Eddie Rice's Blog, page 5

How to Create Your Op-Ed’s Angle (Part 3)

Angles help editors and readers know your particular take on a piece. Consider any news story–it’s rarely just a recitation of the facts (some are); instead, the best pieces use someone’s perspective to tell a story. Imagine a bank robbery, a newspaper may report on the perspective of the police officers, the teller, and any witnesses inside.

Your op-ed should do something similar where you are telling your opinion from your viewpoint. This is your angle. This section will review the brainstorming exercise from the first section and then it will look at the headlines of published op-eds to show examples of successful angles. Model your viewpoint and pitch off the angles found in the op-eds for maximum publishing success.

Objective 3: Refine your idea by creating an angle that will make your opinion piece news-worthy and timely:

Deciding your topic and angle:

The very first question any editor is going to ask is “Is your issue timely?”

Most opinion pieces that rise to the top tie into a timely news issue. They connect the author’s experience or argument into an issue of concern for that publication.

Ask yourself, “Would my topic be likely printed tomorrow if I submitted it today?” Look for the stories that the publication is currently covering and ask yourself how your view ties in with them.

Timeliness includes any connection to the following:

A current issue in the news A holiday, a commemorative anniversary, the birth or passing of a notable figure, an industry day/month (e.g. National Solar Power month) An event getting attention — e.g. a presidential debate, the release of a controversial movie, a sports championship, a conflict breaking out An offensive remark made by someone notable

Another note on timeliness:

Take note of important dates in the calendar such as when budgets are passed, key votes are taken, upcoming elections, product announcements, important events. You may be able to prepare a draft of your piece way in advance and fill in the relevant details as the event draws near. You might not know the exact date something will happen (like a product announcement) but you can do the majority of the work and then add in the details once it happens.

Sometimes you may not know the outcome of an event but you want to be ready to submit your piece to a publication for immediate publication such as in the case of an election. Write a piece for each outcome and tweak as necessary if new details emerge.

One method to decide what to write about is to answer the following questions (Go ahead and answer them in your open doc):

Why you? Why now? Why this topic? What can you add?

A second method is called the Headline or Title Method. Look at other op-eds and follow their angle as a model.

The publication may end up choosing the title for your piece but you can give it a title ahead of time as a way to help figure out what angle you want to take on your given topic.

Examples are easier. The following is a list of op-eds and the type of angle that their author took on the topic.

As you read through each title and its angle, brainstorm possible titles for the angle you want to take for your piece. These are not hard and fast rules but it seems as though these angles appear in pieces across multiple publications.

Angle 1: I participated in a significant event and here’s what I learned about this key issue.

A man I found guilty of dealing drugs died in prison. I wish I could take that verdict back.

Angle 2: As part of a profession, I witness the following in my job and it tells us about a key issue by…

What’s the last song you want to hear before you die?

Angle 3: I am a part of and I believe differently than the majority or stereotyped picture painted by the media.

Why I’m OK with my kids “falling behind” in school during the pandemic

Angle 4: How I changed my mind about…

How I changed my mind on ‘Medicare For All’

Angle 5: I discovered something interesting and here’s what it means for this key issue

A Blackjack Pro Explains How Ignoring the Odds Cost the Falcons the Super Bowl

Angle 6: Celebrating this holiday means for me or a cause/group I represent…

“My Mexican American family never celebrated Día de Muertos. Then Abuela died.”

Angle 7: I am a (local example) of a (national/international issue)

Cameron Kasky, Parkland student: My generation won’t stand for this

Angle 8: This event happening right now is a model for…

Opinion: You Can Learn Something From The People Of Wuhan

Angle 9: This new technology/new law/new idea will have serious repercussions for this key issue

How Tinder wrecked my mental health

Angle 10: If this course of action is taken, it will positively/negatively affect…

Can Boston be the hub of the start-up universe?

