Editor’s Introductory Note: This kind unsolicited letter was written by a blog reader who has written nine SurvivalBlog feature articles since 2019. – JWR
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I frequently read in the SurvivalBlog the need, too often an urgent need, for new entries to the writing contest. Why aren’t more articles submitted? Obviously, it is not because readers of the blog do not have any ideas. Is it fear of rejection? lack of confidence? Whatever it is, if it keeps you from ever making an entry it is not just your loss, but the reader’s loss as well. (I have no affiliation with the blog other than being a longtime reader and an occasional contributor).
Perhaps you have thought about writing an entry. If so, keep in mind that the number one priority is that, according to the blog, “articles on practical ‘how-to’ skills for survival have an advantage in the judging”, which would also be the same criteria for acceptance. You don’t have to be a professional writer and if you do not have writing skills you’d be surprised to know that most readers wouldn’t know or care, as long as it is readable and makes sense. Don’t worry about your writing skills, just do it. But it doesn’t hurt to learn how to write well. Before you submit an article, whether you are a proficient writer or not, everything needs to be proofread by someone else.
Don’t be intimidated by the 1,500-word minimum for the prize for the writing contest, don’t even pay attention to the word count. What counts is the words you write, not the word count. If you have something in mind to write about, and it is your experience, then it is of value to write about.
If the blog has an article or several articles on the same topic you have in mind to write about, take it as assurance that you are on the right track. But don’t even think about rewriting what somebody else wrote “in your own words”, it wouldn’t work. That’s the literary equivalent of wearing somebody’s underwear that you stole off their clothesline.
Some time ago, there was a this Letter: Why Write an Article for SurvivalBlog? to SurvivalBlog encouraging readers to submit an article to the blog and gave reasons why they should. What to write about? The place to start is with Reader Poll Results: Suggested SurvivalBlog Feature Topics to get an idea of the vast range of topics to choose from. One of the suggested topics was “Prepping Regrets and Failures”, This isn’t where you laugh at somebody else’s mistakes or snicker “I told you so”. This is where you can read about ideas and projects that you have entertained and can learn about other people’s experiences. A recent article;: “A Costly Freeze-Drying Prepper Mistake, by Mrs. T.” (no relation) is an excellent example of this.
I would suggest that another approach would be to reap ideas from your activities. If you keep a journal of your daily routine, accomplishments and read over them you might find that you have things to share with others that would be of benefit to their survival.
The intention of this letter is to motivate readers of the blog to submit articles. Knowing that one of the most important factors in writing a successful article is the motive for writing it, get satisfaction from knowing that what you have to share is going to be highly valued by others. The passion for your topic should exceed your passion to win a prize. If the incentive is to win the goodies, it will definitely have an influence on how you write, which will be detrimental to your writing (adding filler nonsense or show-off blabber). Don’t write to get, but to give. Be motivated by the idea that you are on the rescue team. These are troubling, complicated times; we need as much information as possible to foresee and navigate whatever may come. Age-old wisdom is valuable but not enough. We need to learn from both. It’s about where we came from and what might be ahead.
I know of a man that unbeknownst to him is so incredibly prepared to evacuate and survive in the most primitive and remote conditions that he is the ideal prepper, but does not want to have anything whatsoever to do with the preparedness identity, it’s too freaky. He has a horse & human camper and a complete setup to live in it. He could ride off into the hills, ride the horse, hunt and survive for as long as he has prepared for. If he could write about his setup he’d have a winning entry because of all of what he has learned about living on the trail in group camps in remote wildernesses. He knows and has experienced so many things that we will never know about. After all, why should we benefit from his expenses and hard-earned experiences if we haven’t done it ourselves? And so it goes.
And then there are too many people who should write but who never will. I knew such a fellow, to sit and listen and watch what he did was like going to school. He liked to talk about what he did, but was incapable of writing about it. A lot of these people have been written about in books like the Foxfire book series. If you’re one of those persons, find someone who will document what you do. These are people who are called treasures.
A friend of mine whose dad had an incredibly rare skill and proudly boasted how only he was the best at that and he would take his knowledge with him to his grave, which he did, both of which are forgotten. Don’t be like that. Don’t squander what you know. A friend of my family was a Swiss woodcarver who was a very gifted craftsman and shared not only his carving skills but also his tools with me. I will pass that on.
Do you think you are too old to write anything of interest to anyone else? When my dad was in his 80s I pestered him for years to write his autobiography, which he finally did. He did it on an old typewriter with his two pointer fingers. He didn’t learn how to speak, read or write English until he attended school and never really got it right, his spelling and typographical errors were frequent, but the finished work was a historical masterpiece; growing up on the farm during the Great Depression. Age is not a reason to not write, it is a reason to write. The longer you live, the more you know about what works and what doesn’t. You shouldn’t be surprised to know that others would relish to hear about your experiences.
I submit articles to SurvivalBlog about things that I do and know about. Most of them have been published, and just a few have not. I will submit more. Now it’s your turn. A quote often heard is that “God helps those who help themselves”. I would suggest that God is more willing to help those who help others.
