Write Nonfiction in November

If, like me, you enjoy journalistic endeavors, but you also enjoy the more literary side of writing, you might want to try your hand at a piece of creative nonfiction this month. If offers a journalist with a fiction-like flair to have some fun while still reporting on true events.

However, creative nonfiction writers must know the rules of this genre or risk getting themselves in a world of trouble. For that reason, I’ve asked the experts at Writer’s Relief, Inc., an author’s submission service, to offer the readers of Write Nonfiction in November some advice on how to write trouble-free creative nonfiction manuscripts. Take heed of their words!

Creative Nonfiction: How to Stay Out of Trouble
By  Ronnie L. Smith, president of Writer’s Relief, Inc.

What is creative nonfiction?

Lee Gutkind, editor of Creative Nonfiction magazine, sums it up best: “This is perhaps creative nonfiction’s greatest asset: It offers flexibility and freedom while adhering to the basic tenets of reportage. In creative nonfiction, writers can be poetic and journalistic simultaneously.”

Creative nonfiction is a genre that holds great creative possibilities. It involves the use of factual events or characters to create dramatic nonfiction using techniques such as dialogue, scenery, and point of view (POV). It combines the fact-finding of journalism with the literary techniques of the fiction writer to create a dramatic story that just happens to be true. This is also called literary journalism, and, like journalism, it is a genre based on truth.

Suppose an author has written her memoir under the guise of creative nonfiction, but she has spiced things up with a near-death experience and perhaps a rape scene—things that never actually happened in her life. Ethically, this author must redefine her piece as fiction. The basic facts must be true in creative nonfiction.

If the same author wrote a biography about her great-grandfather, she has some license to fill in the blanks, as long as it doesn’t affect the outcome of the story. She most likely doesn’t know what her great-grandfather’s farmhouse looked like on the inside or what he liked in his coffee—ethically, the author has the right to create dialogue and other “facts” that make up the creative element of creative nonfiction. Some authors use disclaimers to make sure their readers don’t feel duped if names or minor details are changed.

Readers must assume that they are reading a biased interpretation of events as they view them through the author’s eyes. The basic facts are there, but the author is reporting his or her own version of those facts. The implied pact between writer and reader is this: I am telling you the truth, but the truth as it is filtered through my eyes.

Legal Pitfalls

While the people and places mentioned in creative nonfiction pieces are still around, writers often change the names of characters in their work to avoid conflict. As long as it doesn’t impact the story, changing Linda, the waitress at the Burger Barn, to Cynthia from the Hamburger Hut might save Linda some awkwardness. And if you’ve fudged the facts about her, changing Linda’s name just might save you from a lawsuit, but there is no guarantee. Linda can still sue you for defamation if she is obviously defamed, regardless of the name you give her in the book. Changing a person’s name is not a guarantee of protection, but it might help.

Other Ways to Stay Out of Trouble

Stick to the truth. In a defamation of character suit, an offending statement must be false for a plaintiff to prevail against you or your publisher. Untrue facts that negatively affect a person’s reputation or credibility are considered defamatory.

Be careful not to report facts that may cause damage to another person’s physical being or business. Revealing that Johnny from the bank is actually a mob snitch, even when the facts are true enough, can lead to physical harm to Johnny and legal hot water for you. And be prepared for an invasion of privacy lawsuit if you are exposing embarrassing or private facts about a person, even if they are truthful.

Protect yourself by getting written permission from people you wish to write about. And if they are no longer living, make sure you aren’t setting yourself up for a lawsuit from their family. (Obviously, you are fairly safe in writing about people who died long ago.) If the person is a public figure whose actions or background are a matter of public record, then you do not need permission, but be judicious about the facts you report. Senator Mucky-Muck may have an obsession with women’s feet, but leave his foot fetish out of your story, especially if it’s merely something you’ve thrown in to add some excitement to your story.

This article is for informational purposes only. For expert legal advice about your own publishing questions, always consult an attorney.

About the Authors

Writer’s Relief, Inc. is a highly recommended author’s submission service. Established in 1994, Writer’s Relief will help you target the best literary agents or editors for your creative writing, and they can prepare your work to meet industry-standard guidelines. Their goal is to relieve you of the time-consuming frustrations of the submission process so that you can do more of what you love: write! Visit their Web site at http://www.WritersRelief.com to receive their FREE Writers’ Newsflash (today, via e-mail), which contains valuable leads, guidelines, and deadlines for writing in all genres. Or you can connect with their submission strategists to get answers to all your questions about garnering more acceptance letters and publications.

www.WritersReliefBlog.com
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During this month, we will explore a variety of nonfiction forms. For the next few days, however, we will take a closer look at journalistic endeavors. Many nonfiction writers have aspirations of writing for newspapers or magazines. Plus, many authors of nonfiction books find it necessary at times to write journalistic pieces to establish themselves as experts in their field or to publicize their books.

