Do you have strong thoughts on a particular subject and would you like to share these thoughts? An opinion piece is an article (online, in a magazine or in a newspaper) that mainly expresses the writer's opinion on a certain subject.
With a well-written opinion piece you steer the reader in a certain direction of thought. Do you want to gain the self-confidence to post an article you have written (online)? Or have you published texts before, but would you like to improve your writing skills? Then read on and discover our tips that clarify what an opinion piece is and how to write such a piece successfully.
1. Choose the topic
In an opinion piece you can write about things that everyone already knows, but then readers quickly drop out. You can also write about things that only you know, but then you run the risk that most other people won't care at all.
You fascinate readers most when you write about something that everyone already knows, but on which you have a unique and perhaps even contradictory view. Choose a topic that you already know a lot about and would like to research more about.
2. Determine the purpose of the opinion piece
What exactly do you want to achieve with your article? Would you like to tell an anecdote followed by the moral of the story? Would you like to let us know what your solution is for a current problem? Do you want to make a difficult subject understandable and accessible to everyone? Or do you want to say what everyone is thinking but doesn't dare to say?
3. The importance of the first sentences
A good opinion piece is characterized by the first lines: this makes readers curious to ensure that they continue reading. So don't immediately give a summary of what is covered in the article!
What you can do is:
- Tell an interesting part of your story (without telling anything about the ending).
- Reveal something about a discovery you made (but don't tell how you found it out).
- Ask an interesting question (which you will only answer later in your article).
- Lifting the veil on your conclusion (but not saying anything about the facts on which you based that conclusion).
It is important to know your target group. Put yourself in the reader's shoes and ask yourself how you become curious.
4. Throw it out!
The first version of your article doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, your first draft should consist of all the information you can think of about the topic, written down on paper in no particular order.
Think of everything you already know about the subject and put it on paper so you can't forget it later. Make a note of what you see about it in the media, maybe it will give you new ideas. Finally, write down what you think and feel while writing, so that your readers will know from which perspective you view the subject.
5. The rough cut
Now that you have all this information on paper, cross out which parts you do not want to use in your opinion piece. Do this from your feelings: what do you find fascinating and what not?
Then arrange the remaining information in a logical order and connect associations, ideas and thoughts.
Is this no longer working? Sometimes temporarily distancing yourself is the best thing you can do. Then ask yourself: “What exactly do I want to make clear?” and let the answer to that question run like a thread through your article.
The article does not have to be perfect in terms of sentence structure, it is all about the rough structure.
6. Rewrite into a convincing article
Now comes the hardest job, the part that takes the most work and probably the most time: rewriting.
Cut, paste and weave all the pieces of information, all the sentences put together from the rough version into an interesting and clear piece. A convincing opinion piece must make exactly what you want to say clear in as few words as possible. You write persuasively by writing compellingly, concisely and clearly.
7. Write compellingly
If an opinion piece is compellingly written, the reader will continue to read with fascination until the end. Compelling writing starts with providing an attractive introduction. Readers judge a text based on the feeling they get from it after reading it. A surprising peak and a special insight at the end usually leave the reader satisfied. If an op-ed is radical and reveals your vulnerabilities, it's always worth reading.
8. Write concisely
Concise writing is writing without using filler words. These are unnecessary words that add nothing to the text and cause the reader to have extra work while reading. An example is adjectives: only use these if they really add an important detail. By removing unnecessary words, your text becomes shorter, clearer and less boring, which means fewer readers will drop out. For easy readability, pay attention to the correct use of punctuation and the placement of white spaces between the different paragraphs.
9. Write clearly
If you write clearly, your reader will more easily follow what you have to say and what your thoughts are. A few tips:
- Avoid complicated sentences. More concrete means clearer.
- Avoid long sentences. Long sentences require the brain to combine many details and facts. This makes it more difficult to understand a complex issue. Replace the word 'and' in a long sentence with a period.
- Use not only examples, but also counterexamples. An example improves the clarity of what you want to say. An example also gives meaning to abstract words. You can then use a counterexample to clarify what you did not mean.
- Words such as 'that is to say' and 'in other words' indicate that you want to clarify the foregoing. It is better not to use these words and to rewrite the preceding sentence in such a way that it requires no further explanation.
10. Request feedback
Your opinion piece is finished and ready to post as far as you are concerned. Do you want to know if your approach to writing works? Then ask for feedback! That's the best way to improve your work.
Simply ask people who are similar to people in your target readership for a rating for review. You can also ask them to indicate passages that are very appealing or not. Ask the reader if he is missing anything or if any questions remain unanswered.
Do you agree with the criticism, comments or comments? Then adjust your article. And of course you can also provide excellent feedback yourself. Give the article a rest and then look at it again through the eyes of a reader rather than through those of a writer.
Need help?
As you can see, writing an opinion piece does not just come down to choosing a certain style. It is important to formulate your thoughts in a way that influences the reader. By writing better you also learn to communicate more convincingly.
Could you use some help with communication? Would you like to let your readers know what you stand for? Then take Contact contact us or call 020-3455088. We focus on social issues and are always looking for the background of every story.