How to Write An Opinion Column

Have you ever wanted to write an article in your trade magazine? Maybe you've been asked to share your professional opinion in a newspaper or Op/Ed. Follow these steps to express yourself in a way that will look and sound professional, but with your distinctive voice.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• An opinion - readers aren't interested in writers who equivocate

1. Open with a grabber.
2. Lay out your thesis in the first paragraph.
3. Demonstrate how widely held your position is.
4. Explain why you and many others feel the way you do.
5. Cite the opinions of experts who agree with you.
6. If one exists, include a celebrity angle.
7. Make your opinion relate to the experiences of ordinary people.
8. Examine the "big picture".
9. Leave a lasting impression by offering a forward-looking prediction or rhetorical question.

Tips & Warnings

• If it's appropriate, end with a joke or funny anecdote
• Stay under 800 words or run the risk of having your best stuff edited

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