If you enjoy reporting on events, writing personal essays, exploring issues in-depth, interviewing people for personality profiles, or creating works of creative nonfiction, you will want to explore writing for publications. To develop a career as a free-lance journalist, though, you first have to land a writing assignment. Then you have to do such a good job with that assignment  that the editor wants you to write for the publication again. A great place to begin developing this type of writer/editor relationship is with a regional publication.

I have a soft spot in my heart for regional publications. Not only did I get my first “clips” or by-lines (published articles) writing for regional newspapers and magazines while I was still in high school and college, upon college graduation I went to work as a writer and editor for a regional magazine. I continued to work full-time for regional publications for a few years before moving on to other jobs in publishing, but I’ve never stopped writing for regional publications. In fact, regional publications have remained the mainstay of my freelance writing work everywhere I’ve lived.

For the beginning journalist, regional publications provide a wonderful way to start getting the clips you need to prove to national publications that you can write and produce professionally crafted and researched articles. For the seasoned journalist, they provide numerous article markets and a continuous source of revenue.

Since I moved to California eight years ago, I have often written for Bay Area Parent magazine’s Silicon Valley Edition. My editor there, Jill Wolfson, has welcomed my queries, and, in the last few years, also come to me with ideas she knew fell within my realm of interest. I enjoy working with her, and I think she has been happy with my work. So, I asked her to write a blog post for WNFiN on how nonfiction writers who would like to write for a regional magazine (or any magazine) should approach magazine editors, and what they need to do to develop a good, long-lasting relationship with those editors. Having read her post, I can tell you that I do all of the things she recommends…and I have never had a problem getting repeat work from a magazine.

How to Land a Nonfiction Magazine Assignment…
And Get Asked to Write a Second Article When You’re Done
By Jill Wolfson

As the editor of a monthly regional parenting magazine, I get some jaw-dropping queries from people who want to write for us. I think I can speak for most editors when I say: Here are some ways NOT to approach an editor. I’ve taken these verbatim from my inbox:

Hey Jill,

I’m a real journalist, so I could probably whip out something for your rag real fast.

Dear Editor,

I have no writing experience, but I think my child is really funny and I could write about that.

Dear Editor,

I want to write for you. Give me some ideas and I’ll do them.

And my all-time favorite:

Dear Editor,

I have no journalism experience and I’m not a parent, but I’m a real brat magnet. My nephew likes to jump on the bed when he comes to visit.

Now that you know how not to approach a magazine editor, here’s some advice on what will get her or his attention—and, importantly, what will keep that attention for future assignments. Just because a publication is regional or a give-away doesn’t mean that it doesn’t adhere to high journalistic standards.

6. Let the editor know if the story is taking a different shape as soon as possible. Things change during reporting; an editor understands that. If major shifts occur—a change in the agreed-upon angle or a major source who will no longer be quoted—alert the editor immediately. No one likes a big surprise at deadline.

7. Make the editor’s job easy, and you are likely to become one of the go-to writers. Turn in copy on time or even before deadline. If possible, ask someone to proof your article for spelling and grammatical errors. I don’t mind a few errors, but I get really concerned about a writer when an article comes in full of typos and bad grammar. What does that say about his/her fact-checking?

8. Be amenable to making changes in your story. That doesn’t mean being a push-over, but be flexible when working with the editor to make your story the best it can be. Typically, the editor knows his or her particular publication’s audience and might need a story “tweaked” to emphasize certain angles. If asked, make the extra call for additional research or rewrite the lead. Try to do so with enthusiasm (or at least pretend enthusiasm).

9. If you have certain extra skills, flaunt them. Can you provide quality photos with your articles? Great! Can you interview parents in Chinese? Wonderful! Do you have skills specific to the magazine or the article? For example, are you an expert knitter writing an article about crafting with children? Be sure to mention this.

Regional publications frequently use less-experienced writers than national publications do. We may pay less, but writing for regional publications provides a great way to break into nonfiction writing. By writing for this market, in a short time you can build an impressive portfolio of clips.

About the Author

Jill Wolfson is the editor of Bay Area Parent—Silicon Valley edition. She can be reached at jill.wolfson@parenthood.com. She also recommends potential writers join the Facebook fan page (Bay Area Parent Silicon Valley) or the online community at siliconvalley.parenthood.com.

I tend to be a fairly verbose writer. My husband actually calls me “The Queen of Verbosity.” Yes, I can write a lot in a short amount of time. I admit it.

