Alyce Wilson

As a writer for Yahoo! Contributor Network, I have a regular beat to submit stories of interest to the Greater Philadelphia area (i.e. the five counties: Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Bucks). I am looking for the following: feature ideas, upcoming event info and possible interview subjects. In particular, I’d welcome ideas related to family-friendly activities, since I’m thinking of writing a series.

You can look through my existing portfolio to see what sort of stories I’ve written in the past. Pay particular attention to the Philadelphia-area stories, since I’ve also done a lot of entertainment writing.

Please e-mail me with any of your suggestions.

Here’s more info from Yahoo! about what sort of stories they’d like me to write.

Submit unique, well-written, and compelling local content of metro-wide interest in your area. Submit only when you have a submission that meets all guidelines and expectations. Only professional-sounding bylines are acceptable.

Write local features or news stories that aren’t being reported by other news outlets or go beyond coverage by other media. Think about the stories that local readers need to know — answer questions for them, tell them something new about their area, reveal and explain local controversies, solve local mysteries, etc. Think outside the box!

Find unexpected and compelling local stories — don’t tell readers what they already know or what they aren’t likely to click on to find out more. This content must be objective — opinion pieces are generally not accepted.

Don’t rewrite other coverage — all submissions should be original, unique, and go beyond other coverage.Search Yahoo! News before writing to ensure that your topic hasn’t already been covered.

Write with authority. Be detailed, specific, and authentic. Cite authoritative sources for all factual claims and information (no Wikipedia or other user-generated sources). Include all essential information, such as websites, locations, contact information, hours, pricing, etc. as applicable. Proofread carefully.

Last week, my hometown newspaper, the Milton Standard-Journal, for which I used to write, ran an article on my upcoming collection of columns and essays. I promised I’ll let him know when the book is out so they can do a follow-up.

The reporter talked to me over the phone, and then I sent him some possible photos to use. I’m pleased with the one he selected, because it’s always been one of my favorites. It’s a self-portrait of me with my dog, Una. The story behind it is this: in the fall of 2007, I wanted to take some photos for professional purposes. So I dressed in a teal button-down shirt, spruced up my hair and makeup, and made my way to the local park. I took Una along for the fresh air and the company.

She sat and watched patiently while I took self-portraits, using the timer, in various locations. Then, I moved the tripod lower to do a few of the two of us. On this particular shot, right as the camera beeped and the picture snapped, she licked me on the face! The action shot, and my natural reaction, is one of the best photos ever taken of the two of us.

It’s funny, isn’t it, how sometimes the best creative works come about by pure chance?