Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-02-05
HOW TO WRITE FOR NEWSPAPERS
PerspicuIiy Pointedness, aud Bre,ity Indispen.
sable Qualities.

Perspicuiiy Pointedness, aud Bre,ity Indispen
| sable Qualities.
"Will you give me some hints il
regard TO writing for The papers !?
asked friend the other day. Gen
tainly, replied, with my wontonet
suav ty; and if the professional
journalist does not think my sug
gestions sensible, he will tuck then
into his buck basket just as ruthless
! as he did these articles you are Sc
wisely seeking to improve. What &
world of nonsense he keeps US from
seeing. But to hints:
/. Never write tor the papers un
less you have something TO say
Thoroughly good newspaper articles
are only written when man feels
Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe
is unto me it L write not this article.
If you have nothing to say, by al
means say nothing.
2. Don't undertake 10 say what
you have to say unless you are il
your best mood. Ii you were a
minister, | should say to you, ex'
DIicilly, Never write for the papers
on Monday" Those OF us VINO are
NOT ministers have our "Mondays"-
though they often come in the mid
die of tho week. 1t is, | have some
times fancied, the custom of most
amateur journalists to do their news.
paper work when they are too much
tagged mentally or physically, for
"serious busiut So" The minister,
for instance, who is off the hooks, 70
that be can't prepare sermon for
an audience OF five hundred, rushes,
Cor would rush, but for the buck bas
ket) before an audience OF fifty thou.
sand or 90. Ought this 20 be thus p
3. Jot down the points that you
wish TO make Cat least mentally
before you begn to write See the
end OF your article from tho begin
ming. II you have no points to jet
down, you have really nothing TO
say,
4 Pot your points in the clearest
and sharpest way possible Don't
cover them ur with verbiage. Let
them stick out.
5 Say what you have 20 say in
the fewest possible words and sim.
plest possible manner. Never make
use of an allusiun, quotation or a
figure OF speech which does not dis
tInctIy promote the impression that
you are seeking to make.
6. Stop when you are done. That
is, possibly, the great secret of the
true journalist. He does not think
that he must follow everything out
t. its last apaly sis. He contents
himself with suggestive hints which
his readers are competent to follow
out, and love TO follow out, for them
selves. He realizes, nowadays, arti-
cles are read and priced in proper
ton to their berevity. Of editorial
matter
A two>column article has one read
err in 100.
A column and q halt, one reader in
scventy-fve.
A column article, one reader in 80
A three. quarter column, one read
er in twenty five.
A half column, one reader in ten.
A quarter column, one reader 10 l.
Boil yourself down, then, before
you write for the papers Ask
yourself, with every fresh page OF
copy, "Am l not really through 2"
z. Cultivate yivacity of style and
variety of expression. Abound in
crisp, Ierse, epigrammatic sentences
What Blair says of preachers is pre-
eminently true OF journalists: "Their
first duty is to interest their audi>
ence." Here is where the "born,
not made" comes in.
g. Write always with a realizing
sense of the fact that every sentence
nay, every wcrd-wiIl be subiec,
TO the se7erest criticism of 10000
hostile eyes. Throw yourself into
the attitude of cynical, captious
| ignorant adversary, and carefully
criticize what you have written after
it's cold. You will be amused often
to see what nonsense you have writ
ten-Wh at loopholes You have left
inv.tingly open for attack.
9. Be courteous, even when
fealty TO truth compels you to be
severe. Remember that you are a
gentleman, whatever the advocate
of rival opinions may prove himself
Keep out Of controversy as far as
possible 1t rarely pays. Never, il
any circumstances, be betrayed into
a controve' So with the editor of 8
paper. He has got you too entirely
at his mercy.
10. See TO it that what you
send 10 a newspaper be Photographed
spelled and capitalized as it shouic
be. Write on one side OF small sized
paper in a neat, clear hand. and sbur
abreviations. Take time to spell
out all words that will have to bt
spelled out in the paper
IL. Make up your mind to acqui
efce cheerfulIy to any disposition
which the editor may, in bis wisd n
or folly, make of your articles. Tel
to one. his judgment of your lucu-
braticns is more trustworthy thai
| you. qu0d deceit Gas Cicero, Horace
and Qaihtilian woula say; that is
what hits the very highes
grace Of jonrnalism-ad adoption.