When I’m working on assignment, I often find that I have exceeded my 1, 500-word article requirement, for example, by at least double – if not triple the words. This may happen when I simply have researched so thoroughly that I have too much information for one article, or it may be that I’ve interviewed too many people. Or, I might just have a lot to say on the topic. No matter the reason, if the editor has told me to turn in 1,500 words, I cannot turn in 4,500 or even 3,000 words. I have to turn in something closer to 1,500 words.

You do have a little lead way typically; most editors won’t be upset if the receive an additional 100-200 words unless they have specifically told you that they only have space for 1,500 words. On the other hand, editors hate to receive too little copy. It’s much easier to cut a writer’s copy than it is to add to it.

Given my tendency to overwrite, I have become somewhat of an expert at cutting my own copy down to size. This, I believe, has not only made me a better editor but a better writer as well. To accomplish this feat—and sometimes it feel like a feat—I go through an article manuscript line by line, word by word, looking for ways to tighten sentences so I can meet a word count. At least once a month I shorten a 3,000-4,000-word article to 2,000 words by going over it many, many times looking for ways to cut, improve, strengthen, you name it. 

Write enough articles or essays, and you’ll either get very good at writing to a specific word count or at cutting until you meet it. If, like me, you continue to write long, you’ll want to start practicing cutting words and tightening sentences. If you like social networking, you can practice this every day on Twitter.com, where you are allowed only to type in 140 characters describing what you are doing at any given moment. Sometimes this takes some major editing and cutting and tightening.

Or just take any manuscript of yours, or even a paragraph you’ve written or a letter, and try to shorten it to half its current size. Work at it until you manage to accomplish this goal. The rules are simple: Retain all important elements. Lose all unnecessary words. Combine. Cut. Delete. Rewrite. Make sure the message remains but the ancillary bits and pieces go.

Or give yourself an assignment. Write about something—anything—within a certain word count range. For example, describe how you met your best friend or your spouse, but do it in 400-500 words.

This skill will come in very handy when you get an assignment like the one I recently completed for a dance magazine. I had to profile three dance companies and include a lead to the story, but I couldn’t exceed 1,000 words. That basically meant that I had 300 words to describe each company and 100 words to entice readers into the story itself. You’ll also find this useful when writing short biographies of yourself, book jacket copy and other short pieces. If you are just getting started as a nonfiction writer, writing “shorts” for magazines gets you a foot in the door. Often these stories are just 200 or 300 words long.

If you’d like to look at an example of my own work, you can examine the following lead to a story I wrote about learning to cycle up steep grades. By the time I had included two of the three interviews I had conducted, my story was already double the length it needed to be. So, despite the fact that I liked my lead, I knew I had to shorten it. I managed to take it from 176 words to 78. That may not seem like a lot, but if you can do that throughout an entire article, you will cut its word count by more than half and turn in a really strong, well-written, honed, highly-crafted piece of writing.

First Draft – 176 words

Highly-conditioned cyclists who train on flat terrain or who regularly cycle on hilly routes may think they easily can scale the steeper inclines found in California’s mountain  ranges.  However, they may be surprised to find themselves with quivering leg muscles and aching lungs as they struggle for the summit of the first big “hill.”  Indeed, riding on the mountain roads in our area requires more than average leg and lung strength as well as a unique mind set and skills set.

If you are thinking of taking up mountain cycling – not to be confused with mountain biking – or if you find yourself struggling up the hills on your current routes, you might want to posses a few conditioning strategies as you begin your grind up the first grade – and the next – and the next.  Possessing some knowledge of the best ways to get in shape for mountain riding and the best ways to cycle up hills will put you in good stead both as you begin your conditioning routine and as you continue tackling ever-larger hills.

Second Draft – 126 words

Cyclists who typically ride on flat terrain or hilly routes may think they are fit enough to easily scale the steeper inclines found in California’s mountain ranges.  However, when they attempt a mountain ride, they may find themselves struggling for the summit of the first big “hill” with quivering leg muscles and aching lungs.  Indeed, riding mountain roads requires special conditioning.

If you are thinking of taking up mountain road cycling, or if you find yourself struggling up the hills on your current routes, you might want to use a few training strategies before you ascend the first steep grade.  Specifically conditioning yourself for mountain riding will put you in good stead both as you begin your conditioning routine and as you continue tackling ever-larger hills.

Third Draft – 78 words

Cyclists who typically ride on flat or rolling terrain may think they are fit enough to easily scale the steeper inclines found in California’s mountain ranges.  However, when they attempt a mountain ride, they may find themselves struggling for the summit of the first big “hill” with quivering leg muscles and aching lungs.  Conditioning specifically for mountain road cycling helps avoid this scenario by increasing cyclists’ ability to reach the top of steep grades more easily and quickly.

