Fewer quotes make for better writing

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tom Hallman of The Oregonian sets his scenes without a single quote.

He long ago found his voice and takes full advantage. Tom doesn't let the source control the story. Even when he quotes, he doesn't use quotation marks. And it works:

"Her coach asked Tara to come with her. It was important, she said, for a young nurse to see and feel death up close.

They slid the room's door open and walked to the isolette. Tara would never forget what she saw there. The child, wearing pajamas and wrapped in a blanket, looked as if he were sleeping.

Do you want to hold him? Tara's coach asked.

It would be good for you to hold him, the coach said. Babies feel different after they've died.

Tara sat in a rocking chair. The nurse lifted the baby out of the crib and placed him in her arms. His skin was cold. She began rocking and studied his face. His hair was reddish blond. He had no bruises, no marks. He looked exhausted. Tara would later remember thinking about how long and hard he'd fought for life.

The baby boy's nurse stepped back into the isolation room. Tara stood up and laid the child in his isolette and helped the nurse clean him. She walked out of the room, checked in with her coach, finished her paperwork and left Level 3 for home.

She drove in silence, the radio off."

Quote it? Maybe not.

We're always tempted to put lots of direct quotes in our stories. It doesn't help that some editors can't get enough of them.

But beware. Direct quotes should be saved for illumination or to punctuate a point. Every source speaks in the colloquial at some point. She'll tell a story, maybe draw a picture with words. That's when you use a direct quote.

I've seen writers liberally use direct quotes from the subject to write a profile. The quotes become cumbersome, and frankly, make for a boring story. Two thousand words of someone talking about every job they ever had is not going to keep the reader engaged. Use words in your literary arsenal to take control of the story; don't let the subject control the tale.

Just remember, "no comment" does not warrant a direct quote. "Get off my porch before I call the law" might.