The Beacon is excited about expanding our coverage, from all things Andover to news from our neighboring towns, as well. To do that, we welcome more excellent writers to submit articles.

We are always looking for stories of local interest, newsworthy items about events or local activities, coverage of people and places in our neighborhood, local sports, nature, regional human-interest articles, even your favorite recipes, hikes, and local sites. In other words, we are a hometown newspaper, and we want your articles about life here in the greater Andover area. 

But how does one go about writing an article for the local paper? Perhaps not surprisingly, the oldest advice may be the best: stick to the 5 W’s (Whom is this about, What happened, When and Where did it or will it occur, and Why or how is it relevant to our readers?).

In general, a good article for the Beacon will contain several elements. The first is a catchy and/or informative title (for example, “Green Martians Land during Fourth of July Parade”). If you can’t come up with a title, our Beacon staff can come up with one for you, probably not about green Martians.

Always use your opening paragraph to state factual information, as in, the Who and the What of your subject. Because of our column widths, keep your paragraphs shorter than you ordinarily might, about two-to-three sentences, contrary to what you may have been taught in English class. The first two paragraphs should be heavier on facts; then the following paragraphs can fill in details.

One of the most engaging ways to make your article interesting is to use quotes from people relevant to your subject. Make sure you have their permission to quote them. And even though your opening paragraph or two should be heavier on the facts of the subject, feel free to establish a scene.

For example, if you’re covering a Martian landing during a parade, you might want to describe the location or what was happening at the exact time of the occurrence. Describe the reaction of the onlookers and get a few quotes. Also, be sure to interview any experts on the subject—perhaps quote a police officer working the scene or a neighbor who speaks Martian and witnessed the event.

If your article is about a local business, a human-interest story about someone in our community, an upcoming event, or ongoing activity, be sure to give pertinent contact information at the end of your piece. Then, once you have written your draft, there are still a few things to check.

Always go back over your article and double-check all proper names you may have used, whether of people or places. It goes without saying, but also check for spelling and grammar: proofread!

In addition, check for objectivity, particularly in a news story. Try to gear your writing toward a third-person point of view. (If a story is not about hard facts, I often break this rule, as I’m doing right now.)

In summary, have fun with this. The Beacon welcomes all kinds of articles. We want your newsworthy pieces, but we also want our local flavor to shine. We love hearing from you about what’s happening on your road and in your neighborhood, on our lakes and in our woods, in our gardens, clubs, sports games, kitchens, and businesses. This is our hometown paper. Bring it on.
To submit an article to the Beacon, please go to: andoverbeacon.com/index.php/helping-the-beacon/

For editorial/writing guidelines, please see:  andoverbeacon.com/index.php/helping-the-beacon/editing-guidelines/

andoverbeacon.com/index.php/helping-the-beacon/proofreading-guidelines/

For general info on writing journalistic articles, though there are many sites, here’s an easy one to start with:masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-like-a-journahttps://list