They Can’t All be Winners
Writing is a process of trial and error. There is a lot more bad writing in the world than good, that much is for sure. But even good writers have bad days. The trick is knowing what to keep and what to throw back.
A major point of success or failure in writing a newspaper column is knowing what to use and what to throw away. It’s difficult sometimes to tell a good idea from a bad idea, but it is crucial to learn the difference. Otherwise, the results could be catastrophic.
As a public service to aspiring writers out there, I would like to offer you a lesson on what not to do. Over the years I have written columns about my children, fishing trips, motorcycle trips, traveling and other activities. I have written humorous (at least to me) stories, serious stories that have a specific intention to them. But amidst the numerous columns that were published, there were dozens that were thrown away, luckily for you, the reader, and never published
Below is a list of the column ideas that I or my fellow publishers decided were not worth publishing. In some cases, they were deemed not worthy of even writing. I hope that by providing this list, you the reader can save time and energy by learning from my mistakes.
Columns that should never be published or written:
Do we really need a library?
Fashion trends from Miola Lake
Day to day analysis of the growth and development of the soy bean
A quick tour of my niece’s purse
My discussion of theoretical ethics, deotology vs teleology, with residents of the Miami County Jail
The importance of purchasing a rose-colored tombstone
The Osawatomie Sewer system and you
A 101 things Mayor Phil can help you with at your house
Why seventh graders should be allowed on the City Council
Why we should lobby our congressman to make Osawatomie part of Overland Park
My adventures after eating too much cheese
How I came to own 48 pairs of flip flops
Cups – plastic vs glass? A public dilemma
Sometimes I just like to sew, so?
Experiments with lead-based paint
What to do when you start seeing hearts on the inside of your eyelids
My day at the Ceramic Angel Collector convention
A pictorial guide to the misuse of spandex at the YMCA
And last but not least:
A list of columns that have been rejected over the years
I hope this list will help you avoid making the same mistakes that I have made. Do not pursue these ideas, and you will be one step closer to being a competent columnist.
Short URL: http://osawatominews.com/?p=72
Posted by Jeremy
on Aug 19 2010. Filed under Jeremy Gulley, Opinion.
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