As a word guy, I love the process of writing and the feeling of hitting “publish” on a completed article.

However, one of the final steps before pushing that button often feels like a struggle. Finding a photograph that fits the story can be a real chore.

Not surprisingly, I want to leave this for the very end — after the story not only is written but also edited, headlined and massaged for SEO.

But a fellow writer once gave me a great tip. In turning a story idea into an article, his first step is to think visually, envisioning the image that will accompany the eventual piece.

What if the story has no such image, I asked. Simple, he replied: No picture, no story.

He wouldn’t report or write a word without that image in his mind, even if figuring out the picture took him a while.

His model makes sense to me. As school communicators, the magazines, websites and blog posts we produce all rely primarily on visuals. Photos are what people will see first on the school’s social media or on its School News collection. Without compelling imagery, the powerful story that took hours to craft may go tragically unnoticed.

To be clear, thinking visually is only the start. Typically we still must dig through archives or stock-photo sites to find a match for our vision.

Sometimes the hunt pays off. Other times, I have to settle for something generally on-point.

Nevertheless, if you, too, tend to prioritize narrative over imagery in your storytelling, try thinking “No picture; no story” as you brainstorm story ideas.

This post is adapted from the April 2022 issue of Refill, published by Fine Point Communications.