Can you start an editorial with a quote

These editorials are a part of both government and school newspapers. An editorial expresses your opinion about any current topic with the aim to persuade the reader to see things from your perspective.

This piece of writing can be on any topic, but usually, it covers social issues. You have to provide enough evidence from credible sources, just like you do in your research papers. You should create a message for the people who are suffering from that issue and what it takes to improve the situation. Besides, in your writing, you get a chance to speak to the government and request them to take measures to solve the problem. Each type is written for a different purpose and, before writing any of it, you must know the difference between them.

An editorial is an article that presents an opinion of a group, like a writer. Editorial writing is quite similar to research paper writing.

Editorials are fun and exciting to write once you get all the required research material and understand the essential steps to succeed in this type of writing. The following steps will help you make up your mind about writing an editorial piece that can persuade readers to agree with your opinion. Editorials aim to promote critical thinking and sometimes to cause people to change their minds on a topic by influencing their opinion. Make sure to choose an interesting topic, controversial subject, or something that has a purpose.

Controversial topics are a great way to stir debate and get the readers engaged right from the start. With opinion pieces, you have to focus on recent stories that people are talking about. Take time and research all aspects of your topic and find all the reasons behind the issue. Look for relevant evidence and examples to support your opinion. Gather all the latest facts and information from credible sources.

Make sure to pick a side and create a valid opinion to know what you are talking about. For a valid opinion, you must come up with logical reasoning. Pay careful attention to this step and provide clear reasons to show why your side is the right one. After coming up with a valid opinion and supportive arguments, it is time to start the actual writing process.

Make sure this writing is short and clear so that the readers do not get bored and easily understand your point of view. You can also start your editorial with a question, quote, or summary of what the editorial is all about. The body of your work should objectively explain the issue and why the situation is important to handle. Try to cover all the bases and include facts and quotations from credible sources. Conclude your editorial with a noteworthy statement.

In this section, you can again include quotations or a question to make the ending worth remembering. It is important to go through your writing multiple times and make sure it's free from grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. If you are unable to do this on your own then ask someone else for feedback so that no errors slip by.

Though an editorial has the same parts and sections, some editorials are different and have different conventions for their different types. In addition, journals have different rules and criteria that the article and editorial writers have to follow. Since an editorial is a thoughtful piece of writing, you must choose a significant topic and strike a thought in the readers. The topic should be as per the nature and topic of the journal as if it is a medical journal; you must choose a topic belonging to the medical field.

Introduce the issue or topic of your editorial and add a thesis statement about the issue and the topic you will discuss in the editorial. An editorial uncovers and presents an issue, its significance, effects, and ways to tackle and control it. Every problem has a background, and the problem you are writing about also has one.

In this section of the editorial, mention and explain the background of the said issue. What are the main points that you want to talk about? Present the main points in this section and add relevant evidence also. Relevant evidence will add weightage and credibility to your editorial. Look for previous newspapers and online results to collect the proof and discuss the points you have added to the editorial. The conclusion is the last section of the editorial, and this is you will conclude your editorial.

Finally, wind it up by adding a call to action and personal viewpoint by proposing ways to manage the discussed issue. An editorial letter is a letter to the editor of the newspaper, magazine, or any other daily publication. These letters are an important part of a publication as they represent the voice of the general public.

Usually, these letters are either added on the first page of the newspaper or the last page. This will make it stand out.

Talk about how it can be solved and give the reader actionable takeaways. Editorials become much more useful and memorable this way. Editorials are primarily written by writing staff working for magazines, websites, and other publications. These pieces of content are handed off to an editor who will fix grammar, spelling, flow, mistakes, and other components. An editor in chief will oversee all of the writers, editors, and staff that play a role in publishing editorials on a regular basis.

You can also be a freelance editorial writer. In this case, you contact out your writing services to many different publications at once. Check out my free courses to learn more. Firstly, editorials are suitable for any publication that likes to keep their readers informed about recent news and events. Furthermore, editorials are much shorter in length than other forms of content which makes pumping out many easier.

Hopping on trends and waves will give your publication an immediate spike in traffic which is another benefit of writing editorials. Similarly, this type of content is easily digestible and commonly shared which creates a viral effect. Furthermore, all editorials found in the opinion sections of a publication will be in the first person because they are meant to share personal views.

Once again, keep in mind that the story being covered will usually decide whether or not a first person perspective is appropriate or not.

They are typically written about current events and subjects that readers are already familiar with. Every great editorial begins with an eye-catching image and headline, as well. This is the bait that gets the reader into the article. Then, the first paragraph needs to be easy to read while naturally leading to the rest of the content. Demystifying complex terms and mixing in your own opinion are two keys to a good editorial.