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Taking a break from my guest bloggers, I though today I’d treat you to a look at the similarity between writing articles, essays and books-the view from where I sit. I’m a journalist by trade, and, while I happen to be a working freelance journalist, I really make my living editing nonfiction books for my clients. When I’m not engaged in those two activities, I work on writing my own books. (Ask me when I find time; the answer: “Not often,” which might explain why none of them are done. My clients books get done, though.) Therefore, I often combine my knowledge of one field – journalism – with the other – book editing – and vice versa. More accurately, I might state that I often see that I can use my journalistic skills when writing or editing books, and I’m sure that all that book editing has helped my journalistic endeavors.

Let’s take a look at five ways you, too, can develop and combine these same skills.

Articles and a Book Chapters Equate to the Same Thing:  While I was attending college at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication (many years ago), I had the pleasure of not only studying magazine journalism from best-selling author and seasoned journalist Professor John Keats but also of having him as my college adviser and travel guide for a semester in London, England. He taught me many things, but when it comes to writing books, one lesson has remained in my head: Writing a book is like writing a series of articles on the same topic.

I offer this lesson today for this reason:  I find that when writers get stumped by the enormity of the task of writing a whole book, it helps to “chunk it down,” as they say. If you can look at the book as a series of articles, this can seem even less daunting than a series of chapters.

That said, chapters are, indeed, nothing more than articles. They share all the same characteristics. Articles have a lead, or a paragraph or two that draw the reader into the story in an intriguing manner. They have a statement of purpose that follows, or may be included, in this lead. A chapter includes these elements as well; if it didn’t, no one would want to read further than the first line or past the first page. An article also has a middle section, which elaborates on the purpose and offers data, quotes, arguments, or any other type of information to make the article’s point, or to fulfill its purpose. A chapter also has a middle that must accomplish the same job. Then, both possess an ending, which sums up what has been said. While an article often encourages the reader to think about the subject further, a chapter’s ending peaks the readers interest in the next chapter.

If writers keep this simple format, which is no different than the essay/article format I laid out in an earlier blog, in mind as they write their books, they won’t feel so overwhelmed.

Journalists or essayists should ask themselves this question: How many essays can you write on a certain topic? Can you write 10 or 12? If so, add an introduction and, possibly, a conclusion, and you’ve completed a book. If you’ve already written the essays or articles, you’ve written a book without even trying! That’s the best of both worlds!

Interviews Make Good Fodder for Books and Articles: Many writers don’t think reported articles have anything to do with their prescriptive nonfiction books, because they don’t plan on using quotes from interviews in their books. They plan on using their own ideas and information alone. However, most self-help, human potential, personal development books, and spiritual books, as well as most other prescriptive nonfiction books, become stronger in content if the author takes the time to interview some “other” experts on the topic. You can then do one of two things: use a few of their comments as quotes to corroborate your premise or simply incorporate the information into your book as “research” and give them credit for their help in your acknowledgements section.

Most of my books constitute prescriptive nonfiction and are based on my own ideas and experience. However, prior to beginning the writing process, I use my journalistic interview skills to pick other people’s brains. I bring my tape recorder and act as if I’m interviewing them for an article. And who knows, maybe I’ll even write an article on the topic using them as a source; if I get it published, it will help me build my platform for that book! That’s called killing two birds with one stone. (I am a bird lover by the way…)

Journalistic Endeavors Create Better Nonfiction Book Writers:  I’m not saying journalists are better writers; I’m saying that by writing articles, which requires that you meet deadlines, write to specifications, check facts, adhere to word counts, work with editors on a regular basis, and write short pieces with beginnings, middles and ends, you become a better writer. These skills come in handy later when you begin working with a freelance editor or an editor at a publishing house, as well as when it comes time to meet the deadlines you agreed to in your publishing contract. If you are self-publishing, it will help you stick to your own deadlines.

Over the years, I’ve gained a superb ability to go through an article manuscript line by line, word by word, looking for ways to tighten sentences so I can cut words and meet a word count. I’ve been known to shorten a 3,000-word article to 2,5000 words by going over it many, many times looking for ways to cut, improve, strengthen, you name it… (I tend to over research and then have way too much information and way too much to say when I write articles, which means I then have to cut and slash before I can turn in an article. Sometimes, however, I end up with more than one article – a nice bonus!) Write enough articles, and you’ll either get very good at writing to a specific word count or at cutting until you meet it.