Angle 11: A current law or practice isn’t working or is flat out wrong:

The Qualifications Of Black Life: Why It’s Necessary To Do Away With Qualified Immunity

Angle 12: Condemning or praising a person/group/organization in the spotlight

Working At The Amazon Warehouse Was Always Painful. Now It’s Terrifying.

Angle 13: What you think about this current issue isn’t true (or worse than you thought)

Don’t defend the cowards who abuse the Second Amendment

Angle 14: This person’s life can teach us about…this key issue

Jonathan Wackrow, former Secret Service agent: Barbara Bush’s code name was absolutely perfect

Angle 15: This part of history can help us understand this key issue in the present

The disappearing story of the black homesteaders who pioneered the West

Angle 16: Something happened, why is it being ignored?

“Please, President Trump, shed light on my fiance’s disappearance”

Angle 17: Here’s what your offensive statement means…

How not to talk to someone with depression

Angle 18: Rehabilitating your reputation

“The president attacked my reputation. It’s time to set the record straight.”

Angle 19: Advocating for change or a particular course of action

“Drivers, help us cyclists get home alive”

Angle 20: This holiday means…

A math problem for Pi Day

Angle 21: I can no longer support this person, group, or company, because…

“I can no longer justify being a part of Trump’s ‘Complacent State.’ So I’m resigning.”

There are many more ways to phrase ways to give your opinion but in the examples above, you can see a few patterns forming:

The author is offering a lived perspective on a key issue The author is warning of the dangers of new technology, law, course of action, or current view. The author is pushing back against the common view of an issue or how they themselves are viewed by the media The author is using their voice to raise awareness for a person, group, problem, or perspective, overlooked in the current conversation Do Now: Use one of the angles above or one from an op-ed that you want to model and give your op-ed a title as a way to brainstorm your topic and angle. Try different angles to see if they also spark ways in which you can write your piece.

A few more brainstorming ideas if you’re having trouble coming up with an idea or angle:

Take a recent speech, social media post, newsletter, or any other piece you’ve created, and repurpose it as an op-ed. Talk it out with someone or alone with a recording app on your phone — just start coming up with various ideas and see where your voice leads you.

Photo by Peter Lawrence on Unsplas

The Best Op Ed Format and Op Ed Examples: Hook, Teach, Ask (Part 2)

This section will cover two objectives: learning how great op-eds teach their point of view (rather than always arguing) and we’ll explore three op-eds and what makes them effective through the Hook, Teach, Ask, op-ed format.

Objective 1: Learn what the best op-eds do and how to reverse engineer great op-eds to get inspired for topic ideas and structure Overview: What do the best op-eds do?

The best op-eds and opinion pieces teach. Sure, some argue, some demand, but if you approach your piece as an opportunity to teach you will have a better chance of changing minds and effecting change.

You can teach through history, through anecdotes, through personal testimony, through well-chosen statistics, through research, through envisioning likely implications, through showing the shortcomings of an argument, through any method that helps the reader better understand your perspective.

Alternatively, the best op-eds are not infomercials for the organization, company, book, or candidacy, you represent. Sure, you can draw attention indirectly to what you are doing in your work but the end goal of your opinion piece is to teach the reader something new about a current issue.

How to use the op-ed examples: Reverse engineer great writing

This guide contains numerous examples to not only help make the points necessary but to give you a starting point for several approaches to op-eds and opinion piece writing.

