10 lessons learned from pitching, reporting, and writing my new Teen Vogue story

Ask to see the final version.

I always ask to see the final version of a story before it gets published. It gives me peace of mind to give it one final read and to ensure that all of the necessary edits were made. I also ask to see the headline and subhead to make sure they accurately reflect the story. This is especially important when writing abo... See more

I always highlight names and facts in my story as a visual reminder to double and triple check these details.

Remember that your idea may evolve.

As I did my reporting, I realized that the story was going to be less about harmful character chatbots and more about how teenagers are using AI for mental health support and eating disorder recovery — and how clinicians are responding. I still included the report that I had initially framed my pitch around, but ... See more