Part 4 (1/2)
An article on fire prevention, for instance, is appropriate for theattention to fires caused by carelessness Months in advance, a writer erous fires resulting from carelessness; and from the annual report of the state fire marshal issued in July, he could secure statistics on the causes of fires and the extent of the losses
To secure material for an article on the Christht make at a cost of twenty-five cents or less, a woman writer jotted down after one Christet from her friends; and fro suazine, at a ti Christ college expenses are particularly appropriate for publication in the su to go to college, but if in such an article a student writer intends to describe experiences other than his own, hematerial from his fellow students some months before
Anniversaries of various events, such as important discoveries and inventions, the death or birth of a personage, and significant historical occasions, may also be anticipated The fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the first railroad train in Kansas City was commemorated in a special feature story in the _Kansas City Star_, published the day before the anniversary The day following the fifty-sixth anniversary of the discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania, the _New York Tiazine section a special article on theof the first steam-propelled shi+p to cross the Atlantic, was commemorated by an article in the Sunday edition of the _Providence Journal_ _Munsey's Magazine_ printed an article on the se paper fronificant events, writers will find what anniversaries are approaching; or theypreparationsthese anniversaries
KEEPING LISTS OF SUBJECTS Every writer who is on the lookout for subjects and sources of material should keep a notebook constantly at hand Subjects suggested by everyday experiences, by newspaper and , and by a careful study of special articles in all kinds of publications, are likely to be forgotten unless they are recorded at once A small notebook that can be carried in the pocket or in a wo is most convenient Besides topics for articles, the titles of books, reports, bulletins, and other publications mentioned in conversation or in newspapers, should be jotted down as possible sources of ures from publicationsmethods of treatment that a writer observes in the work of otherstitles and methods for his own articles Separate sections of even a small notebook may conveniently be set aside for all of these various points
FILING MATERIAL The writer who enerally has soood material so that it will be at hand when he wants it One excellent filing device that is both inexpensive and capable of indefinite expansion consists of a nuh to hold newspaper clippings, printed reports, raphs In each envelope is kept theto one subject in which the writer is interested, the character of the subject- indicated on one side of the envelope, so that, as the envelopes stand on end, their contents can readily be determined If a writer hascase will serve to keep the azines, and printed reports, he will soon find that he has collected a considerable amount of information on which to base his articles
CHAPTER IV
APPEAL AND PURPOSE
analYZING THE SUBJECT When from many available subjects a writer is about to choose one, he should pause to consider its possibilities before beginning to write It is not enough to say, ”This is a good subject; I believe that I can write an article on it” He needs to look at the topic froht to ask himself, ”Hoidespread is the interest in e individual? What phases of it are likely to have the greatest interest for the greatest number of persons?” To answer these questions he must review the basic sources of pleasure and satisfaction
WHAT INTERESTS READERS To interest readers is obviously the pri The basis of interest in the news story, the special feature article, and the short story is essentially the sae person likes to hear and see, whatever gives him pleasure and satisfaction, is what he wants to read about In order to test all phases of a given subject from this point of vieriter needs to keep in mind the fundamental sources of satisfaction
Subjects and phases of subjects that attract readersclasses, which, however, are not mutually exclusive: (1) timely topics, (2) unique, novel, and extraordinary persons, things, and events, (3) mysteries, (4) romance, (5) adventure, (6) contests for supremacy, (7) children, (8) animals, (9) hobbies and amusements, (10) familiar persons, places, and objects, (11) pro the life, property, and welfare of others, (13)
Tih not absolutely essential, timeliness is a valuable attribute of any subject Readers like to feel that they are getting the latest facts and the newest ideas, in special feature articles as well as in the news A subject need not be discarded, however, because it does not make a timely appeal It reat to compensate for its lack of tilance seem quite unrelated to current activities are found on closer exaht into connection with ti that is going on in the world,on what is uppermost in men's minds Eive to the article the desired timeliness
NOVELTY When a person, object, or circuree of interest The first person to acco out of the ordinary, the first event of its kind, the first of anything, arrests attention
Closely associated with the unique is the extraordinary, the curious If not absolutely the only one of its kind, a thing ree of interest Novelty has a perennial charm Careful study of a subject is often necessary to reveal the novel and extraordinary phase of it that can best be emphasized
MYSTERIES The fascination for the human mind of whatever baffles it is so well known that it scarcely needs elaboration Mysteries, whether real or fictitious, pique curiosity Even the scholar and the practical man of affairs find relaxation in the mystery of the detective story
Real life often furnishes events sufficiently mysterious to make a special feature story that rivals fiction Unexplained crihosts, presenti problems of the scientist and the inventor--all have elee reader
ROMANCE The ro as that of fiction As all the world loves a lover, almost all the world loves a love story The course of true love may run smooth or it may not; in either case there is the romantic appeal To find the romantic element in a topic is to discover a perennial source of attraction for all classes of readers
ADVENTURE Few in nuladly escape fro tale of adventure The thrilling exploits in real life of the engineer, the explorer, the soldier of fortune, the pioneer in any field, hold us spellbound Even more commonplace experiences are not without an elereat adventure Many special feature stories in narrative form have much the same interest that is created by the fictitious tale of adventure
CONTESTS FOR SUPREMACY Man has never lost his prie the for to hether in love or politics, business or sport, still has a strong hold on all of us Strikes, attempted monopolies, political revolutions, elections, chaaive zest to life To portray dramatically in a special article the clash and conflict in everyday affairs is to h universal appeal
CHILDREN Because we live in and for our children, everything that concerns them comes close to our hearts A child in a photo-drama or in a news story is sure to win sympathy and adlect so vital a source of interest Practical articles on the care and the education of children also have especial value for woe or in captivity, anience or for their distinctively anis, cats, and other pets, and fewer still who can pass by the ani, and fishi+ng are vocations for so horses and cattle, and the care of live stock and poultry on the farm, must not be overlooked in the search for subjects The technical aspects of these topics will interest readers of fareneral appeal
HOBBIES AND AMUseood subjects Moving pictures, theaters, raphy, and a host of hobbies and recreations have enough enthusiastic devotees to insure wide reading for special feature stories about them
THE FAMILIAR Persons e know, places that we constantly see, experiences that we have had again and again, often seeh, even when familiarity has not bred contee or in print, we greet the-lost friend Local news interests readers because it concerns people and places immediately around them Every newspaperthe attractiveness of a news event that happens elsewhere by rinding ”local ends,” or by giving it ”a local turn” For special feature stories in newspapers, local phases are no less important But whether the article is to be published in a newspaper or a s should be ”played up” prominently