Tips for Articles
A story about a place you have fished, the
fish or just a good old fishing story, should have certain information in it to be a
useful source and entertaining for others.
Keep a Journal
Note everything from the planning stage to arriving back home, including the weather, water conditions,
who your fellow fishermen were, and even the mundane things that happen can give you an invaluable source
of information when writing. Make sure you note unusual or funny occurrences.
Identify the Main Point
Identify the main point you want to make before you start the story then write around
this idea. It helps you decide what to include and what to leave out.
Take an original approach
Often, the place you write about has been written about before. It is up to you to take an original, different
approach to writing about the destination. What was it that made this destination exciting or special to you?
What made your trip unique? Find something new to say about popular destinations. For fish species and good
stories, again just take a fresh approach.
Use an entertaining writing style
Convey your story using clear language and don’t be afraid to have your personality show. Use quotes and humor
to make your story more entertaining. Include something that only someone who has been there would know.
Balance facts and personal observations
Your readers are actually 2 people in one: travelers, who want practical information about where you went,
how you got there, any problems or pointers, accommodations, dining, etc. and fishers, who want to know all
about the fish, gear, guides, etc. Your story should be no more than a forth fact (or knowing fishermen,
perhaps I should say at least one forth fact) and three forths personal impressions and observations.
Publishing tips:
FishnClips Magazine requires that all stories and articles be in text (.txt) format. This helps us keep all
the bad guys from doing bad things to the web site. I’m sure situations will arise that aren’t addressed here
so if you have trouble, let us know what the problem is and we’ll find a solution. Or if you have a solution
to a problem that you want to share, let us know that, too.
Most people use word processing software to write their stories and they are automatically saved in that
software’s default format. To save your story in .txt format, open a simple text editor such as Notepad (in Windows: go to Start, All
Programs, Accessories menu) or a similar program that has the option to save in plain text (.txt) format.
Open your story file and copy it (Ctrl-A, then Ctrl-C), move your cursor to the Notepad window and paste (Ctrl-V).
Do not include headers, footers, the title or your name in the text file. The title and your name are entered
in the upload form and will appear twice if it is in the text file.
For tips on uploading your files, please go to Upload Tips.
Have some great tips on writing fishing related articles? Post them on the Forum
for others to use.
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