Class Description
Get your op-ed out of your head and into the headlines! You have ideas and opinions about Middle East foreign policy or parenting trends, you feel strongly about health care reform or Red Sox reform, or you have a poignant story about your or your parents' experience with the health care system (or the Red Sox). Whatever the topic, in this seminar, you'll learn the basics of writing and submitting the standard 600- to 900-word op-ed column. Via lecture, discussion of great examples from published op-eds, short exercises and Q&A, we'll show you: 1) how to recognize and find great, timely, seasonal, marketable topics for your op-eds that editors want; 2) how to leverage your personal experience and expertise; 3) where to publish your op-eds; 4) the basic structures for op-eds and best practices to give them catchy ledes and clear and sharp angles and to connect them to timely issues and 5) how to pitch and submit them to newspapers, magazines, online publications and blogs. We'll look at exemplary pitch letters and go over standard protocol of working with editors. Students will leave having begun work on a op-ed. For any writers with an axe to grind or strong opinions who are looking for practical tips to get their op-eds into the marketplace.
Part of GrubStreet's Special Topics in the Nonfiction, a group of classes dedicated to exploring different craft elements of creative nonfiction. For more class offerings, click here.
Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. Please visit the Resources tab to access the video-conference link.
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!