Journalists Practice Detachment, A Skill Authors Need to Learn, Too:  I also have become very detached from my words, and I suggest all writers try to take this attitude with their writing. When you write articles, especially reported articles, for publications, you basically are given an assignment that you fill. You are contracted to do a job – turn out an article on a particular topic of a certain word-length by a certain deadline. You do the job, and they pay you. If they decide to cut 200 of the words you sweated over, it shouldn’t be a big deal to you. You did your job. You got paid. They are happy. Like they teach in spiritual traditions and meditation, become detached. If you can then take some semblance of this attitude to the writing of your book, when an editor says, “You know, I think this paragraph is unnecessary. Let’s cut it,” you won’t be appalled. And when an editor wants to move a chapter or rewrite a couple of sentences or asks you to find a way to cut 10,000 words, you won’t be disturbed. (I’ve more often than I care to say, had to cut a 5,000-word article down to 2,000 words, knowing from the start I only had to write 2,000. If I can do that, anyone can cut 10,000 words from a 60,000-word manuscript. ) Maybe you’ll even offer to let them simply go ahead and do it for you.

Articles, Essays, Chapters and Books Need Constant Trim Tabbing: As one last developmental editing tip, I’d mention that writing articles, essays, chapters, and books seems to me a bit like flying an airplane. I understand that pilots and their planes tend to be off course more than they are on course (something like 90 percent of the time). Pilots, therefore, spend most of their time doing something called “trim tabbing,” constantly navigating the plane back onto its original course with slight adjustments. Writers have to do the same, looking at where their writing is going, where it is taking them, and deciding if its current course is the one they set for that piece of writing, whether its a reported article, an essay, a chapter, or a total book. And then they have to trim tab to make sure the writing stays on course and ends up at the pre-planned - and desired - final destination. Of course, sometimes an unplanned destination works out better, but more often than not, a piece of writing whose writer has determined its flight plan and keeps it on course until it lands will have a better chance of turning out a successful manuscript.

And while you’re writing, don’t forget to enjoy your flight!

(Note: In case you want to know more about me and don’t want to click on one of my pages or go to my website, today I’ll post a bio for myself! Everyone else gets one, why not me…)

About Nina Amir

Nina Amir is a seasoned journalist, nonfiction editor, author, consultant, and writing coach with almost 30 years of experience in the publishing field. She has edited or written for more than 45 local, national and international magazines, newspapers, e-zines, and newsletters on a full-time or freelance basis. Her essays have been published in five anthologies and can be found in numerous e-zines and Internet article directories. An award winning journalist, she also has a proven track record as a book editor; one of her client’s books was self-published and then purchased and re-released verbatim by Simon & Schuster and another won the 1998 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award (Inspirational category) and has sold over 100,000 copies.  

In addition, Nina is an inspirational speaker, spiritual and conscious creation coach, teacher, and the regular holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 85,000 listeners per month (www.thefamilyyak.com). Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions.

Nina has written and self-published several booklets and workbooks, including: Using the Internet to Build Your Platform One Article at a Time, 8 Tips for Getting Publicity, Exposure and Expert Status by Providing Free Copy Online; The Priestess Practice: 4 Steps to Creating Sacred Space and Inviting the Divine to Dwell Within It; The Kabbalah of Conscious Creation: How to Mystically Manifesting Your Physical and Spiritual Desires; From Empty Practice to Meaning-Full and Spirit-Full Prayers and Rituals …in Seven Simple Steps.

Currently, Nina is writing four books and four blogs, including Write NonFiction in November.

www.purespiritcreatons.com/wordpress

www.mysoncandance.wordpress.com

www.thekabbalahofconsciouscreation.com

She also compiled a Jewish celebrity cookbook, for which she is seeking a publisher. 

www.copywrightcommunications.com

408-353-1943

cpywrtcom@aol.com

If you’ve always dreamed of being a freelance journalist, and if you want to pitch that article you’re working on for Write Nonfiction in November to a magazine or newspaper, you might be wondering what editors and publisher look for in freelance writers. You might also be asking why publications even use freelancers when they have staff writers and editors that could easily do the job themselves. I asked an old college buddy of mine, and my “sometimes boss” (I currently serve as a freelance writer for two or his publications), Seth Mendelson to provide some clarity on these issues. Seth deals with lots of writers in his job at MacFadden Communication Group. He serves as vice president and group publisher/editorial director for Grocery Headquarters, Consumer Products Buyer Home Furnishings News and The Pet Aisle, and as editorial director for The Pet Elite, Pet Business and Grooming Business.

Why Publications Use Freelancers and

Attributes that Land Freelancers Second Assignments

By Seth Mendelson
Vice President-Group Publisher/Editorial Director
MacFadden Communication Group

As publisher and editor of seven different magazines, I am approached frequently by freelance writers about writing and photo assignments. Freelance writers and photographers are important to our operation, because they offer different voices and can accomplish things that my full-time editorial staff cannot. They also can fill a void in a crunch.

