Opinion pieces need to be hard hitting and relevant to the audience. They do not need to be a litany of insults hurled against those who disagree with you.
An opinion piece is indeed opinionated, but it should not just repeat overused phrases, baseless facts or irrelevant information. The reason for expressing your opinion should be to try to convince others to see things “your way”. Winning people over begins by expressing WHY you believe the way you do and helping them o see things from your perspective. State your case clearly and to the point.
Hurling insults or cursing indiscriminately tends to make people shut down and not listen, the exact opposite of what you should be trying to achieve. Belittling someone may give you a temporary warm glow of satisfaction – in the long run it doesn’t achieve a thing. Stay on topic, don’t confuse the issue with irrelevant arguments.
WHAT gives you the reason (or right) to feel as strongly about the subject. It should be personal. Your attitudes though should not be a personal attack against someone else who also feels strongly. Introduce new information, but don’t make the information or claims up, keep things factual. If you are caught in a fib, you will lose credibility and the chance to be heard. Your opinion should be educated and explained clearly. Don’t assume that what you consider obvious is well known.
Write for the right audience, speak to THEM. While most editors love edgy, strong topics, your language or perspective may not be the appropriate fit for the readers the publication caters to. Also if your opinion is the exact opposite of the opinion generally expressed by the editors of the publication, it may not get the forum you are hoping for. Study the periodical that you are submitting to.
While most newspapers and magazines don’t pay for “letters to the editor”, once you’ve managed a few successful pieces, an editor will often consider you for the regular op-ed pieces which do pay for submissions. It is a good way to build a reputation with editors especially when you don’t have previous credits. You can also use a personal blog as your forum.
Expect to be attacked for your beliefs, don’t attack back. When you put yourself out there, you will become a target and your first reaction may be to strike back, but you will lost authority. Most people feel uncomfortable witnessing a fight or nasty argument, they want to hear reasonable discourse and be allowed to think about what they are listening to. Give your audience the respect and reasonable expectation that they CAN think for themselves.
Writing Exercise: Make a list of three current topics you feel strongly about. For each topic list a few reasons why you feel the way you do – THEN list at least as many things you would need to hear to change your mind. Choose one topic and write a paragraph (of an opinion piece) for the OPPOSING side.
Writing Prompt: List the first 15 words that come to your mind. For EACH word list the most opposite word you can think of (ie: like Sit to Stand or White to Black). Then for each word on the new list, do it again but do NOT use the original words.
