Writing as a Means of Expression

In this section we invite young and aspiring future journalists to share their unique perspectives on topics of their choice. We would love to see all of your writing submissions and learn more about underrated issues and topics you are passionate about. Please enjoy all of the work submitted by our writers and leave comments on their posts. Thank you!

Blog (Click to Expand)

This is an area for journalism, to provide writters for a place to express themselves and shed light on importants issues and topics! 

Writing the Article (Click to Expand)

The first step in becoming a part of this community is writing your very own article! There is a process that goes into writing the article; however, don’t be intimidated by this, we know you can do it!

To help you through this process, we are providing a step-by-step guide for you! Follow the guide, and we are sure that you will execute the task flawlessly!

 

Step 1: The Idea

The first step that goes into this process is actually coming up with the idea. Sometimes it is hard to think of something off of the top of your mind, so we would like you to ask yourselves the following questions:

– What are some issues going on in your community that you want to change?

– What are some things that you have experienced which have pushed you to advocate for something?

– What are some issues you strongly believe in changing?

– What inspires you?

Step 2: Research

After coming up with your idea, you will need to do some research. Search reliable websites, and even burrow through some books (old fashioned, I know!) and look for information that supports your viewpoint and your idea. Take an extra step and interview someone facing the challenge in your community or a city official. Try to find as many resources as possible as they strengthen your article. Keep track of all of your resources because it is encouraged to include a bibliography at the end of your article so readers can do further digging, and so that your work is seen as credible and important.

 

Step 3: Get Writing!

Now, after you have all of your research and a plan of action, it is time to actually write the article. You can write your article in any form you would like to, but we recommend that you use a program such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word to write the article, and then copy paste it into the blog post when creating it. Experiment with fonts and lettering! Make sure that you title the article with a creative or interesting title and have a “By: Your Pen Name” under the title. We recommend having the article in paragraph form but you are free to do any kind of format you would like.

 

Step 4: Revision

After your article is done, you should send it to a friend or peer for any suggestions or edits. These will help strengthen your writing and will hopefully eliminate any possible errors you may have overlooked. It is always good to receive feedback and constructive criticism so you can make corrections! If you are using Google Docs, set the Sharing mode on “Suggest” so that you can share it with others and get their suggestions that you can approve or ignore. Remember, we are here to support you through the process.

 

Step 5: Glam it Up!

This part is probably our favorite part! This step is where you polish up your article and upload it to the blog. Amberly will attach a tutorial for uploading so it will not be included here, but you will need to choose a picture to support your article. This image will be displayed as a “thumbnail” for the post, if you will. Make sure that the image is eye-catching and strong so that readers will be more inclined to read your article. In addition, you will need an excerpt or a short introduction of your article along with the picture to pull readers in as well. Have fun with it!

 

Note – We recommend pexels.com for free, good quality images.

Questions or Feedback?

4 + 13 =

We encourage all students interested in entering writing to check out the top of the resources page (or the drop down above) on how and what to submit along with some tips and pointers. Those of you who are below the age of 13, please have your parents contact us.