Weekly Column

Gay aardvarks, that'll get them talking.

Great news, Karl. Have some fun with it. My worst nightmare would be landing a writing gig and not knowing what to write about. It's happening now. I can't even think of a topic for you to write about. I'm heading out to Malverne Long Island for the Fourth of July weekend. I'll make sure I get a copy of the Copiague Weekly News. Rich

Gosh Karl, well done. I'll put my thinking cap on.

Brilliant Karl. We'll landed. How about the pressure of writing to deadlines?

That's what I was thinking Kev. It can't be easy, I find it almost impossible to write without any added pressure, that's why I steer clear of IP's and competition shout outs. Karl , I was thinking of columnists who I like to read and then try and say why I like them over others. These people spring to mind: Gilles Coren Michael Winner (when he was alive) Melanie Reid (recently paralysed in a riding accident and now author of 'spinal column') Caitlin Moran Janice Turner I think most of these wrote/write for The Times. Gilles Coren writes as a food critic (and has other roles) for the times magazine. The thing is he will often write virtually nothing about food in it! He gets along by offering opinionated often ascerbic (but always witty) insight about overaching themes. For example (I make this up as an example) he might review 'Noma' and then write about the ways of foraging for food by a modern man (Noma is famous for 'foraged' ingredients). Melanie Reid provides almost a diary entry approach outlining the ups and downs of her changed existence following her accident. But rather than focus on herself (which she sometimes does) she writes about other people's attitudes to her as a disabled person and the column is always written to encourage empathy and outrage in equal measure. I suppose that these would be the things that I would consider in your position. Target audience and demographics The location and its relevance Current affairs that affect the people reading the column Write with a STRONG OPINIONATED VOICE. Don't dither (counts me out) Approach things from odd angles that others might not necessarily have thought of A recognisable and familiar thematic approach - give them what they have come to expect (have I just contradicted the preceding point?) Anyway that's my penny's worth. Hope that it might help.

Hi Mate, I'm sure if you read the red tops you'll find something to write about and put a typical "Karl" slant on it. I mean that in a nice way of course! Yesterday's Sun for example had a piece about a woman having lived in the same house for 82 years, then there was the vending machine in Hamburg that gives out Rosarie Beads, then the best of all, Bob Barton has now had a pint in all 200 railway themed pubs in the UK! They'll lap all this up. But, if in doubt, there's always Roadkill... Good luck with it mate. I certainly will be reading it...