Write a story

So you want to get your story published?

Hans van de Groenendaal
Feature Editor EngineerIT

Astronomy and space sciences are activities that the general public know little about. There is also little published about these subjects in the general media, talked about on the radio and even less on television. There are thus great opportunities to share your experiences and knowledge about your special interests. By doing so you will create more awareness and interest in the world of science and through your efforts encourage more people to consider careers in astronomy and space.

I would like to offer some guidelines about how to go about writing an article or a media story. The saying "a picture tells a thousand words" is an important departure point. When you set out to write an article or media story consider what illustration can you use to make it the focal point and draw the reader to the story.

Structure your story in three parts, a short introduction that captures the essence of the story, the main body with the details and short conclusion which could be a call to action, an invitation to join your group or to take part in an activity or attend an event.

In your story, look for excitement and adventure. Focus on the awe of looking at the night sky and spotting a shooting star, or the international space station moving across the horizon.

Don't take for anything for granted. What is common knowledge to you may be entirely new to the reader. If you are using an acronym, spell it out the first time you are using it.

Reference your sources at the end of the article. Give you first name, last name, address and contact details.

Save your article as a Word file. Clearly identify pictures and their captions. When sending the article, attach it as a Word document, never as a PDF. Pictures should preferably be in jpeg.