Bicyclist: Attribution

Most people are getting the hang of attribution; some of you not so much.

It's important to attribute where you got your information throughout your story, and repeatedly if necessary.

How did you know Taylor was riding her bike down 72nd Street? You weren't there, were you? Of course not. She told you she was.

So a paragraph with that bit of info needs a "she said" somewhere.

How do you know she partook in bike tours? Again, it's because she told you. The graf containing that statement needs a "she said."

I'm going to reemphasize a pretty good rule of thumb: pretty much every paragraph should cite a source. Pretty much every fact should have a source citation nearby.

If in any single graf you are using just a single source, a single attribution somewhere in the graf is sufficient.

I know when it's a story where you interviewed just one person, it might seem weird having graf after graf all end in "she said."

But your readers don't know you spoke with just one source. And they do want to know how you know what you know.

So be transparent with your readers about how you got your information, and attribute.