Chapter
One: Part One - Absence of Thought
“Within the
space of fifteen minutes, the horse escaped from the paddock and went down with
colic … two swallows flew into the cottage and got trapped in the sitting room …
three large dogs pitched in to help expel the invaders … and in the midst of
all this mayhem, the magazine deadline was looming ...”
The second most common question a
writer is asked, is ‘where do your ideas come from?’ [The first is: ‘Do you
make any money from it?’] Experienced writers don’t go looking for ideas; ideas
come to them. An experienced writer just has the knack of spotting what makes a
good story (in this case, an editorial) … or what will make a good story once
it’s been given the right spin … because none of us, if we’re honest, will let
reality get in the way of a saleable piece of work.
The opening dramas really did
happen, but they took place over several hours without any of the fauna
involved suffering adverse side effects. The horse had an injection; one
swallow escaped without help, while the other required an open window before it
made its exit. The greyhounds had a Bonio apiece and went back to sleep; and The
New Writer was duly despatch via www.mailbigfile.com on schedule.
Condense the story into a 15-minute drama and it gives a thumb-nail sketch of
the hectic domestic life of a freelance writer and editor. Tell it like it
really was and the reader response would be: ‘So what!’
All editors are looking for an
element of action, drama or surprise, even in non-fiction. It’s what catches
their attention and makes them pause to read further; and the key to any editor’s
heart is originality. Not necessarily a new departure in style or genre, but a
refreshing and original slant on a popular theme. The writers whose work has
been accepted for publication, managed to spark the editor’s interest because
those particular typescripts stood out from the rest on a dull, wet Monday
morning.
It’s not always easy to be
objective about our own work, but the first question we need to ask is: why did
those other writers stand out? What was so special about that particular piece
of writing? What made the editor decide to published them over the hundreds of
others (including our own submission) arriving in the office during that month?
• It may have been brilliantly
written – but so are hundreds of others.
• It was probably topical – but
so are hundreds of others.
• It probably met every point in
the contributors’ guidelines – but so did hundreds of others.
The answer, without doubt, was
that particular writer’s approach to a common or popular theme was so fresh and
appealing that it was almost as if the editor was reading about the subject for
the first time. In other words – originality!
One of the first instructions I
usually give at a writers’ workshop is to always discard the first idea that
comes into your head. And while you’re at it, discard the second … and third
idea,
too. This is because a hundred
other writers will have had an identical thought for an article (poem or short
story) stimulated by something seen on television, read in a magazine or newspaper,
or heard on the radio. We may not consciously realise that this has been the
source of our inspiration but the seed has been planted firmly in the deep
recesses of the brain.
In fact, running the annual TNW
Prose & Poetry Prizes we can usually predict the predominant theme(s)
for competition entries and, more often than not, the approach to the subject
itself, will also be repetitive. Here the only difference between a good and bad
submission is the standard of writing and use of language. And the thing that
makes a submission stand apart from the rest is where the writer has thought
outside the box and developed the idea laterally. Linear thinking rarely wins
prizes or editorial selection.
Let’s say, for example, that a
national scandal has erupted in the news involving key players in the
horse-racing world, and the question is raised as to whether they will be present
at Aintree some months down the line. You may have a passion for the geegees and
think that there will be a market somewhere for a piece on the Grand National …
but so will hundreds of other writers. The collective subconscious has been
busy and already thousands of fingers will be busy typing out a history of the
race, with or without a list of past runners and riders.
Stop and think for a moment: The
editor of The Racing Post, won’t be interested; top equestrian magazines
such as Horse & Hound will have seen it all before, and
publications aimed at other horsey disciplines will not be featuring a
historical article on the ‘sport of kings’. Unless you’re a known name in
sporting journalism, it’s doubtful whether any of the top trainers or jockeys
will be willing to talk to you; and unless you have some fabulous, previously
unpublished racing photographs of Royalty, there’s little scope for anything by
a freelance. Or is there … several ideas spring immediately to mind:
• The groundsman responsible for
the maintenance of the hallowed turf, or all-weather track, providing an
interview doesn’t infringe on race day and you are capable of asking intelligent
questions.
• The private owner is always
good for a story – like the couple who had a runner in the 2010 Grand National,
which they kept stabled on their allotment!
• Work riders and/or stable staff
grow very attached to their charges and although you won’t get any inside
information on the horses, there’s scope for a career piece on what it takes to
work in a busy racing yard.
• Ladies’ Day sees the women
competing for the best dressed prize and some fashion tips on how to jazz up an
existing outfit for the occasion might appeal to a fashion editor in these
times of recession. Exactly what do you wear for a race meeting?
• Everyone is interested in food
these days and an insight into the catering arrangements provided for the
hospitality suites, with suitable adaptations for home cooking might just make
an editor’s mouth water. Find out the name of the caterer and obtain some
sample menus if no one is available to talk to you.
• Former apprentice jockey Jim
Anderson turned his hand to poetry and paid this homage to the great dual Derby
winner and 1981 champion, who was stolen from his stable by the IRA and never
seen again, after their demands for ransom were refused:
SHERGAR
So that was it
old friend. So much for men.
The Crowns and
laurels count for nothing now
And those who
came like sneak-thieves in the night,
Have Cain’s
eternal mark upon their brow.
They did their
master’s bidding; made their name;
Not as you did
in battle’s glorious fire.
No courage,
spirit, heart or talent asked.
Just worthless
souls which cheaply were for hire.
Reprinted by the
kind permission of SportsBooks Limited of Cheltenham
Shergar &
Other Friends: An anthology of horseracing poetry
Added to that, there are several
possible target markets here that wouldn’t normally be interested in
horse-racing, including regional magazines if there is a local connection.
Equine publications aimed at the young rider might accept a career article, even
though they may not usually feature horse racing. Women’s magazines could
feature an Aintree, Ascot, Kentucky Derby or Melbourne Cup luncheon
for the ladies, while the men are glued to the television, or off watching the
race. Trade or professional papers catering for park-keepers and groundsmen might consider an interview with
the man responsible for keeping the course looking good. And even if you miss
Aintree, there are dozens of premier race meetings taking place all over the world, throughout the year
that might adapt themselves to this kind of spin.
Learn to think
outside the box.
Life Writes is available from Compass Books at www.compass-books.net.
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