Writing for Odyssey is pretty great. It is a platform that we writers can share our voice, opinions, and interests. Yes we get some flack for not being "real" journalists when we write a news op, or that we just write click bait, but in all honesty we write what ever we can come up with for that week most times. Hear me out fellow writers, you'll understand the pain of trying to come up with a topic for which you have good content for.
1. When you know exactly what you want to write about:
Some weeks we have an idea, and can easily meet the 500 word minimum and feel great about our content
2. When you want to be trendy
You want to be hip and get all of the page-views and shares you can. So you look at all the trending hashtags, and see what your campus is buzzing about.
3. When you want to be emotional
You want to spill your feelings but you don't know how relative it could be. Also you have to be a little discrete and abstract if you don't want hate comments about the subject of your article. Sometimes you say screw them and write it anyway and it pays off.
4. When you know listicles are the answer to your writer's block.
I'll be honest, most of my listicles are because I couldn't think of anything else to write about and if it's relative people share it.
5. When you want to connect your favorite show to college life
It's been done so many times but when it's done well it receives huge page-views.
6. When you want to thank your parents/siblings
They deserve a lot of thanks, but also it seems private and over done. And you want it to relate to a wide audience so you make it less personal in order to do so.
7. When you want to talk about your amazing friends
*just kidding you only have one amazing friend. But they deserve the world and sometimes it's hard to write down feelings.
8. When you want to talk about controversial topics
You know you need to do research, because those odyssey haters and those who oppose of the topic will come for you and you better have receipts.
9. When you want to talk about your hobbies/sports
You have to figure if you actually have a hobby and how do you write 500 words about it? Also do I remember what it's like to be an athlete, that was 4 years and 30 pounds ago.
10. When you want to get all nostalgic
You have to figure out if you are a true 90's kid, and what decade this really happened in. And do others relate or remember this stuff?
11. When you write about writing for the odyssey.
I had writers block and this is literally the list of topics I went through to see if I could come up with anything good or relevant before the 9 p.m. deadline.
