A case study in tenacity

For 30 years, Larry Welborn, a legal affairs writer at the Orange County (Ca.) Register, refused to let go of a story: a young woman had been found hanged in her apartment under suspicious circumstances. Haunted by a photo of the victim, Linda Cummings, Welborn pursued the case and ultimately persuaded law enforcement officials to take a closer look. Last month, Welborn chronicled the ups and down of this cold case file in a riveting 8-part series, "Murder by Suicide?"

I interviewed Welborn for my "Chip on Your Shoulder" column, the latest in a series of interviews with journalists and writers. His story behind the story is as inspiring as the series itself is gripping.

My advice: Read the series first, then the Q&A.

Then ask yourself, is there a story you can't let go of?

If the answer is yes, hold on tight and don't let go until it's resolved. Tenacity is a character trait that separates those who get stories written from those whose writing life is littered with unfinished stories.

But as Welborn reveals in an accompanying tip sheet on courting sources, so does being human and honest.

Comments

[Elizabeth Ashworth]

I followed your links and read Larry Welborn's piece. He's right. I looked at that picture of Linda and tears streamed down my cheeks. I wish she had been my friend. In fact, I feel as if we have been friends on some playground as children or sitting alone in the cafeteria at junior high, never being asked to dance. Thank goodness for Larry. I'll never forget Linda.