Stories To Look For As A Freelance Writer Outdoor Events

By George Foster


Throughout the year, celebrations and special occasions are held in various cities and states across the country. Depending on where you live, the calendar might be full of activities to which the public is invited. As a freelance writer outdoor events can be especially exciting to cover. You can prepare your career now by knowing what occasions to head to in order to find the next breaking story.

January is the time of year when newly elected politicians are sworn into office. When you want to break a story that will be of interest to your readers, you could cover the inaugurations and swearing in ceremonies. These events, which are held on the steps of the capitol building or statehouse, are typically open to the public as well as writers who either represent established media or work for themselves. You might score interviews and photos for which no other reporter can take credit.

If you are interested in finding less hard hitting news, you might cover some of the sports tournaments being held in the area. In the springtime in particular, tournaments played at both the high school and collegiate level captivate the attention of your readers. They may want to know what teams are playing and what the scores are.

They also might wish to learn about records that have been broken or new records that have been set. Like political stories, you might get photos and videos to attach to the stories you cover. You also could sell what you have recorded to local media that may not have been there.

Other events that captivate people are high society weddings. Particularly in the Deep South, high society weddings are big news during this time of the year. Well-connected families marry into each other and cause ripples in the social news scene. Your readers may want all of the details including where the weddings were held at and what kinds of menus were served at the reception and dinner.

The bigger news could come from the names of the people marrying each other and why the connections are particularly newsworthy. Sometimes these connections have a way of changing the fabric of society in small to mid-size towns. The story will be complete once you get official pictures of the newlyweds together.

Christmas and holiday festivities are also noteworthy in many parts of the country particularly small towns where people all know each other. Even people who have moved often subscribe to newspapers from their local hometowns. These festivities during the holidays range from food bazaars and carnivals to live nativity scenes set up outside of churches. Telling who was there, what celebrations were held, and who won raffle prizes can be vital to your readers.

These events and more are all prime occasions for a freelance writer like you to find big news. You could be the only reporter at the outdoor event. Your readers might especially look for tidbits that are fascinating to them or have some connection to the area or their families. You also have the option of selling the news for money.




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