Q&A for How to Write a Notable Editorial

A great editorial is written by someone who has some level of expertise on the topic. For instance, someone who's run a shelter for abandoned pets could write a good editorial about the need for volunteers at animal shelters. Ultimately, a great editorial leaves the reader of an editorial with some type of action—not necessarily something the reader themselves has to do, but a general solution or cure to make things better.

Using the first person plural ("we" or "our") is very common in editorials to make the piece feel more personal, but there are no hard and fast rules if you would like to try something different.

Just stick to your facts and expound them; try and take what you do have into a unique direction. Never jot down something which you aren't very sure of.

You could use the royal "we" or just we if you're writing on behalf of a team. Or, you could refer to "this paper", "this book", "this edition", etc.

No, I think not. You might write opinions for up to five topics or so. If you have a lot of opinions, pick the most important ones.

No you do not, but you can if you want. Editorials are about feelings, and if you feel you need an image to convey yours, do it.

You can research through credible online websites, books, or interviews with someone well qualified in that particular area (such as an Economist who has his Doctorate and works at Yale University for information on fiscal policy).

Try doing more in-depth research. See if you can find experts on the topic and arrange for interviews. If you don't have much time, just form your argument as best you can or, if possible, choose a different topic that you are more knowledgeable about.

You should incorporate other people's views, along with your own. Basically speaking as one voice.

It depends on the newspaper. Usually though, yes, only one. Check your local newspaper to see how many it is in your case.

No, "I" and "myself" are only used in columns. When writing an editorial, you should instead use "we".

Just present the problem you're about to write on. Then simply write the editorial with your suggested solution.

Some common ways are to start with a question, example, or anecdote. The opening lines of any essay or article are called the 'attention grabber' for a reason - they grab the reader's attention. Make sure what you use points to the opinion you're expressing, though. Don't start by giving an example that supports the other side, for example - you can do that later in the opinion and then refute it. if you make an outline before you write, then you can plan how you'll refer back to your attention grabber at the end of the article, which will make it more connected, better writing, etc.

Use a third person perspective when writing an editorial, except for quotes.