What’s your story?
Jeanne Acton, ILPC Director
Columns
• Personal experience – shows the reader a story with a clear,
definite message.
• Can be humorous, serious, sad, light-hearted, life-changing
experience
• Should connect to the reader at an emotional level
• Filled with description and detail
• Focuses on the writer’s personal experience – anecdotal
Columns
• Personal opinion
• Express opinion about an event or issue
• Often connected to a news story in school, local or national news
• Looks similar to an editorial
Sports columns
• Commentary about an event, incident, an athlete, an issue
• Strive to have sports columns about YOUR school
What is the purpose?
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To help the reader think, act or see things in a new way
To entertain
To inform
To move
Column characteristics
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Often, informal
Usually written in first person
Focused with a point
Reflects the personality of the writer
Expresses a viewpoint
About a subject that appeals to the reader
What makes a good column
writer?
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Research (if issue-driven)
Interviewing (if issue-driven)
Knowing the subject
Finding a voice
Seeing the world in a different way
Creativity
Having something unique to say
From The Radical Write …
• Voice is difficult to define, but it’s easy to recognize
• The best writing is not soggy or bloated. It’s raw and lean and
real.
• Raw and lean and real doesn’t mean it can’t be profound and
sophisticated.
• Great writers use all of the tools are their disposal.
Why columns fail … the writer
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isn’t ready to expose him/herself
has nothing to say
preaches to the audience
chit-chats with the audience
rambles
fills the column with facts, rather than stories and opinions
chooses a topic that doesn’t interest the audience
fails to edit and rewrite
Preachy ….
Nothing to say …
Preachy…
No real point …
Really??
No point…
Still doesn’t have a point …
Preachy …
A real story …
Another
powerful
story …
Having some fun …
A beautiful
story …
One
more …
A good sports
column …
Another
good
one…
Another good sports column …
A solid
personal
opinion …
One more …