In addition to being the commissioning editor for Compass Books, Suzanne Ruthven is also editor of the popular quarterly creative writing magazine, The New Writer (which she produces in partnership with literary agent, and publisher, Merric Davidson). She lives in Ireland.

The Country Writer’s Craft

Writing for Country, Regional and Rural Publications

By Suzanne Ruthven

John Hunt Publishing Ltd.

Copyright © 2012 Suzanne Ruthven
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-78279-001-3

Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………1January: The Dark Month…………………………………………….3February: The most unpleasant weather of the year……………………..17March: The first month of spring…………………………………….30April: Rain and sunshine both together……………………………….43May: A foretaste of summer………………………………………….51June: Three fine days and a thunderstorm……………………………..59July: The flowering of the meadows…………………………………..68August: The height of the silly season……………………………….77September: The return of the hunter………………………………….87October: Trees ablaze with rich and varied colours…………………….98November: Preparation for the cold, dark months ahead………………….108December: The time of the Midwinter Festival………………………….125Once In A Blue Moon………………………………………………..137

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

January: The Dark Month

Most people enjoy reading about countryside, regional or ruralaffairs, and whereas women are acknowledged to be the readersof the majority of mainstream weekly and monthly publications,country magazines can also lay claim to having a large malereadership. Surprisingly, many of these magazines refuse topublish anything to do with ‘hunting, shooting and fishing’,while others are devoted to this aspect of living and working inthe countryside. Farming publications are mainly concernedwith the day to day requirements of earning a living off the land;smallholders are catered for with the more modest approach to arural existence. Regional magazines reflect the lifestyle of themore rural parts of the counties or regions, while rural publications(including parish magazines and free papers) will be moreinterested in community-oriented matters and entertainment.

If we are only interested in writing for one small area of thisgenre, then our marketplace is going to be extremely limitedindeed – so we are going to have to learn to think outside the boxand find original ways to interest an editor. In other words, whenwe intend to write in a specialised genre, we have to think likea professional writer.

Professionalism isn’t just about making sure there aren’t toomany typos in our article, or submitting a beautifully presentedtypescript. It’s about attitude – gaining experience, knowledgeand understanding of the publishing world – and that takes timeand effort to acquire. The PW (Professional Writer) understandsthat the entire publishing industry needs to be mentally boileddown into four categories – probables, possibles, highly-unlikeliesand the definitely-nots. He or she never dismisses anoutlet, however, until their minds have explored all the permutation,but neither do they overestimate their own worth.

The PW’s credits tell the editor all they want to know; and apoem published in the Bondage & Latex Users Weekly is unlikely toimpress a commissioning editor at The Shooting Times. The PWmerely lists those publication credits relevant to his/her currentmission. The typescripts are word-counted, double-spaced andeasy to read because the PW knows that an editor’s eye is trainedto speed-read at approximately 250 words to the page. The PWwill always be scanning the reshuffle of magazine ownership andchanges of editor, and be quick to pick up on the shift of trendsin an editorial approach to field sports.

The PW also knows that magazines on the newsagent’sshelves only reflect the ‘popular’ end of the market, and want toknow which new columnists are considered to be the next generationof up-and-coming country writers. New editors can meandrastic changes for magazine features and the PW doesn’tconsider any publication as out-of-bounds.

A word of warning – editors, like elephants, have hellishlylong memories. One editor within country publishing has, overthe years, edited four different magazines. In the early days, hewas subjected to a series of abusive and insulting letters from awould-be contributor. The editor is still receiving submissionsfrom his old enemy and point-blank refuses to even read thecontents. “It still gives me a great feeling of pleasure to write, ‘notsuitable for this publication’ across the rejection slip,” he confessed.

Professional writers are, of course, a joy to work with sincethey understand that freelance writing is a buyer’s market – andthe editor/publisher is the one with all the choice. Having familiarisedthemselves with a publication, PWs will often e-mail orphone with an idea, only to have the editor reject it – but pick upon other points that have been raised and suggest these as analternative feature. This is a common occurrence when, duringthe exchange, the freelance lets slip a previously unmentioneditem which is a hundred times more exciting than the originalproposal. The editor’s favourites are the ones who can set out aconcise letter of introduction, a de tailed outline and offersomething interesting to publish.