As you read these and those of the publication where you will submit your piece, ask the following questions to figure out how the author put their piece together:

What was the author’s overall main point or “ask” of the reader? What type of evidence did the author use? Rather than focus specifically on what was said, how did the author make their case? Imagine they were a lawyer or investigative journalist, how did they put together their case? Was it mostly an emotional appeal, a logical fact-based one, or some mix? What made you want to keep reading? What happened in the first paragraph that made you say, “This is worth my time to keep reading?” In the middle, what did the author do to convince you they were right? How much time did they spend on their opinion? Did they ever address opposing viewpoints? Some op-eds and opinion pieces don’t (which is OK depending on the subject). How did the author close? Was your mind changed in the end? Was that the author’s objective? Did you gain a new perspective? Did you already agree with the author and have your views confirmed? Did you want to find out more about the author and their cause? Why do you think the op-ed/opinion piece was published at that moment? What was going on in the world at the time to make the piece timely? Reading past op-eds can give us a sense of what issues mattered at that moment to that publication’s readers. Objective 2: Learn the Hook, Teach, Ask Method, see how it applies to three effective op eds, and start brainstorming ideas for your piece. Op-ed format: Hook, Teach, Ask — the method explained

One method that helps with organizing an op-ed is “Hook, Teach, Ask.” This method will help you organize your thoughts and the eventual piece itself. We’ll get into the specifics of each portion later on in the guide when you’re ready to write the piece.

Hook: Begin in a way that grabs the reader and makes them want to read more. This is also your opportunity to layout the main themes and question you’ll be exploring. Some ways to hook your reader: Declarative sentences, hypothetical situations, surprising statements and quotations, stories and vignettes, recreated conversations — anything that will make a reader stop scrolling and say, “This sounds interesting, I want to find out more.”

Teach: The main body of your op-ed should be devoted to teaching your point of view. Use historical examples, vignettes, personal testimony, statistics, research findings; you can also take this opportunity to explain your background and why you’re writing this piece.

Ask: Have a clear ask ready at the end. It could be as general as advocating for something like registering to vote or eating less meat; it could be as specific as urging the passage or defeat of specific legislation.

3 Op-Ed Articles to Learn From:

A few op-eds that follow this model with the parts outlined (click each one to read in full):

A Murder Case Tests Alexa’s Devotion to Your Privacy by Gerald Sauer

“Think of the assistants like really smart dogs. They’re always ready to react to specific commands. Also like a really smart dog, they can remember those commands forever. And this concept of an always-on, always-connected, always-remembering listening device is where it gets intriguing.”

What I love about it:

The author builds his case through historical examples, legal examples, and current news. It takes one issue — the use of voice data collected by law enforcement via the Echo — and raises a larger one, “but the company has failed to address the real problem: Why is all that data just sitting in Amazon’s servers in the first place?” The author uses realistic hypothetical examples to demonstrate that the problems raised are plausible — how often do we hear people bring up improbable implications instead?

Hook: Sauer starts off with a declarative sentence, “THE AMAZON ECHO can seem like your best friend — until it betrays you.” In one sentence, you have the opinion piece summed up with the major themes. If you can’t think of such a sentence immediately, write your entire piece and then figure out what the opening sentence should be based on the rest of the piece.

Teach: Sauer uses history, legal examples, descriptions of current digital assistants beyond the Echo, analogous cases with smartphones and other listening devices, and reasonable hypothetical examples — all to teach us of the dangers of these wonderful assistants

Ask: Rather than a specific call-to-action such as “go vote,” it’s more of a consumer beware, “Millions of people are putting digital assistants in their lives with no clue about the potential havoc this Trojan horse could bring. Based on what Amazon and Google say about their devices, everyone needs to recognize the unresolved legal issues involving this new technology. Beware of who, or what, is listening.”

Questions to think about:

Can you take one issue a current news story presents and demonstrate that it raises a larger one? What other technologies in our lives do we take for granted where we are trading privacy (or safety or some other value) for convenience? If you are arguing that a course of action should not be adopted (such as the passage of a law) can you create believable hypothetical scenarios that show those effects?

It’s Time to Talk About Death by Sunita Puri, M.D.

“Americans are not good at talking about death. But we need to be prepared for when, not if, illness will strike. The coronavirus is accelerating this need.”

