the newsroom or online? Take a well-deserved (in your mind) break? Check your Facebook page? Check email?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any or all of these, you’re likely in the majority.

I would suggest you move yourself to minority status in this regard. Don’t do any of those things.

Instead, sit down and write. Close your notebook and write.

If you paid attention during your interview, you should have enough information right on the top of your head to put together your lead and at minimum the first 6-8 inches of your story, including quotes. Of course you’ll want to verify the quotes later, but you should be able to get the gist of them on the screen.

Why do this? You are writing with the freshest information. You are writing with images and nuances in your mind that will surely be lost little by little the farther you are away from the interview. You are writing like you’re on a tight deadline, which frankly is when many do their best work.

And it will not allow you to procrastinate. It is my belief that the time lapse between the time you leave an interview or event and the time you sit down to do your writing is critical in determining the quality of your finished piece. That time gap isn’t the only factor, but it is important. The longer the gap, the more information you lose and the less the piece is written for your audience and not your editor.

So sit down and write. Write quickly. Write what you remember…everything.

Particularly in the United States, journalism has always been an integral part of public participation in our republic. In today’s fragmented world, that role has not changed. Whether journalists practice their craft in print, on television, on the radio, on through one of millions of websites, blogs or social media outlets, they continue to be the primary source of trusted information.

Amazingly — even with the number of layoffs in mass media — enrollment in many journalism schools continues to rise, some in dramatic numbers. It is unfortunate that too many of those schools continue to concentrate on theory (much of which has been turned on its proverbial head in the last two years) and less on giving their hungry students a solid foundation of skills they can build upon.

On the flip side, most surviving j-schools have embraced the latest in technology and continue to explore ways to exploit — in the most positive sense of the word — those technologies.

But a solid, basic set of fundamentals remains key. And that’s true whether these fledgling young commentators are plying their skills at a newspaper, magazine, website or any number of other outlets that might value their work.

In all my years in newsrooms, my biggest thrill has always been watching an enthusiastic young person new to the business grow into their own. It comes as quite a pleasure when they put together a story, sit back, and smile, knowing they have upped their game…knowing they have written their best piece ever. Then it happens again and again.

So, with this blog I will attempt to impart a bit of knowledge that comes from years of observing what works. If you are a veteran journalist I highly doubt you’ll find anything new. But you might find a reminder. If you are relatively new to journalism, it is my hope these tips will help you improve your abilities to write and report better, faster and to the widest audience possible.

I welcome any and all feedback, comments and discussion.