The Scribblet

About us

The Scribblet is an independent publication based on the philosophy that everyone secretly loves to write, and everyone, with a little guidance, can. But more than that, The Scribblet was born out of the realization that my friends, family, and colleagues have many interesting things to say, but nowhere to say it. 

The publication gives me editorial experience, which is a useful skill to indicate to future employers/publications. It also enables Martin to develop software and blah blah blah skills. 

The Scribblet publishes articles, essays, opinion pieces, and creative writing on topics spanning tech, health, food, politics, and culture. It’s a new publication. Right now, its role is to connect and engage writers. 

It is entirely volunteer run, with no sources of income and is intended, for now, to remain as such.

Writing for The Scribblet

If you’d like to write an article for The Scribblet, there are some things to consider first, as writing a “journalistic” style article is different from an essay or other types of prose. 

The most important thing to remember is that the narrative of an article should be structured like a pyramid, with the most important single detail at the top, followed by additional relevant information, and then followed by the wider significance. This contrasts an academic essay. In an introduction, the pyramid is inverted, with the wider significance first and the main argument last.

For Scribblet pieces, we’re looking for articles ranging from 500-1000 words. It’s good practice to cite sources for statistics or particularly out-there opinions, but at the moment we’re not pretending to be Reuters, so we’re not going to be crucifying every sentence. That said, there will, obviously, be fact checking.

Here are some more tips and information about how to write a “journalistic” style article:

Lede

A lede is the first sentence or introductory paragraph of a news article that gives the main point of the story. 

Example:

The INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, have failed to create an internationally binding UN Global Plastic Treaty.

Nut graf

Short for “nutshell paragraph,” is the paragraph right after the lede that explains the story’s core point and why it matters. 

Example:

After 11 days of discussions aimed at reaching a consensus on ending the plastic pollution crisis, member states and delegations remain deadlocked on specific issues such as reducing production and controlling toxic chemicals.

Active/passive language

Journalist articles are always written in an active voice, where the subject of the sentence performs the action. Passive voice means the subject receives the action.

Example active:

The INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, have failed to create an internationally binding UN Global Plastic Treaty.

Example passive:

An internationally binding UN Global Plastics Treaty has not been agreed upon during the INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland.

If you want to write for The Scribblet please send a pitch or article to: EMAIL