Our opening gambit is what hooks people into our feature. The ending is also important. Both need to pack a punch.
Sometimes, though, we can start out on the wrong road, something which will eventually affect our ending. Certainly we will arrive at the wrong destination.
Turning back is as easy as stopping right where you are – a handbrake turn which will reverse you 180 degrees.
Once you have been brave enough to stop in order to start again, you can revisit the power points that you want to get across, identify the primary quotes from your subject (if you have them) and re-assess the context of the feature you are writing. These are all tried and tested mechanisms for identifying your first among equals priority for your piece.
Don’t waste time if you are heading in the wrong direction. Stop, look, listen and then start again.
Go Write Ahead 