Most importantly, freelancers can offer our magazines perspectives from various parts of the country. Based in New York City, our full-time staffs tend to have a distinctive east coast bias, one that is not good for any national publication trying to reach out to a broad section of consumers or business officials.

That said, the freelance writer we are looking for must come with certain attributes. Of course, they must understand the markets we serve, who we are trying to reach and what our readers are demanding from our magazines. Offering a different angle on a story concept is much desired. Also, they need to come prepared with story ideas and concepts.

As could be expected, the most important aspect of using a freelance writer more than once is the simple fact that they were able to submit a well-done, completed assignment on or, hopefully, before deadline. It is also crucial that the freelancer make him or herself available for any follow-up questions and assistance.

I use about five to seven freelancers every month and, during certain periods of the year, can use as many as a dozen freelancers during a particular publication cycle. Like any editor, I have my favorites; they are the ones who offer expertise on the subject matter, hand in timely and complete stories on deadline and are willing to give 100 percent all the time.

It is not hard getting one freelance assignment from me. Reach me at the right time and in need, and I am willing to give just about anyone a shot. Getting the second assignment is when things get tough.

Seth Mendelson
Vice President-Group Publisher/Editorial Director:
Grocery Headquarters
Consumer Products Buyer
Home Furnishings News (HFN)
The Pet Aisle
Editorial Director:

The Pet Elite
Pet Business
Grooming Business
(212) 979-4879
Fax (646) 674-0102
smendelson@macfad.com
smendelson@groceryheadquarters.com
Macfadden Communications Group

Note from Nina: I asked Seth to tell me the five most common mistakes writers make that ensure they won’t be given a second assignment. Not surprisingly, they are similar to – but opposite of -the characteristics that make for a “keeper” when it comes to freelance writers. Here they are:

1. Doing a bad or sloppy job
2. Turning in an incomplete story
3. Missing a deadline
4. Not following assignment guidelines
5. Being uncooperative

As for #5, in addition to not doing what you are asked, this can mean being too attached to your words. If you are writing on assignment for a publication, remember the magazine or newspaper is your “client.” You simply need to make them happy – even if that means cutting or changing what you have written.

In case you’ve only recently discovered Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN) or you’re still struggling with what to write for the challenge – or you simply haven’t found time until now to get started, here’s another idea that you can still complete before month’s end: write a newspaper or magazine article. Put your pen to paper or your fingers to keyboard and whip out an essay or a reported piece of writing.

I’m a journalist by trade, so I thought today I’d offer you my expertise. (Sorry, no guest blogger; just me, Nina Amir.) I received my degree in magazine journalism specifically, although Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Journalism required all magazine journalism majors to also know how to write for newspapers, do layout and edit copy. (The latter put me on the path of becoming a nonfiction article, book and proposal editor.) I’ve been writing articles since I was in high school, where I began my career by reviving the defunct school newspaper and went on to become the school news reporter for the local newspaper.  Since then, I’ve written for more than 45 local, national and international magazines, newspapers, ezines and newsletters on a full-time or freelance basis. I’ve written hundreds of articles on more subjects than I can remember. 

I love what I do. I get to write about so many interesting things and people and so many things that interest me. For example, recently I was asked to write an article on the new Crique de Soleil show, Believe, opening in Los Vegas. I had a blast learning all about its creator Criss Angel and writing about the people who helped him bring his dream into reality. (Look for it in the November/December issue of Movmntmagazine.) Then, I got to write an essay for InterfaithFamily.com on something very personal – my struggle with my husband’s loss of faith.  (You can read it in this week’s issue.) Prior to that, I wrote a reported article for the same ezine on how to prepare for the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. (Read it here.) And before that, I wrote a reported article on the state of the organic market for a trade journal called Grocery Headquarters and a story on female tap dancers in a show produced by Emmy-award winning choreographer Jason Samuels Smith for Dance Spirit magazine. (My son’s a dancer, so I loved writing this article and talking to these phenomenal dancers. Plus, it provided great platform building for the book I’m writing on mentoring boys who want to become professional dancers. If you have a son who dances, check out this blog.)

If you’ve never written an article, don’t be put off. It’s not that difficult. Just tell them what you’re gonna tell ‘em. Tell ‘em. Then tell ‘em what you told ‘em. At least that’s what my old Professor John Keats, rest his soul, used to tell us students. (It sounds just like what most high school students are told when writing an essay.) So, let’s break down the three parts of an article.

