Advice for young journalists

A special thank you to Lars Anderson and his sports journalism class at the University of Alabama for having me visit this week. It's always fun talking shop and they asked really good questions.

Thinking about it afterward I was reminded of a list I did for my book No Time Outs on my 12 rules of sports writing. I've never posted it before, so here goes:

1)    Read, read, read.
2)    Write, write, write.
3)    Never lie, cheat or fudge.
4)    Work hard. Then work harder.
5)    Keep it simple.
6)    Trust your instincts.
7)    Never forget your subject is a person.
8)    Don’t screw up a name in print.
9)    Always go to the top.
10) The desk is your friend.
11) Think ahead.
12) Always have higher expectations.

It's hard to believe No Time Outs was published in 2006, and since it was my second book that means 2015 is consequently my 10-year anniversary as an author. It amazes me how much the industry has changed during that time period, and I can't wait to see what happens over the next decade.