A well-written opinion article is a powerful piece of prose; it can challenge our views and bring context to a subject in a way we’ve never considered. But for the uninitiated, how does one go about writing a measured piece of social commentary?
ArtsHub spoke with Gabrielle Jackson, opinion editor at Guardian Australia, and Fairfax journalist and freelance writer Alana Schetzer to uncover their tips on writing a solid piece of commentary.
Jackson said budding opinion writers can often lose sight of what she thinks is the most important part of the whole process.
‘Don’t make writing opinion your goal. Follow your passions, become a subject matter expert, then writing opinion will be easy,’ Jackson said. ‘I often see people with an aim to be an opinion writer above all else: they just want to get published in the Guardian (or some other publication) no matter what the topic,’ Jackson told ArtsHub. ‘I think that’s a mistake and a trap for young writers.
‘My advice is always to follow your interests, and become knowledgeable in those areas. Then, if something is happening in that area, you come to your opinion with a unique and interesting perspective.’
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