Tips and Tricks
Do – write about your own special place that you know, and have cared for or ‘rescued’ – a bend in the river, a stretch of beach, a stand of trees, a wombat warren etc OR write about one particular native animal you formed a bond with OR talk about how a particular tree you rescued makes you feel as you look at/touch/approach it.
Do – think about how this act of rescuing has impacted on you.
Don’t – make it a rant or a vent – craft your writing carefully and keep it to your personal experience.
Do – keep to the word limit for each contribution – 500 words maximum. This duration works well for podcast production.
Do – expect minor editing – major editing will be done only with your permission.
Do – share the link to your story once published, on twitter and facebook
Do – upload a photo of your special place/rescued creature/or something relevant for each contribution.
Do – use your own photo or make sure you have permission to use the photo you upload.
Don’t – forget the rules. It is important to read our terms and conditions and community guidelines.
Do – be careful about including photos of people who are under 18. You need to have the permission of their parent or guardian to publish their photo on Landcare Australia.
Do – visit other people’s contributions and make a comment or give them a thumbs up!
If you’d like further tips for writing, read on:
Your writing may come out in a lovely stream of consciousness but if it doesn’t, have a think about some of the following:
Share your humanness, look within and think about the moments you had which were almost timeless but which you won’t forget.
Lure us in! Try not to give everything away in the first sentence. Take the reader on a journey, unfold your story.
Keep your sentences short – that works well for short stories and spoken word – don’t forget your story may become part of a Landcare podcast!
If you get stuck, try reading what you’ve done aloud, it may help you move forward.
If you get stuck again, just leave your work to sit – inspiration may visit you later. And if you revisit your draft a day or two or three after, you’ll find things you can tighten up, and polish.
Share with a friend and ask for their feedback.
And finally, as always, remember, rules were made to be broken!
