"But I've never written an article before!"

Some people entering the amateur section of this competition may never have written an article before. They may feel passionately about, or have worked in, development – yet when it comes to journalism, they are total newbies. Others want to find out more about a subject they know nothing about, or test their writing abilities. Don't panic, or think you will never reach the next round of the competition. Last year's amateur winner, Kiran Flynn, was completely new to journalism and everyone agreed she did a great job! So why not have a try? Here are some basic tips for people who are new to feature writing: • Cover the essential elements of who, what, when, where, how and why • Put the most important things at the beginning, preferably in the first paragraph • Plan out what you are going to say beforehand • Look at your chosen theme carefully. Consider the questions suggested and attempt to answer some of them • But remember: you need an "angle" - a way to focus your feature. You can't answer all of those questions. This is journalism, and journalism needs to be new and original. That's why an "angle" is important: even if your topic has been covered in the past, there will always be something new to say. • You need quotes. But if these quotes have been gathered by someone other than you, and in particular if they have already been published, you MUST say where they came from. If you don't, this is plagiarism and you will be disqualified. There is more information to help you in the section for amateur journalists here. Also, make sure you read last year's shortlisted features here. They will show the standard for which you'll need to aim. Now you're all ready to have a go. At the very least, you'll have found out about an aspect of development that is interesting and worthwhile. Good luck – and enjoy the process! Helpful resources There is more information to help you in the section for amateur journalists here . Also, make sure you read last year's shortlisted features here . They will show the standard for which you'll need to aim.