1. Columns
Opinión Writing

2. SELECTION OF A TOPIC
There are certain things, which must be kept in mind. However, it is always considered, ‘how readers will react to it’, prior to selecting the topic.

3. SELECTION OF A TOPIC A difficult task
Brainstorm with others is also a good idea because besides giving you new ideas, they add something to your arguments. Plus it also helps in seeing both sides of the same picture. However, it must never be taken for granted.
Finding a new topic or subject every day or every alternative day is definitely difficult, and usually regular columnists can fall prey to this.

4. Choose from the news items of dailies
One of the easiest ways to find an idea is of discussing news items, and it is never considered to be a bad idea. This also helps in actualizing the saying ‘Bring to focus what is current’, and news items aptly cover this idea.
He must discuss it in a wider perspective, that is, the present situation in background. This also helps in maintaining the currency of a column.

5. Current – May be any incident
Sometimes unreported incidents can be a subject of a column, and the columnist never chooses an incident against editorial policy.
For even an unreported incident, currency of the incident is a must.
One basic criterion for such a selection is how far the incident has affected, adversely or positively, the readers.
‘See what others do not see’ is the basic idea of looking for possibilities.

6. Close to your heart
Subject must be touching your heart or mind, and it can even any incident from ordinary life, may be a chat with the family or someone coming up with a statement.
Anything that makes you think, and you want to share can be a subject for column, but it must never be a stale or routine subject.

7. Try to find a scoop
Writers try to find a scoop, and are always looking for big news, which has not been reported so far.
For this, they talk to people, who are either taking big decisions or ordinary ones.
In the process, the columnists are sharing information to get more information.

8. Of interest to the readers – that is primary
One of the basic things is that the columnist should not give boring stuff to readers, and make an effort of making it interesting.
He can make any subject look different, which can be the same one for others. He also makes an ordinary subject interesting with his own observation, minor subjects look big through his column.

9. Never based on rumor
While talking to people, much of a gossip one listens to, it should be avoided.
Gossip is usually less brainy and true, and one must think about it.
A good columnist never targets someone on mere hearsay, and he confirms whatsoever being said.
He confirms the ‘news’ and ‘views’ before writing about it.

10. An idea, a sentence
A mere idea striking your mind is a subject or a sentence spoken by anyone can be a subject too. A columnist keeps his eyes and ears open to look for the possibilities, and coming out as something as a subject, while never over-estimating or under-estimating an idea or a sentence.

11. Those who write on rare topics
Writing on a topic and with a fresh approach is a rarity, as more writers are writing about news topics or something happening around him.

12. Choosing news scattered and suiting to mood
Society, others’ lives, your own and happenings around you, are subjects, and never let your surrounding go unnoticed. A columnist makes use of every opportunity, as he is a keen observer looking for good and bad both.

13. What strikes your mind, you must write
Your first and last tutor is your mind, and the writer must be using mental filters before accepting any idea to write on, and preserve information about it. However, whatever appeals to him mind, should be contextualised as well by seeing what readers will approve or not, and then look for the ways to make it acceptable for the readers.

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