Sustainable Writing—Research, Redo & Reuse, Part Three

Check the Calendar

In this final installment of Sustainable Writing I want to talk about Calendar Articles. It’s critically important for us as writers to build a relationship with our readers—it’s even more critical for a magazine or website to do that. One way to accomplish this is by writing about things that are what relevant to them—again that felt need.

Calendars are a great way to do this. Think about Back to School themes in the fall and the theme of Love in February. Go the extra mile though and come up with an original slant to the holidays. Or, if you do write about something fairly common, come up with a sidebar that’s got a slight twist. For example, you might write an article during October titled, Pumpkin Carving with Preschoolers. Make it unique by including a recipe for toasting the pumpkin seeds in a sidebar.

But, with calendar articles, it’s critically important to go beyond the major holidays. I’ve sold articles on Breast Cancer, during October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) and on Yoga, during September (National Yoga Month) and on vaccinations during August (National Immunization Month). Below are some government websites to help get you started on special calendar days and events.

• http://www.healthfinder.gov/nho/default.aspx
• ttp://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/38875.pdf
• http://www.usa.gov/citizens/holidays.shtml

Now it's your turn. Do you have a favorite place to look for unusual holidays? Share it with us. Let’s also have some fun with Calendar Ideas—what are some unusual or fun holidays we could write about?

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie