I once read a column in my local paper about the experience of a person adopting a kitten. The theme of the column seemed to be that it was difficult to get exactly the kitten you wanted due to what the columnist argued was the lack of unwanted kittens in our province, British Columbia. The columnist ended up buying her cat from a pet store, which was fine, she said, because he was sent there by a shelter in Quebec, which was overcrowded.
This column caused some reaction as expected. Instead of the newspaper publishing letters to the editor, the columnist published edited excerpts from the emails and calls she had been receiving. The quotes were heavily worded to make the callers and emailers appear irrational, with the columnist accusing them of being on her “high horse.”
All of this got me wondering, what makes a good personal column? We have all read personal columns that have been bad and others that have been excellent. It is very difficult for an inexperienced writer to walk the fine line between the two. Many of the newspapers that publish the worst variety are small weekly papers that tend to hire beginning writers. They have a tendency to want to fill the space, regardless of whether or not they have something to say.
That’s the first issue you need to tackle before you sit down to write about your pets, your kids, your garden, or your trip to New York City. Does your column have a point? Your life is interesting to you, your family and your friends, but why should it interest other people? No matter how exciting your trip to the top of the Empire State Building was for you, most people in the city can top it with their own experiences.
pick a topic
Think about the topic of your article before writing it. The columnist mentioned above had an interesting topic: there is a shortage of kittens due to increased awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering.
Ask yourself some questions about your own experiences: What does parenting teach you about life? What advice can you give people about gardening based on your own experience?
Maybe you enjoyed your trip to the top of the Empire State Building, but later that night you got lost and turned down a dark street where you stumbled upon the best jazz club you’ve ever been to. Maybe the point is that she should take some time to wander off the beaten path if she really wants to experience New York City.
Investigate
While the previous columnist had an interesting topic, she didn’t research it to make sure it was true. In fact, one of the “high-level” emails was from a local animal shelter assuring him that they had many kittens available for adoption. One could even say that there was “no shortage” of kittens available for adoption. Another angle she could have taken was to examine whether it’s okay to buy animals from pet stores instead of shelters. Once again, she would have to do the research and not just take the word of a pet store sales clerk.
Many reporters enjoy writing personal columns because they think it’s a “break” from the heavy lifting of research and reporting. not so You still have to be believable. If you’re making a statement, check it out.
Make sure people can relate to your experience
When writing for a general audience, people may need a little help relating to your expertise. I once cringed while reading about someone’s uneventful encounter with her favorite rock star, a singer whose name most of our readers wouldn’t have recognized. “She shook my hand. She said, ‘I like your shirt.’ Who knows?”
I’m not saying you shouldn’t write about unusual hobbies or interests, but try to connect it to experiences people already know about. For example, “for me it was the same feeling my mother had when attending her first Elvis Presley concert.” Your feeling of excitement will be more interesting than the color of the Doc Martens your hero was wearing that day.
Adopting a pet is a very relatable experience, but one of the reasons the cat columnist fell short was that people couldn’t understand her desire to find the exact variety of kitty she wanted. We could relate to wanting a kitten instead of a cat or a short-haired cat instead of a long-haired cat, but her detailed meticulousness made it impossible for many to emphasize. However, if she were writing for a cat magazine, she might have found a more sympathetic audience.
When you’re thinking about your topic, think about your audience. If you don’t think you can relate, ask yourself why not. Then think about how you can make it more understandable. Don’t make it silly. Simply place it in your reader’s own frame of reference.
do not presume
Did you just single-handedly discover a cure for cancer? In that case, it’s probably not a big deal that you got a promotion, a raise, a citation, a certification, a new car, etc. Is there something interesting in your achievement? Did you go back to school after raising your children? Write about that experience, not about the achievement itself. If there’s something extra special about it, people will notice and compliment you anyway. If you’re just honking your own horn, trust me, people will notice too.