Here are some gems and rocks that I’ve garnered or stumbled upon over the years.
These relate to non-fiction but, as with fiction writing, articles need to open with a ‘hook’ to draw in the reader. If you’re writing about say, daffodils, it would also be good to end your article with an extract from Wordsworth’s famous poem or some other reference to daffodils. It makes your piece more rounded and satisfactory to read. Check time lapse and copyright to ensure you’re OK to use a quote or photo (or take your own) and give the appropriate acknowledgement.
Short of ideas? Just look around with a fresh vision. What season is it? What’s growing? Highfield Park has a tree-trail with a map with a little about each tree. A great topic for an interesting article. Get the OK from the park first. Remember that we’re loved for our little eccentricities – out of the ordinary is good! Is the road or a block of flats named after someone? Do some digging and see who they were. The library might have a photo. What are your local topical news items? I started out with an article on the Bellringers of St Etheldreda’s Church, Hatfield. I remember climbing up the rickety inside of the tower (with permission) to take some photos when someone started ringing. It was deafening!
Around the same time, I read in the local paper that the Rotary Club were celebrating their Centenary by launching ‘Wheel Ale,’ a pun based on their logo, and arranged to go and talk to them. If you haven’t done an interview or telephone interview, get your questions ready and have a go. Jot down what’s said and listen carefully as the conversation often opens up a new field. I once did a telephone interview with someone about the Potters Bar Zeppelin. At the end of the conversation, he asked me if I liked jazz. Jazz? It turned out he was one of Kenny Ball’s jazzmen which led to a face-to-face interview over coffee and another article for People’s Friend. Likewise, on wrapping up a telephone interview with the Manager of a local football club, I asked what he thought was the club’s greatest achievement. Surprisingly, he said it was their fight with a giant supermarket who wanted to relegate them to the edge of town and build on their prime land. They organised a protest march through the town, supported by local people, shopkeepers, councilors, newspaper reporters, Sky TV and the local MP. The footie club were victorious by popular demand and the supermarket was shown a red card! The story made a great piece.
Find out what events are on. Arrive in good time with your camera and write it up. Get any permissions needed and give the host your business card. Thank them at the end of your article with a link to their website if they would like it. Check out your target magazine. Keep to their word count or they will do it for you and all your best jokes will disappear. Watch your language – risqué is a no-go area. Know when to call a halt and start a new paragraph. Keep away from too many statistics. They’ll probably lose your readers’ attention and some editors actively dislike them. Secure parental permission, of course, before using any photos of children. Keep trying – if an editor says he has enough articles until Christmas, tell them it’s OK for the following Easter.
Note if your magazine usually includes a text box with further info and websites. Also, some magazines like more photos than text and some more text and fewer photos. Once you get on board with an editor, they will sometimes send you templates they use so that you can choose how to set out your article. The editor will appreciate it as it saves them time. You can also contact them in the future to sound out your idea for your next article. It’s no use writing it up if they ran a similar one six months ago. It’s never a done deal but there’s always hope. Be gracious if you do get turned down. You need to keep on their right side!
Finally – people! Museums, galleries, vicars, the local council and colleges are your friends and generally on your side. They are mines of information and can often come up with a photo or two to complement your article, for which give them thanks at the end.
On you go then!