i am currently looking for the old version of mplabs.X and would be very happy if someone could bring me a copy of it. it is definately a treasure and should be kept up or at least let my company, Cyteria Systems, take the aggregate data and use it as sample input for the 5.7 version of our Textual Processor!!!!

February 11, 2004

HOW TO WRITE AN OPINION PIECE

How to write Opinion pieces
By: Bryan Thompson

If you want your democratic advocacy group to be successful, you must reach out to your local community through the media and one of the best, easiest and least expensive ways to do this is by writing an opinion piece for your local paper. Below are some tips on how to write a successful opinion piece that will be published in the newspaper and will show your community just how serious you are about making change. The path to a better America begins with you.

An opinion piece is an opinion piece written by someone not employed by the newspaper. Opinion pieces are named after the page on which they appear (the page opposite the editorial page). Authors always sign their opinion pieces, which typically run between 600 and 1,000 words. Anyone can write and submit an opinion piece on any topic but before you write your opinion piece, call up the newspaper that you are targeting and pitch your idea to the editor in charge of opinion. If he expresses interest, write the piece and email or fax it to him. If he declines, pitch another idea or look for another newspaper. Remember, the smaller the newspaper, the more likely you are to be published.
Newspapers strive for a lively mix of topics and opinions. Sometimes a newspaper actively solicits a particular author to write an opinion piece on a particular topic. Specific guidelines for submitting opinion pieces vary from paper to paper and can usually be accessed by calling the editorial department or by checking the paper’s Web site. After preparing the opinion piece, you should make a follow-up call to the opinion piece editor to encourage him or her to print it. Using the signature of a well-respected, well-known expert is an important component of ensuring that the opinion piece will be published.

• Size of the article--Few papers print opinion pieces longer than 800 words, and some limit them to as little as 600.
• Size of paragraphs--Opinion piece paragraphs should be two or three sentences long.
• Brevity of words--Never use a three-syllable word where a one-syllable word will do. The simpler the opinion piece, the more likely that the average person will read it and be influenced by it.
• Use jargon and acronyms sparingly. Remember, you are not writing this to show off your vocabulary but to reach the average reader. Make your words clear and concise.
• Minimize the use of numbers: say “prosecution of corporate crimes was reduced by one third under the Bush Administration” rather than saying “prosecution of corporate crimes was reduced from 90,000 to 60,000 under the Bush Administration.
These are basic rules for individual paragraphs. Here is one way to write the op ed as a whole:
1. Ask, what is the message you want to get across?
2. List all your arguments in no particular order.
3. Pick four or five arguments that will most appeal to your readers.
4. Write your first draft. Connect your theme to your peg in the first paragraph, followed by one to three paragraphs for each supporting reason, with the most important reasons first. One or two paragraphs should conclude by reinforcing your theme.
5. Now read your draft and ask: What is the most powerful paragraph here? Is it the closing paragraph? Does a paragraph about one of the four or five arguments point up a particularly absurd part of the plan? Whichever one it is, rewrite the opinion piece with the most powerful, most exciting paragraph first to grab the reader's attention--remembering to connect it with your peg.
6. Use bullets. If you make several short points, rewrite them as bullets. Bullets are a series of statements each of which starts with a dot called a bullet (see the "brevities" above). These draw the reader's attention and keep the article readable.
7. Liven up your writing by taking out jargon and personalizing your arguments to the audience you are attempting to reach. Don't say, "It has been decided that . . . ." when you can say "The council decided . . . ." Don't say, "The plan will cost $10 billion" when you can say "The plan will cost $10,000 per local resident."
8. Do a word count. If you are over your limit, delete the last (and therefore least important) of the four or five arguments. A good editor can cut a first draft in half without losing any meaning. Remember, brevity is the greater part of wit.
9. Check your spelling on the computer and have someone else read it for grammar and other problems.
10. Send the opinion piece to the paper. Papers love email and will often print an emailed article exactly as you send it. Don't get upset if they cut a sentence or paragraph. It is incredibly rare that a paper will edit an opinion piece for something other than spelling and grammar errors, length or clarity. These edits will actually improve your opinion piece. If the paper edits something out that confuses your point, gently ask them about it and you may even ask them politely to print a correction or write a letter to the editor to point it out. After your opinion piece is published, ask your organizations members to send letters of support to the editor. You may find guidelines for letters to the editor in another section of this site.