The Three Parts of an Article

1. Just tell them what you’re gonna tell ‘em. An article consists, first, of a lead, or a first paragraph that entices the reader into your article. This could also be comprised of several paragraphs if you choose to use an anecdote or a few bulleted items or to talk about a trend occurring. After that, however, you need a sentence or a few sentences that tell your reader what the article is about – a statement of purpose, if you will. Tell them what the article is about so they have an idea of where they are going. Hopefully, you’ve enticed them into wanting to go there.
2. Tell ‘em.  This section represents the meat of your article. Here you place all your supporting material, such as statistics, quotes you obtained from interviews, additional anecdotes, your analysis, etc. Remember, however, that if you are writing a reported article, in most cases you must write in an unslanted manner; this means without an opinion. If you are writing an essay, you may voice your opinon as loudly as you like. Also, if you are writing an essay, you may not be using quotes but relying instead on your own “voice.”
3. Tell ‘em what you told ‘em. Now write your conclusion. Sum up what you wrote about without simply repeating what you already said. That’s right: Say it again but in a totally new way so your readers have no idea that they are reading the same information again. Give it a new angle. Put a new take on it. Offer additional information to support what you’ve already offered. For an essay, if possible, provide a bit broader view or some quote or anecdote or bit of information that takes the reader into the future. You can use this tactic with a reported article as well, but it works especially well with essays.

If you are looking for a great topic to write about, ask yourself what interests you. Prof. Keats, like most good teachers, always said, “Write about what you know.” I tend to look at my life and identify issues with which I’m currently struggling. I query magazines and newspapers with those topics, and I usually find the editors pretty receptive. Most people are just like you. They struggle with the same issues.

I have a caveat to the “write what you know” advice: Know about what you write. A good writer/journalist can write about anything at all simply by becoming the expert on that topic. I’ve written about life insurance tax law, immortality, retail store imaging, Kabbalah, geodesic domes, lobbying, and the supermarket pet aisle. I served as the managing editor and primary writer for two international medical newsletters, Same-Day Surgery and Clinical Laser Surgery. I didn’t know about these topics when I began writing about them. I knew a lot about them when afterwards. The biggest compliment I ever received came from an employee at the Equitable Life Assurance Society. I was working as the associate editor of employee communications and had just written and published a huge article in the employee newspaper about life insurance tax law. She came up to me and said, “That’s the first article on the subject that I’ve ever understood.”  I told her, “I had to understand it to be able to write about it.” 

So, pick a topic for an article or essay, preferably one you are interested in or feel passionate about. Learn about it. Understand it. Then write about it. And dont’ forget to try and get it published!

For more information on article writing and publishing, check out last year’s archive of blogs. Or contact me at cpywrtcom@aol.com.

My journalism training included just a little bit of information on how to conduct interviews. However, interviews represent an essential part of what I do as both a journalist and as an author. I use interviews every time I write an article for which I need expert sources to quote and every time I write a book or booklet for which I need to research a subject and choose to go directly to expert sources for information. Over the years I’ve learned a few tricks and rules that I’d like to share with you here today.

First, if you are interviewing several sources for an article or for a book project, it’s best, if possible, to start with a source who can provide you with a general overview of your subject. With this overview, you can then begin to hone your questions down to more specific ones, which you can direct to sources with more specific knowledge. In fact, your first source may be able to direct you to these other expert sources.

Second, if you are looking for sources, there are services on line that can help you. (I’m not at home at the moment, so I don’t have access to my files; and I don’t have good Internet access – just enough to post this blog, but you can look on line for public relations services that help you find the experts you need.) For example, I am listed with ExpertClick.com, or The Yearbook of Experts. Journalists can access this list for free. Or begin asking people who know something about your subject for suggestions on who you might interview. If you begin putting out feelers, before long, you will find yourself with some useful interview sources.

Third, always write out your list of questions before you conduct an interview. I like to set up the questions in an order that follows the order I think my article might follow (or my chapter, booklet, etc.) Later, if you choose to transcribe your tape of the interview, you can edit the transcript, writing your copy as you do so. This makes the writing go much faster. I often do this when writing articles.

Fourth, I always tape my interviews and type while I conduct them. In many states, you are required by law to tell someone you interview over the phone that you are, indeed, tape recording them. So, be sure you are aware of the laws in your state, or simply make it a practice to tell all your interview subjects that you are taping them before you begin the interview. I type even when I interview someone in person. (I bring along my laptop.) This gives me a partial transcript (I go back and complete the transcript later.) and ensures that I get as many quotes down on paper as possible, and that I do so as accurately as possible. I can write pretty quickly, but my writing is sloppy, and even I often can’t read what I’ve written under the best of circumstances.

Fifth, when an expert source tells you something “off the record,” which means you can’t use the information they just told you, it’s off the record…unless they tell you it’s off the record after they tell you. That said, I honor their request that the information be off the record no matter when they say those specific words. I want them to trust me and to allow me to come back to them again, if I need them as a source again. I might go to another source and try to get them to give me the same information on the record.

