Writing a column is tough. Writing a regular column is tougher. I respect and appreciate someone who can do that.
Three SUN staff went to Albuquerque Friday to judge Wyoming Press Association’s better newspaper contest. Wyoming folks judged us in July and we were reciprocating. Some say getting revenge. I enjoy going because you learn a lot about writing, pick up story ideas, advertising ideas and see some layout and design you’d only see if you pick up newspapers as you travel, which most newspaper people do.
I judged columns in large and small weeklies. The two winners in the large weekly category were head and shoulders above the rest. The winner was a man who was probably in his sixties and wrote about current local issues with an historic slant. He compared things like they used to be in his town and how they were now. The blending was well executed and although I had no idea where the town was, he made me want to care about it.
The second place writer was an outdoors writer. He appeared 25 in his mug shot but his writing was that of a seasoned, 70-year-old mountain man with a college degree. He was devoted to nature and the outdoors and his sophist attitude dripped off each verb.
In the small weekly category the winner wrote about mundane things like the power going out in town or a relative coming uninvited. He belonged on stage. His one liners and set ups for jokes were rapid fire and came from every direction.
The second place winner was a no-nonsense writer who tackled local subjects and wrote with authority and a steady voice. It was clear she’d been writing a long time and worked at it.
Now the rest of them were really interesting. I came across no fewer than three columns on manure. Yes, manure. While that is clearly an important subject in farming and ranching, which Wyoming has plenty of, it doesn’t belong on the op-ed page, much less the editorial page.
Subjects dear to many of the female writers were shopping and high school reunions. Apparently women like to shop and place a lot of importance on their appearance at high school reunions. There, I just summarized about 15 columns for you.
However, there were three columnists in particular who felt their three columns each were worthy of a prize. There are some housewives who surely appreciate the columns, one was a shoe-shopper’s guide to success, another focused on where to find the best Mason jars and another that sticks with me was all about long johns, quality and price. I guess that may be important right now in Wyoming.
One woman thought it important to share recipes in a column. Another wanted to relive taking baths with her brother, replete with a photo.
It snows a lot in Wyoming. The wind blows too. Several writers thought to share those facts with readers, as if the reader doesn’t know that by walking outside or looking out the window.
It’s probably a safe assumption that if you live in Wyoming, you love the outdoors. Columns bore that out too.
No, this column won’t be entered in next year’s newspaper contest. I just had a need to share the drudgeries of column writing. Next week I’ll focus on the weather or my grandmother’s raspberry and strawberry-rhubarb pie recipe.