How to write a column

In gratitude to the 14 readers who voted me best local columnist recently, I thought I would help you understand the crucial minutiae involved in writing an award-winning newspaper column.

Give yourself plenty of time to plan what you are going to write about. This is key. At least two weeks before your editor’s deadline, map out a dozen possible topics, keeping in mind the state of the country, the economy, the power lines in planning stages and the Golden Globe winners.

Return to this list often, adding and subtracting ideas as topics drift in and out of the collective consciousness. Try not to include your family on this list, unless one of them really gets on your nerves close to deadline.

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