DECIDING WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT

Lord Lawrence Latonio ( group3 )

Some say writing is a talent. Others say its a a skill. But one thing is for sure, its hardest deciding what to write about.

I wanna write about this and that, but I don't know what to do. I don't even know where to start!

I took writing lessons, attended literary seminars, and joined journalistic workshops. Here's what I learned.

- INTEREST

What interests you is important. But, what's interesting is far more important. How do you know if something is interesting? Well, nothing really. As writers, we have the power to make ants huge, a statute talk, and the world smaller. We can sensationalize anything. We can make underdogs famous. We can even have the the minority's voice be heard. We decide what the world will think about. So, how is deciding what to write about difficult when you can write about anything? It is knowing its significance.

- NEWSWORTHINESS

When it matters, its newsworthy. Latest is always newsworthy. Health and environment is everybody's concern. Now, who doesn't talk about politics? Or celebrities? Everyone reads about things they are most likely to be affected with. Newsworthiness is measured by proximity, impact and freshness.

- PREPARATION

I already know what to write about! What do I do next? You read, research, interview, and even experience if necessary. Never write when you haven't read yet. Reading will equip you with ample knowledge on the subject you want to write about. And, knowledge gives you confidence. Actual people and actual experiences add credibility and real-life information to your article. This isn't easy. Your preparation depends on the topic you want to write about.

- ANGLE

We decide what the world will think about. Your angle is the soul of your article. This is your stand to an issue, your theme for a story, or your reason for writing it. Angle is subjective. It is affected by your interest, emotions, beliefs, values, and many more. Writing straight news is a different story. Objectivity and angling go together. Although we decide what the world will think about, its beyond our power to decide how the world will think.

- STYLE

It may be true that its beyond our power to decide how the world will think, but, I am pretty sure we can definitely influence their decisions. Here is where style comes in. When angle is the soul of your article, style is its life. How do you think Fallaci made almost all of Europe condemn Muslims? Style.