This makes it simpler to understand while unique since nobody has your opinion but you. Write a clear conclusion that sums up the major points and creates the opportunity for readers to leave their opinion.

Remember, news outlets thrive off of engagement. Need any editorial writer? They tend to be written by experts, observers, or someone who is passionate about a topic, and as media in general becomes more partisan, op-eds have become more and more common.

Here some examples: I want to write an op-ed on the plague that are drinks that overflow with ice cubes. This op-ed would argue that restaurants serve drinks with too many ice cubes. Superman is clearly better than Batman. In this op-ed, I would convince readers why Superman is a better superhero than Batman. My op-ed is on lowering the voting age in America. An op-ed on this topic would list reasons why Congress should pass a law to allow those who are 14 years old like me to be able to vote in elections.

However, keep in mind a few things: Blogs, op-eds and columns are short. Less than 1, words. Usually between and words.

Many blogs are just a few hundred words, basically a few graphs and a pull quote often does the job. Simplicity, logic, and clarity are your best friends when it comes to writing op-eds and blogs. In other words, write like a middle schooler. Use short sentence and clear words. Paragraphs should be less than four sentences.

Please take a look at Strunk and White for more information. I used to work with John Podesta, who has written many great op-eds, and he was rumored to have given his staff a copy of Strunk and White on their first day of employment. Love yourself topic sentences. So keep in mind the following: Evidence. This might be obvious, but you need evidence to support your argument. This means data in the forms of published studies, government statistics, anything that offers cold facts.

Stories are good and can support your argument. But try and go beyond a good anecdote. Is their tone critical? Your tone largely hinges on what type of outlet you are writing for, which brings us to… Audience. Almost everything in your article — from what type of language you use to your tone — depends on your audience. The best way to familiarize yourself with your audience is to read pieces that have already been published in the outlet you are writing for, or hoping to write for.

Take note of how the author presents her argument and then adjust yours accordingly. The opening of an opinion piece should bring the reader into the article quickly. This is also sometimes referred to as the flash or the lede, and there are two types of flash introductions.

They are: Option 1. So start to introduce some general evidence to support your argument in the nut portion of the lede. For an example of a nut graph for a longer piece on say, sibling-on-sibling rivalry, consider the following: The Smith sisters exemplify a disturbing trend.

A good billboard graph often ends with a quote or call to action. If you use a narrative flash lede, then the nut paragraph often starts with something like: They are not alone. In fact, , students are subject to corporal punishment in U. Think of this as the paragraph that begins to untangle a long history or a growing trend. Demonstrate: In this section, you must offer specific details to support your argument. If writing an op-ed, this section can be three or four paragraphs long.

If writing a column, this section can be six or ten paragraphs long. Either way, the section should outline the most compelling evidence to support your thesis. For my paddling article, for instance, I offered this argument paragraph.

Equivocate : You should strengthen your argument by including at least one graph that briefly describes—and then discounts—the strongest counter argument to your point. Forward : This is where you wrap up your piece. It carries greater impact, though, if you can write an ending that has some oomph to it and really looks forward.

So try to provide some parting thoughts and, when appropriate to the topic, draw your readers to look toward the future. It allows you to simultaneously finalize the premise of your argument and neatly conclude your article. This fortifies the argument. The following few paragraphs continue in this vein. Part IV: Pitching. A few bits of advice: Newsy. The purpose of a great publication is to convince the reader to accept your standpoint and further spread your word. It can cover a wide range of topics; however, most editorials focus on burning or debatable issues.

After all, an editorial piece is often deemed worthy if it makes a fuss among the readers. The art of persuasion is the foundation of editorial writing. If your stance is too weak, the readers won't be convinced — no matter how great your content is.

Whether it's a school assignment or an article for a newspaper, to craft a compelling editorial, a writer should be exceptionally good at persuading other people.

An editorial essay shouldn't only showcase a strong stance on a controversial issue. Just like in your research paper, you have to provide enough credible evidence to support your opinion. Before writing an editorial, you may wonder how long it should be. In fact, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question since the length of your publication depends on the scope of the chosen issue.

And, yet, it's strongly recommended to be concise to craft a good editorial. Remember, you have around words to persuade readers, so you need to use your words wisely. Editorials have uncommon classification — instead of being categorized by their nature, they are classified by their purpose. There are 4 major types of editorials you should know before writing your paper:. Editorials focused on interpretation explain why a particular issue matters. An argument should be sensitive, debatable, and controversial to attract the readers.

There is a garden variety of interpretive articles starting from those that offer background information to those that point out an issue. A keen wit is what every good writer needs to create a meaningful piece which covers a significant problem.

A good editorial criticizes specific events or cases through the masterful use of humor or irony. While it may be somewhat entertaining, a satirical editorial should be like a wake-up call, letting the reader finally see the issue and keep their eyes peeled.