How long is an opinion paper

Make sure you don't begin a new paragraph because the one you are writing right now is too long. Begin a new paragraph only when you want to discuss a new idea.

To conclude your opinion essay, write a paragraph where you restate your opinion using different words. You should avoid introducing a new idea or apologizing for your views. However, to make your essay more engaging, you can end with a warning, ask a provocative question or suggest consequences.

When you complete your essay, evaluate different aspects to make sure that your work is just excellent:. In addition, make sure you do not present your ideas using the lists. After all, this is an opinion essay, not a shopping list. Done right, your opinion essay will be an outstanding piece of writing.

Do you homework first to ensure that you have the best chance of getting accepted. Most major newspapers today accept timely op-eds by email. The New York Times receives more op-eds daily than any other paper in the US, so competition there is fierce. Here is an example of an op-ed I wrote for The Seattle Times. He has been a newspaper reporter on major dailies, an ad copywriter, and a magazine editor. An argument is much better than a discussion. Just make sure you do have authority.

Unless you have fought in the Iraq war, have lost a family member there or are from Iraq, your chances of selling a piece about it are slim. Businesses offer some of the most rewarding, creative and lucrative opportunities available to freelancers today-and breaking in can be easier than you think.

Freelance writing is a business like any other—to succeed, you need a mix of skill, hard work, perseverance, and perspective.

This collection combines the popular tutorials of bestselling author and sought-after freelancer I. Schecter that can help push your freelance career forward! Click to continue. Even if you can pen a smart argument on a topical subject, nobody wants to print what everyone already knows.

Most of the op-ed pieces my students have published over the years—in large publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post as well as small ones like The Star Ledger—are between and words. Longer pieces tend to be penned by well-known scribes, senators and steady columnists— not freelancers.

Beware of making too many New York or Los Angeles references in a piece aimed at The Detroit News or a website with national or international readers. Similarly, financial references and other such factors should depend on demographics. If you want to publish in lots of op-ed pages, develop multiple personalities, like the woman in the old Sally Field movie Sybil. To comment on parenting issues, mention that you have four children.

If you want to interest the editor of Forward a Jewish publication , The Irish Times or Audrey an Asian lifestyle magazine , state your religion or ethnicity in the cover letter, the piece itself and your bio. I have many identities for my various voices. Editors are also reluctant to run pieces trashing another specific article in a newspaper or magazine.

Furthermore, a rant wrapped solely around one movie, book, play or TV show is a review, not an op-ed. But maybe they never received your submission because of a fluke. To make sure your op-ed landed where it was directed, follow up politely within a week.

So speak up. The squeaky writer gets the clip—and the check! Ambassador Philip Kaplan discusses how the characters came to him through the magic of the writing process in his debut novel, Night In Tehran. State your opinion briefly in the fashion of a thesis statement 4. Explain the issue objectively as a reporter would and tell why this situation is important 5. Give opposing viewpoint first with its quotations and facts 6. Refute reject the other side and develop your case using facts, details, figures, quotations.

Pick apart the other side's logic. Concede a point of the opposition — they must have some good points you can acknowledge that would make you look rational. Repeat key phrases to reinforce an idea into the reader's minds.

Give a realistic solution s to the problem that goes beyond common knowledge. Encourage critical thinking and pro-active reaction. Wrap it up in a concluding punch that restates your opening remark thesis statement. Keep it to words; make every work count; never use "I". A Sample Structure I. Include the five W's and the H. Members of Congress, in effort to reduce the budget, are looking to cut funding from public television. Hearings were held …. Present Your Opposition First.