How to Write Better Editorial Articles
We all have opinions, right? Yet not all of us are editorial writers and not all editorials are worth reading. What exactly makes an editorial article good - and how do you write one?
KNOW YOUR THESIS
Too many people begin writing their topic with only a vague sense of opinion, never honing, or refining, that opinion into something sharp and distinctive. Be sure to have a solid grasp of what you're arguing and why you're arguing. Think about your topic and why you've chosen it first. What elements of the argument call to you? What angers or pleases you about this issue? Keep these things in mind as you begin to write.
MINE THE DATA
An editorial is only as good as its facts. Sure, you may think the death penalty is wrong and worthy of outlaw, but without backing it up with data, you have nothing but a half-formed opinion. Get the backstory, understand your argument inside-out. Research every aspect of your topic and cite as many facts as possible; generalities are the death of interesting editorials.
CONSIDER THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Don't pigeonhole yourself into writing from majority's opinion just because you can make easy arguments. Think long and hard about your position on the chosen issue and write from the standpoint that makes the most sense to you. Never, ever, ever compromise your beliefs for the sake of a byline.
AVOID HYPERBOLE
Sure, exaggerating slightly is expected during a heated face-to-face, but hyperbole has no place in a well-written editorial. You can rarely back up statements such as "always" and "never" with factual data, so stay away from them unless the hyperbole has a definite, and obvious, literary purpose. Typically, including these words will make your editorial prone to justifiable, and often fatal, criticism.
UNDERSTAND THE OPPOSITION
The only way to create a fully formed editorial with tons of depth and poignancy is to understand what the other side is arguing. Research opposing viewpoints with the same voracious energy as the ones with which you line up. Take the time to understand what the other side is arguing and why; after all, you can only combat a particular argument if you know exactly what that argument is.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Konradt has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade. Read more of his articles at LousyWriter.com and FreelanceWriting.com.
Published by BRIAN SCOTT
BRIAN SCOTT has been a professional freelancer and entrepreneur for over a decade. Visit his website at http://www.Facebook4Freelancers.com View profile
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13 Comments
Post a Commentnice tips
Thank you very much!It helped me a lot.Now i understand what editorial writing really is.
uhm..thanks for the tips. It helped me a lot about writing an editorial. At first, i just knew that editorial has facts and opinions but it wasn't enough. So, i researched and visited this site and found these tips. They are really helpful in understanding and making an editorial article. Thanks again!
uhm...thanks for this, it was really helpful. We were give an assignment of writing an editorial about garbage, and i don't know anything about editorial. So, i researched and visited this site and found this helpful tips. It gave me much more ideas about writing an editorial article. So thanks again!
Thank you for this!
i am writing an essay disproving global warming for my school paper and this helped out
a good example would be helpful too
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i really understand about the editorial,but i really cant get or think of a topic that i could know my thesis statement.thanks though cause you help me
now, i really understand wat editorial writing is... tnx for d help!!
thanks for your help, I appreciate it.
It was great... It helps me a lot in doing my article... It really contains good tips that will really enhance the skills of the editorial writers, it'll help them make a better editorial. Me, though I am a newswriter, it helped me finish my editorial article like I am an editorial writer. I hope, more tips will be added in this web as I visit it again...