What I love about it:

The author sets the scene as if you were there — you can experience what she has experienced in end-of-life discussions The Ask at the end is incredibly detailed and specific — a reader can walk away knowing what to do and say in these situations It’s a great example of the right profession, the current issue (COVID), and larger issues (end of life, limited healthcare resources) all coming together in one piece. Timing is crucial with many op-eds and this one demonstrates how all three parts come together for a piece published in the NY Times You get an insight into the author’s own discussions with her parents on the issue of end-of-life decisions

Hook: Dr. Puri opens with a scene where she brings the reader into one of the discussions she had with numerous patients — replete with dialogue and description — as if we were reading a novel.

Teach: The author gives us her own advice on end-of-life discussions and then relates a personal story of having those same discussions with her parents.

Ask: This ask, as opposed to the one in the Wired piece, is a series of questions that provide a guide for the type of questions a person should be asking their parents and loved ones about end-of-life decisions. Relevant 3rd party resources are also given.

Questions to think about:

Is there a way to demonstrate that your perspective, a current issue, and a larger “life” issue, can all come together for the piece you’re writing? Are you someone earning a minimum wage and there’s an issue on the ballot to raise it? Can you also discuss what it means to be able to have a comfortable life? If you’re an author, can the work you’ve done for a book be repurposed into an op-ed such as done here? Do you have something that directly bears on a current situation or issue? Can you share a piece of your own life as relevant to the issue? Can you recreate those scenes as if we were reading a scene from your autobiography? In offering your own advice, are there 3rd party organizations and sources that you could amplify as well?

I’m a Developer. I Won’t Teach My Kids to Code, and Neither Should You. by Joe Morgan

“There are no books that teach you how to solve a problem no one has seen before. This is why I don’t want my kids to learn syntax. I want them to learn to solve problems, to dive deep into an issue, to be creative. So how do we teach that?”

What I love about it:

It combines the author’s own experience with parenting, his career, and argues against a current trend (teaching kids to code) It’s nuanced — it’s not necessarily against coding but showing that learning syntax is not the same as the overall skill of computer programming He addresses the argument for teaching kids to code but shows its limitations by demonstrating that knowledge of Java or C++ isn’t the same as understanding the overall philosophy of coding The author uses a mix of stories from his own life (servers crashing) but also of problem-solving with his son (fixing a wobbly chair, making sugar cookies) to make his case that learning syntax is not the same as problem-solving The author focuses on the question, “Should we teach all kids to code?” but then raises it to the larger issue about fostering creativity.

Hook: The hook is the subject of the op-ed itself — why would a coder not want to teach his kids to code? The opening paragraph sets the stage for a current debate: Why is it assumed that we should be teaching young kids the syntax of programming languages?

Teach: The author uses stories from his own life as a developer where he demonstrates that simply knowing the syntax of code isn’t enough — you need to have problem-solving skills, too. He then demonstrates that in action as he relates stories of teaching problem-solving and applying algorithms to fixing wobbly chairs and baking sugar cookies with his kid.

Ask: He heightens the debate to the larger issue of teaching kids creativity and implies that’s what we should be doing instead of just teaching the syntax of programming languages.

“But you’re not only teaching them that. You’re teaching them the world is full of interesting things to discover. You’re showing them how to be passionate and look for that ephemeral sense of quality in everything they do. The best part is that even if they don’t become coders — most shouldn’t and won’t — the same skills can be used in nearly any career, in every hobby, in every life. When we force kids to learn syntax, we reinforce the idea that if something is not a blatantly employable skill, it’s not valuable. Adults can learn syntax. Only kids can learn to embrace curiosity.”

Questions to ask yourself:

Can your perspective as a parent (or not a parent) give a perspective to an ongoing debate? Can you take a contrary view towards what people might expect of you because of your profession, group identity, or way of life? Does a current debate rest on a faulty assumption? Can you demonstrate that through evidence or your own experience? Are there stories from your own life that directly and indirectly prove your point that you could tell? What larger issue is a current question or debate getting at? How do you add to that conversation?

