Should You Write Opinion Pieces?

A common theme circulating through the Associated Content forums is dismay at opinion pieces being rejected or given low offers. Once rejected, many content producers choose to publish their opinions for free. Apparently, they are sure their opinion on any given topic is so valued that others must read it. However, it's time for CP's to reconsider the opinion piece.

Who Says I Can't Write My Opinion?

According to the third edition of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, personal opinions should be left out of writing. My favorite quote from this timeless manual says "To air one's view gratuitously, however, is to imply that the demand for them is brisk, which may not be the case..." Sure, there are some well known writers who make a living at gratuitously sharing their opinions. Andy Rooney comes to mind. But, Mr. Rooney's writing carries a certain charm that many other opinion writers lack.

Isn't Writing All About Opinion Sharing?

Many writers will argue that the point of writing is, in fact, to share opinions. But, if done correctly, the writer's opinion can still come across in an article, without it having to be stated outright. This allows the reader to draw his own conclusions. If the facts are presented in a manner that clearly supports the writer's opinion, the reader will draw the intended conclusion. All writers should assume their reader is intelligent enough to get the intent of the article, without the writer having to beat them over the head with it.

Show Me an Example!

A CP who is proficient at writing articles without outright stating her opinion is Amy Weekly. This article, Infant Sleep Problems: How to Deal with Your High Needs Baby, is a well-written example. It is clear by the end of the article that Weekly is recommending co-sleeping. However, she never directly says that her opinion is that co-sleeping is the solution for infant sleep problems. She assumes the reader is intelligent enough to make the connection based on the facts she presented in the article.

Alternatively, Weekly could have written the entire piece based on her opinion about co-sleeping. She could have filled it with personal anecdotes and her personal feelings on co-sleeping and those that do and don't practice it. She didn't have to. This informative, concise article says it all without any of the "I feel" or "I think" statements that AC articles are often fraught with.

But, What if I have Something Important to Say?

In a word, research. Find statistics, facts and other articles that support your opinion. Then, write a well-researched, factual article that makes your opinion obvious.

For example, a recent AC article titled Are the Children of Today Out of Control? is an opinion piece. The author's opinion was strong, but the article lacked weight. He could have researched and found statistics to support his theory. The article was filled with vague statements that started "most children today are..." or "a large percentage of..." To make his point in a clear and concise way, he should have researched and discovered how many children and parents actually hold the characteristics that he was maligning. The potential was there for a well-written, thought provoking article, but it fell short.

Everyone wants their opinion to be heard. Learning to write articles that contain facts and not opinions is something that comes with practice. A well-practiced writer will find that his opinions are heard and valued, after all.