Sometime ago I was asked to speak to a class about opinion writing. This is what I told them:
- Have something to say and don’t force the reader to wait until the last paragraph to find out what it is.
- Decide who you are speaking for. (Yourself? A group? An institution?)
- Decide what you want to accomplish. (Educate? Entertain? Motivate? Change minds?)
- Don’t take a poll to decide what you’re going to say
- Don’t take a poll to decide how you’re going to say it.
- Feel strongly about what it is you want to say, but not so strongly that you let your emotions overrule all other instincts.
- Don’t be afraid to show how strongly you feel about what it is you want to say, but be aware that a person who yells all the time is very likely to be tuned-out by most people.
- Say what you want to say in a way that touches people’s hearts and souls.
- There is no better way to touch the readers’ souls than by baring your own soul.
- You can persuade by reason, but you can only motivate through emotion.
- Talk about your personal experiences but only to help you get your points across.
- Be willing to make a fool of yourself but, for heaven’s sake, don’t make it a habit.
- Don’t be afraid to antagonize enemies or friends, but do it for a good reason, not just to antagonize.
- Beware of facts: they are a good opinion writer’s worst enemy and a mediocre opinion writer’s best friend; they should be used sparingly and with caution.
- Quoting other people is good if it strengthens your argument, but bad if you quote others to keep from expressing your own thoughts.
- It is not your job to comfort the powerful; it is your job to inflict as much discomfort on them as possible.
- Your goal should never be to embarrass or cause pain to private citizens, no matter how stupid they may seem.
- Don’t let yourself believe that politicians, entertainers, sports figures, etc., are your friends.
- Be passionately in love with the language and don’t be afraid to show it.
- Keep it simple.
- Each sentence should logically follow the previous sentence and each paragraph should logically follow the previous paragraph.
- Reading a column should be like following a trail from the starting point to the end. It should be a smooth and simple path, free of obstacles, detours and roadblocks.
- When you are wrong, acknowledge it right away and apologize profusely and sincerely.
- Mejor un loco y no dos. Always strive to be the voice of reason, the voice of maturity.
- Don’t do it if you don’t enjoy it; there are plenty of others who want to do it.
Love this. Good for communicating verbally AND in writing. Thanks!!