Sixth, don’t change quotes. However, I often ask people if they’d like me to correct their grammar. No one likes to sound stupid, and my articles sound better with expert sources that use correct grammar. Most people prefer to have their quotes “cleaned up.”

Seventh, don’t quote someone out of context.

Eighth, don’t misquote anyone ever.

Ninth, at the beginning of an interview, always get the basics handled: get the correct spelling of the person’s name, their title, their address, etc. Doing this at the beginning is a great ice breaker. Plus, this ensures that you don’t forget to do sp at the end.

Tenth, treat the interview like a conversation, if possible. Take some time at the beginning to explain why you are interviewing them or to remind them of why you are writing the article or what your book is about. Ask them what the weather is like where they live. Do whatever you can to make your source feel comfortable and to relieve yourself of your own nerves.

Eleventh, it’s best to avoid agreeing to have your sources read what you’ve written, although they often ask to do so. You don’t want them to change their minds about what they’ve said once they read their words. If you must agree, let them read only their quotes and not the whole article, chapter, book, etc. If they want to read the whole piece to understand the context within which their quote is being used, make sure they understand that they have no say over your manuscript. They cannot edit or change it. Nor can they edit or change their quotes (unless it’s for the better).

Twelfth, remember to send your sources a thank you note and a copy of the finished product.

The best interviews I’ve conducted are the ones when my interview sources actually thank me for interviewing them when we are finished. Yes, that actually happens occasionally. Sometimes they find the subject interesting and enjoy the opportunity to think about it and discuss it with me. At these times, when I hang up the phone, I feel very grateful for the people who have agreed to let me interview them, have given me their time and have been willing to share their thoughts and expertise with me, and for the fact that my job as a nonfiction writer offers me the opportunity to interview such knowledgeable people on such fascinating subjects.

I focus so much of my time on editing my client’s nonfiction books and on writing and promoting my own nonfiction book projects that I sometimes forget that I’m trained as a magazine journalist. I still love writing articles, though, and I often use my skills as a journalist. I love to query magazines with ideas and to get assignments. I enjoy conducting the interviews and then taking the information I’ve compiled and putting it together into a cohesive and interesting article. And I enjoy seeing it in print, not just on the screen of my computer.

I use my journalism skills in other ways as well, including every time I promote myself on the Internet by posting free “news releases” to e-zine directories. I do this a few times a month. While it’s good for business, I get a lot more satisfaction out of writing an article that appears in good old fashioned print and for which I receive a big fat check.

There’s nothing like writing an essay or an article, submitting it to a magazine or newspaper and then opening up that publication to find your story published there — hopefully word for word — with your byline showing off the fact that you wrote every one of those words. And then to get paid for doing what you love…well, that’s even better.

And there are so many different types of articles to choose from. Profiles, news stories, trend pieces, human interest articles, personal essays, and opinion pieces — take your pick. Depending upon what you like to write about, you can surely find one or two article forms that you’ll enjoy using and numerous magazines, newspapers, trade journals, or e-zines that will be happy to have you write for them.

If you aren’t concerned about pay, of if you are looking to promote yourself or you other work (such as your nonfiction book), writing for the numerous e-zines provides great exposure. If you’re just starting out as a writer and need bylines and clips to prove that you can write and meet deadlines and article specifications, try writing for small or regional publications. They usually like “free” writers, and working for them can be a fun way to become a nonfiction freelance writer. Additionally, you might try writing for trade journals published on your area of expertise.

As I said, I interned every summer in high school and in college without pay. I ended up with some great clips that helped me land my first few jobs after graduation.

I teach Writing for Publication classes that expose attendees to a variety of article forms. As a magazine journalist, however, I love writing profiles of interesting people and human interest articles. I also love to pen a good essay, which is an article form I did not learn in college. Essays fit my lifestyle these days; I’m usually very short on time, and they don’t require me to do any research or interviews nor are do they have to be too long. My life experience is enough fodder to fill several pages with type since I’ve lots to say about what happens to me, why it happens to me and what others can learn from what happens to me. Getting paid for essays is fun. I write something off the top of my head and someone pays me for it. What could be better?

And as long as I didn’t make it up, it’s still nonfiction. (Ah…Those of you writing memoirs remember that.)

So, if you are trying to figure out what to write this month, try an article. It’s doable in a month, that’s for sure. Pick a topic and a form, then do whatever research is necessary, and start writing. You can easily finish an article in the days left in November.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to work on MY writing project…which, between writing this blog and my other blog and editing a book for a client, seems to be falling by the wayside. And I am determined to finish it before the end of the month.

(Okay…I technically wrote twice today, since yesterday’s blog was written after midnight this morning. I guess that makes up for technically missing Tuesday. If nothing else, I’m writing lots of nonfiction in this blog, that’s for sure!)