This next part of the guide will guide you through the initial ideas and pitch to draft to publication. Have a doc open where you can start generating notes and ideas for your piece.

Do now: Answer the following questions to help brainstorm topic ideas for your op-ed: Based on the examples above, what are some of your initial ideas for your piece? What types of evidence and examples will you use to teach your point of view? Will you rely on historical examples, personal ones, analogies, research, news pieces, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning? (any are OK!) Based on where you want to submit (your ideal publication and maybe a few backups), which topics appear most frequently? Skim the past few months of opinion pieces and see if you notice any trends for what gets published.

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How To Write an Op Ed: Why write an op ed? (Part 1)

This is the first section in the overall guide for a series on how to write an op-ed. Each section builds on the next. This guide will walk you through the entire process from brainstorming an idea to drafting to editing to pitching. And it will include tips on what to do if your idea is rejected and how to promote it once published.

How do you write an opinion piece? Why this guide and what will you get out of it?

By the end of this guide, you will have all the tools necessary to pitch an op-ed, write it well, and get it published.

You will learn:

How to pitch your piece and how to stay in bounds for what the editors of a publication expect A straightforward approach to writing and organizing your piece: Hook, Teach, Ask How to deconstruct great op-eds and model them for your piece Step-by-step instructions from brainstorming to writing to editing to publishing How to troubleshoot common mistakes that prevent publication What to do with your opinion piece after it’s been published

How this guide is different from others out there:

There are some incredible pieces of advice if you just google “how to write an op-ed” but this guide is going to stick closely to what we can learn from the examples of op-eds and opinion pieces already published. You’ll discover that there are seldom strict rules and instead guidelines to follow. Each publication will have its own rules for what it accepts but beyond those, it’s about following principles rather than rigid rules.

A bit about me — Eddie Rice: I am a freelance ghostwriter who loves to help leaders tell better stories through speeches, op-eds, guest posts, podcasts, and media appearances. I have worked with business leaders, nonprofit executives, political candidates, and association presidents.

Why The World Needs Your Idea

The business of the government did not stop during COVID. School boards still met. City councils and state legislatures still met. Congress sometimes met. Elected and appointed decisionmakers got up each day and still made decisions on your behalf. Did you have a voice?

It may seem worrisome that we as a society have lost sight of the necessity of argument, science, and evidence, but if you turn to the op-ed pages of publications you’ll find plenty of people making their voice heard.

Why write an Op-Ed?

COVID cut down the number of in-person events where we could debate ideas. Videoconferences are poor substitutes for the moments when we could teach, debate, and learn, from one another. Social media posts only travel so far as the self-curated-echo-chamber algorithms allow them to. However, a well-thought-out op-ed will endure beyond a screen full of half-muted conversations and fleeting attention spans.

An op-ed can…

Introduce ideas to readers who had not previously considered your perspective Increase your credibility and authority Spread your message across the platforms of publications with far greater reach than your social media feed or email list Bring more followers to your cause Raise awareness for your mission, your nonprofit, your company, or your candidacy Start a conversation in your community with like-minded people and decisionmakers Influence the decisions affecting your life and that of your family and friends What is an op-ed vs. an opinion piece or letter to the editor? (the actual meaning of op-ed)

The principles in this guide are applicable to any of the above types of opinion pieces. Op-eds are traditionally found in newspapers — the term is a holdover from when print newspapers would print opinions “opposing the editorial page.” But online media has changed what a newspaper or magazine can be, so for the purposes of this guide, I’ll use “op-ed” and “opinion piece” interchangeably throughout. Other synonyms you may run into with any publication include “guest view,” “guest voices,” “guest opinions,” you get the idea.

Letters to the editor are typically much shorter than any op-ed or opinion piece (usually 50 or 100 words) and often run in newspapers. Follow the same guidelines here but condense them down. You get to make one point and the more emphatic you can be the better.

