Hey, how’s it going? I’m Pat Marcello and I’ve written 10 books for publishers like ABC-Clio, Lucent, and Andrews-McMeel. I haven’t been writing for magazines or writing books for years, but I do write every day. I am a writer. And I have writerly thoughts all the time — some twisted, some normal. And so, I’d like to share a little of each with you. Enjoy!

Holy Cow, What’s a Nut Graph?

You may be wondering, eh? I mean, I'm not a true journalist, though I write feature articles. I have written for newspapers, and this is where the term originated. A nut graph gives readers the reason behind your story. It tells them why they should read your story...

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Feel the Angle

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty intuitive. I mean, I can often read people's thoughts, almost verbatim, and it freaks people out sometimes.  However, it's very useful to me when I'm thinking about an article I want to write. I can almost feel the direction I...

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Finding Your Hook

When you read an article, what pulls you into it? It can be the title first, and probably that's what catches your eye first and foremost. It's no different from a headline. Have you ever read or bought anything that didn't have a compelling title or headline? No!...

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