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. 170). Think about all the Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other holiday stories you have ever seen. Hundreds, no doubt. To make the special season come to life, you have to capture the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and even feel of the season. These stories lean heavily on your descriptive abilities when you write about events and activities surrounding these special moments in our lives.Why Write Seasonal Feature Articles?There are numerous reasons for writing seasonal articles. First, there's professional opportunity. Although editors generally have enough copy for the routine issues of their newspapers, magazines, and newsletters, there always seems to be a shortage of good seasonal material. This editorial need means seasonal features are an effective way to crack the freelance market and to get an editor to notice your work above and beyond others'. Even experienced writers often overlook seasonal article opportunities. These articles, geared to a special time of the year, can also open the door to you for other, nonseasonal opportunities, Parker (1975) explained. Page 212The importance of seasonal features extends beyond the need to entertain readers by describing the occurrence of holidays, annual events, major anniversaries, or even the changing natural weather and growing seasons. Wire service and newspaper articles focusing on weather often look at the seasonal nature of weather. Some features highlight it. In the northeast and midwest, the cooling fall means the season to go into the countryside to see nature's colors. In the south, along the Gulf of Mexico, summer means the rainy season or, as some call it, hurricane season.Karen Hayes, a correspondent for the South Weekly section of The Boston Globe, began her story about the official arrival of winter in this way:It's back. Flying in the face of last week's brief balmy break, with temperatures flirting with the 50s in most communities south of Boston, winter officially begins today at 3:07 p.m.The winter solstice means different things to different people. Today's season opener happens to be the shortest day of the year, with the least amount of daylight a gloomy prospect for those susceptible to seasonal affective disorder or cabin fever. The sluggish sun did not rise until 7:10 this morning and will beat a hasty retreat at 4:14 this afternoon.That means street lights, and any other dusktodawn lighting run on photoelectric cells, will stay on longer today than any other day of the year, said David Jacobs, a spokesman for Eastern Edison, which provides electricity to Brockton and surrounding communities. But more electricity is used during the summer, when air conditioners run, than in winter, he said. (Hayes, 1997, p.1)In addition to the spot nature of these two seasonal wire feature stories, seasonal feature articles are also used by newspaper, magazine, and newsletter readers well in advance of the seasons or holidays to help prepare for the celebrations, the changing weather, and any special activities associated with seasonal events. There is a certain functional value to seasonal stories that extends past their pure entertainment value. A wellwritten seasonal story educates readers about a religious holiday or about a national hero. It teaches our children the value of remembering an important family day such as Mother's Day or even a routine civic activity such as voting. These stories help readers prepare for potential weather disasters such as winter bliz Page 213zards, spring tornadoes, flooding, or subtropical hurricanes. The articles can teach your readers how to make, prepare for, and understand the meaning of a special meal such as a Passover Seder.Developing Seasonal IdeasTo begin generating seasonal article ideas, take a look at any calendar. For starters, there is a list of major annual holidays and seasonal occasions later in this chapter. But you can go well beyond this list because these are only the major national dates you should know. There are, of course, various other national holidays (such as those in Mexico) that are celebrated in the United States. There are also unique regional holidays and state holidays that are peculiar to the regions and states. You can probably think of one of two in your own state that are not on the list included with this chapter.Many of the local holidays and seasons do not appear on nationally sold calendars and appointment books, so do not depend on these sources for complete lists
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