The principles in this guide can help you whether it’s for an op-ed in your local newspaper or national publication; an opinion piece for a solely-online publication or blog; a quick letter to the editor…

But who am I to write an op-ed?

Who are you not to write one?

Op-eds are not relegated to the multi-degreed professors, authors, and “important idea people.”

Any of the following qualify you to write an op-ed:

You have a lived experience whose voice is missing from a current debate or question You have discovered something interesting about how the world works You have your own take on a solution to a common debate or problem in the world You have an opinion or idea contrary to what most think is the right course

Ultimately, timing matters: Your experience, discovery, or opinion, must be timely and tie into a current issue covered by the publication to which you are submitting

Before you write, you want to have a clear idea of your topic, your main point, and where you want to see your piece published. Getting this all straightened out ahead of time will give you the parameters in which to write. Publications have different word limits, different tones, and styles, and cover some topics more than others — knowing this information now will prevent the need to massively rewrite portions later on.

Frequently Asked Questions Around Op-Eds:

*We’ll go into more depth with pitching but early on, many people ask:

Do I pitch my idea first to a publication or the entire piece?Check the publication’s submission guidelines–usually found on their “submit a guest opinion” page. Some want initial ideas first whereas others want the completed piece. How long should it be?Same as above but if there’s not set guideline, look at the past pieces the publication has put out and gauge your length based on those (copy and paste the text into Word to get a quick word count). If you want a number, traditional newspaper op-eds usually hover around 600-750 words but online publications can typically tolerate longer pieces (up to 2,000 words in some cases!). What happens if my idea is rejected? This happens often–expect to submit across publications (one at a time, no one wants to publish an identical article)–just follow up persistently and nicely and then move on to another suitable publication if rejected or no answer after a reasonable period of time. Do Now: Answer the following questions about WHY you can and should write an op-ed piece Why you? -What unique lived experience or opinion do you have to share with the world? Why now? -Why should the readers (and editor) of your target publication care now about the issue you want to write about? If this answer is fuzzy, is there an ongoing debate, crisis, current holiday, major decision, or election, you can tie your issue to? What can you add to this topic?-Can you add a new viewpoint, voice, or research finding, that is missing from an ongoing debate covered by the target publication?

Photo Credit: Photo by Bank Phrom on Unsplash

Want to toast someone on their birthday or anniversary? Use these 7 questions to prepare

You have put together a huge party for someone you love or care about deeply. A best friend, a spouse, a parent. It’s a milestone occasion—40th birthday, 50th birthday, 25th wedding anniversary.

The event locale is booked, the food ordered, you went all out and booked a band or DJ. At the event, the crowd goes quiet and someone asks, “Do you want to say a few words?”

To help prepare you for the inevitable question, use the following 7 writing prompts to deliver a memorable toast on someone’s birthday or anniversary. The goal is to keep the toast to about 3-5 minutes, maybe a bit more if you’re the only one speaking. The goal is to honor the person and celebrate their life.

What do you love most about this person? Whatare you most proud of them for accomplishing? What funny or heartwarmingstories can you tell to illustrate those qualities? When have they been there for you? How so? What lessons from a life well lived can we learnfrom them? What mark have they left on the world? How canwe follow in their footsteps? Have they triumphed over any obstacles in theirlife? How so? How are they better for it? If you had one moment to say everything youwanted to say, what would you say? How has your life (and that of others) been madebetter by the person you’re honoring at this event?

How to use the prompts:

Use the prompts to get a head start on what you want towrite. Each one doesn’t need to be fully answered in your toast and it’s not amiddle school essay. Instead, use each one as a jumping-off point and followthe threads that give you the best (and most material). It’s no use dwelling onparts that keep you stuck.

A few more tips:

Keep the stories upbeat, short, and just go with the highlights Prepare ahead of time and use notes to keep your place rather than reading from a script If you don’t want to speak at the event, consider putting your thoughts into a letter and delivering that instead as a gift after the event.

Photo by Erik Witsoe on Unsplash