This exercise consists of writing an opinion piece, and although you may not actually start writing for days or weeks, the work begins immediately. Be open to the world around you and see what stirs your passion. It can be something you read or observe on TV or on the Internet; it can be something you overhear spoken by a total stranger or what someone you know says to you; it can be newsworthy to the world community or just a happenstance of no importance to anyone but yourself (if the latter, remember to use it as a catalyst to an issue others can relate to).

Once you decide upon your subject, apply everything you have learned and write an opinion piece of no more than 500 words and do it within three days from when you settled upon the subject. When you're done, if you can, ask someone who either disagrees with your position or is neutral to read it and see what she thinks. Feel free to have more than one person read it. It's not so much a question of the writing as it is the power to persuade that matters.

Now you're done. If you found the experience exhilarating then perhaps you should seriously consider writing commentaries.

Interview with Journalist and Lawyer Larry Atkins

Larry Atkins is a journalist, a lawyer, and an adjunct professor at Temple University and Arcadia University. In 2005, he wrote “Larry the Liberal Lawyer Lashes Out” (ASJA Press), a “best of” compilation of his op-eds. Atkins is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and he wrote a chapter on op-eds and essays for the ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing. Atkins has written over 300 articles, op-eds, and essays for many publications including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Los Angeles Daily News.

RDB: How did you come to write opinion essays and op-eds?

LA: In 1992, I took a freelance writing course. One of the covered topics was writing op-eds and essays and I discovered that newspapers and magazines would actually pay freelancers to write opinion articles. It really sparked my interest. I started sending op-ed submissions to the Philadelphia Inquirer and they accepted the fourth one that I submitted. Eventually, I became a frequent contributor to the Inquirer and I ended up submitting and publishing op-eds in newspapers throughout the country.

RDB: Where do you get your ideas?

LA: I get ideas from many different places. First of all, it's really important to be a news junkie and to follow current events closely. Every day I read several newspapers, check news websites, and keep MSNBC or CNN on while I work at my computer. I've also gotten ideas from my own personal experiences. For instance, when my father's paratransit van didn't show up one day and left him stranded, it inspired me to do some research in which I discovered that this was happening frequently in Philadelphia. I ended up writing an op-ed on that topic.

RDB: What makes you want to respond to some issues rather than others?

LA: I have many diverse interests but I tend to care about some issues more than others. I am passionate about politics, sports, legal issues, education, media and journalism, psychology, entertainment, and local issues. There are some situations where something in the news makes me angry and I feel an urgent need to respond.

RDB: How important is timeliness?

LA: Timeliness is essential for most issues. When a news event occurs, many editorial pages run op-ed's on that event in the next day's paper or within the next few days. If you decide to write an op-ed on a breaking news event, you should try to write and submit it to a newspaper within one day. There are some issues that have more flexibility because they involve ongoing controversies, such as the Iraq war, homeland security, stem cell research, gun violence, and health care. You can also try to anticipate certain events and write op-eds on them in advance such as the Super Bowl, the beginning of the school year, and Thanksgiving.

RDB: What is the protocol regarding submitting op-eds?

LA: Always use e-mail or fax since timeliness is usually an issue. Don't use attached files; cut and paste the text of your op-ed into the body of your e-mail. National newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post require exclusive submissions for a certain period of time, meaning that for a period of about one week, they don't want you to submit your op-ed to other publications. If you don't hear from them within the specified period of time, you are free to assume they have rejected your op-ed and you are free to submit it elsewhere.

Similarly, local newspapers want exclusivity in their specific circulation area. This means that you shouldn't submit your op-ed simultaneously to the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. You can simultaneously submit your op-eds to non-national regional newspapers as long as their circulation areas don't overlap. Therefore, you could simultaneously submit the same op-ed to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dallas Morning News, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

RDB: Any advice to writers who want to write opinion pieces?

LA: Be persistent and don't take rejection personally. There is an incredible amount of competition for publishing op-eds in newspapers. One way to increase your chances is to write what you know. Try to focus on issues in which you have expertise or a personal connection. For instance, if you are a teacher, you have expertise in education issues such as school violence, No Child Left Behind, and school district strikes.

Add a short personal anecdote that connects you to the issue involved. You can also create a website or blog focusing on a certain topic and earn credibility and expertise by doing so. Also, don't just limit your submissions to newspapers. Consider marketing your op-eds and essays to magazines and online publications. Proofread your articles carefully and have a friend or family member read it over to get feedback. Finally, it can help your chances if you are making a unique point or argument or taking a contrarian position to what most people believe.