If you write a regular piece for your village mag

[maerd]

What do you write about?

This is quite possibly one of the most ridiculous problems to have, but I’d like to write something for our village mag (which is crying out for content) and I really don’t have anything to bring to the table

The editor has made a few suggestions, but I’ve tried to write about them and am struggling for things to say for the first column, let alone a regularly monthly piece. Perhaps I’m not cut out for writing (which is perfectly plausible given I probably haven’t written anything of interest since leaving school!) but if you have any ideas I’m all ears...

Review anything happening locally, or any businesses.

A recipe.

Seasonal gardening or food advice.

Daft but fun horoscopes. Or horrorscopes . Have a silly section, seasonal silliness.

Local news- who's had a baby, who's moving, got good results, passed their test, who's got a new dog... with permission, obviously.

Erotica.
You could make it locally themed!

Blind gossip section

Or, an actual idea Seasonal recipes (harvest festival/halloween/Christmas/new year etc) along with a potted history of the event in question.

Local news - any new shops, new neighbours

Interview older members of the community, maybe their wartime relocations, stories about the village etc

Go and investigate local clubs and do a report about them

I like the local news idea, I’m surprised there isn’t something like that already.

I can’t do a gardening section. I’d be laughed out of the village I enjoy gardening but there are some amazing gardeners in our village who would probably be rolling their eyes at anything I’d write.

I did wonder about doing a monthly update about our farm, but I’m not sure anyone really cares that much about our crops.

I'd love an 'on the farm' section. A mixture of proper stuff and whimsical 'look at this lovely buttercup' type stuff!

I'd love an 'on the farm' section to know what seasonal stuff is going on and what animals you have etc.

We don’t really have many animals (at least none in this village, the farm is based in a few different villages) so I fear it would be very boring.

The farm section is a great idea.
I think you're best sticking to something you know well, and although it may seem boring to you (because you're immersed in it), it will interest others.
Especially if you mix up some interesting technical snippets with maybe some nature details and whimsy as a pp suggests.

I'd love a farm section -- the best bits of our village newsletter are about the farms surrounding the village. Mind you, the rest of it is reactionary shite, ads for chiropodists and undertakers (hello, aging population!) and a detailed account of how the Art Circle was taught to do something with scrunched-up newspaper.

I edit a local magazine. From the feedback I get book reviews, and reviews of local places to visit are always popular. I also have an elderly resident who writes fascinating pieces about his childhood and war time experiences and readers really seem to like them. How about visiting all the local clubs and societies and writing a piece about a different one each month. Make sure you take photos people love having their picture in the magazine!

Inez that sounds very similar to ours, with the odd note from the parish council asking for new members/complaining about something

That’s a good point that it may be less boring for people who aren’t involved in it daily. I probably should have started it during harvest when it was a bit more exciting...

Maerd, snap.

Honestly, though, I grew up in the country but not in the UK where it was primarily very small dairy family-owned farms, not much arable due to poor, rocky land, and where we live now in England (large farms often scattered over a number of sites, huge dairy herds, a lot of wheat, barley, oilseed rape on much more fertile soil) is so different it would be really interesting to hear from the people who work this kind of farm.

A farm section would be brilliant. I’d love to know what’s happening this month on the farms near us.

History of a different local building/ Street/ village feature?

Interview with a villager - someone’s who has lived there for donkey’s years, vicar, headteacher of the village school etc.

What to do in the garden this month.

The history of an older housing estate? What was there before, how it got its name, interview the longest standing residents, write about any long gone characters remembered by older residents?

A guide to the village for newcomers?

The community through the eyes of a cat or dog?

An interview with a chimney sweep, long serving post delivery person or housing officer?

Er, please write about the farm.

Isn't that why you've been picked?

Local police officer interview? Crime prevention etc.

You could still do a harvest piece

Mere mortals don't know its already over

Isn't that why you've been picked?

The whole thing is so lacking in content, I think they’d say yes to my dog writing a piece if he offered

Okay, so, if I do a farm piece, what would you want to read about? What we are planning to plant in the village this year? What the different vehicles are that may be seen (like a sprayer and what it is doing and why? Or is that too basic?)

Why not read some Simon Williams or Midults (telegraph online).
Could do reactions to politics or recent news, book reviews.

Literally, why the fields look as they do. Are they fallow, have they been ploughed, what is the crop that is starting to sprout?
And yes, what that funny looking rig is... maybe with a photo or line drawing.

Our local rag has a piece “written” by the cat who lives at the church. So don’t rule out a column by your dog about what he’s been up to on the farm.

Puppy the editor did suggest writing a piece from the dog’s perspective

Okay, so for the first one, I’m thinking of writing about all the Autumn prep we are doing now the fields are empty after harvest, so things like hedging/ploughing etc. And then writing about why we try not to drill new crops until as late as we can, and what we are planting in the village this year. Maybe I will write two, one from my perspective and one from the dog’s, and see which one the editor prefers?

Or possible a Q&A for a "local" (with the same questions every time).

When we had a village business, the dog's Facebook updates got far more "likes" than ours!

Maybe your first one could be the dog?

Favourite food? Squirrel
Favourite hobby? Squirrel
Recurring dream? Squirrel
etc. etc.