The PW rarely writes anything without first knowing wherethey are going to send the finished typescript, and there is littlein life that is more uplifting to a writer than an e-mail of acceptancefrom an editor or publisher. It’s what, after all, every writeraspires to when she or he turns on the computer and opens up anew file for the latest idea. This is what Professional Writers do– they write for publication. They do not waste time nit-pickingand waffling; they get on with the job in hand. The PW doesn’thave the time for any other form of writing because every hourwasted in displacement activity is an hour away from a currentproject or commission. So, before we begin, get an attitude – aprofessional one – and start understanding the market you wantto write for.

Write About What You Know – or Can Learn About

Our first task is to explore the publications in the genre,regardless of where we live in the world. Taking a leaf out of theProfessional Writer’s book, we should never dismiss an outletuntil we have explored all the possibilities, and never overestimateour ability to write for the ‘glossies’ until we have someimpressive credits under our collective belts.

Each magazine will represent the multitude of differentcountry attitudes that will be encountered wherever we live, andgive a simple guide on how and where the readership sees itselffitting into the scheme of things. And if we look closely at thefollowing breakdown of magazines, we can immediately see thatthis is one of the widest marketplaces for finding outlets for ourwork. These are just a few of the international publications thatwe can target:

• For the ‘bred in the bone’ type of people, who see thecountryside as an integral part of their lives, livelihoodand heritage [i.e. Country Life, The Field, Scottish Field, IrishCountrysports & Country Life, Irish Country Magazine,Scottish Sporting Gazette, Shooting Gazette]. See February.

• Farming publications that provide the farming communitywith the latest developments in fertilizers, foodstuffs,machinery and livestock maintenance [i.e. Farmers Weekly,the Farmers Journal (Ireland), Farming Magazine (USA),Australian Farm Journal]. See March.

• The ‘glossy monthly’ that features people, conservation,wildlife, cookery, rural houses and gardens, and countrybusinesses – but rarely found in a working farmhousekitchen [i.e. Country Living, LandLove, Irish CountryMagazine, Country Living (USA), Rural Living Canada]. SeeApril.

• Others maintain a rather genteel and romantic/nostalgicapproach to country matters, that don’t really reflect a truepicture as they resolutely refuse to feature any reference tofield sporting events, which are still very much an integralpart of rural life [i.e. The Countryman, This England, CountryMagazine (USA), Australian Country Craft]. See May.

• Smallholding publications give practical advice on small-scalepoultry and livestock keeping (including rarebreeds), country crafts, gardening and cookery. Theapproach is aimed at those who wish to establish a livingfrom what they produce or rear on the land [i.e. CountrySmallholding, Practical Poultry, Smallholder, Small FarmCanada, Hobby Farm Magazine USA, Homesteading (USA),Countryside Magazine (Australia)]. See June.

• ‘Good Life’ magazines are more ‘kitchen table’ than ‘coffeetable’ and cater for those looking for a life of self-sufficiency.Directing them towards realistic solutions withpractical articles tailored towards the smaller acreage [i.e.Home Farmer, Urban Farmer (USA), City Farmer (Australia)].See July.

• Regional and county magazines are usually glossymonthly or quarterly publications featuring county events,entertainment, businesses and personality profiles of localpeople [i.e. Welsh Country, all County magazines, i.e.Sussex Life, National Trust Magazine]. See August.

• Hunting, shooting and fishing magazines have aworkman-like approach to vermin control and catchingfood for the ‘pot’ or freezer [The Countryman’s Weekly, TheShooting Gazette, The Shooting Times, Fieldsports Magazine,Game and Fish Magazine (USA), Gray’s Sporting Journal(USA), Outdoor Canada, Hunting & Wildlife Magazine (NZ)].See September.

• Rural publications cover local community newsletters, freenewspapers and parish newsletters. See October.

• Equine and rural sporting magazines often provide anoverlap between rural and urban readers [Horse & Hound,Pony Club News (USA), Lakeland Walker, Country Walking,Hill Walking Magazine, Camping Magazine, OutsiderMagazine (Ireland), Backpacker (USA), Go Camping(Australia)]. See November.

• Wildlife publications have a very wide readership thatoften has little connection with country living but canprovide another marketplace [BBC Wildlife Magazine, IrishWildlife Magazine, Canadian Wildlife Magazine, NationalWildlife Magazine (USA), Wildlife Australia Magazine]. SeeDecember.

• Book publishers who accept full-length typescripts on allaspects of country living. [The Good Life Press,Countryside Books, Merlin Unwin Books, QuillerPublishing, Shire Books]. See Once In A Blue Moon.

Our first task will be to acquire copies of the magazines thatappear to offer the best market for our particular writing style,together with the relevant submission guidelines. And althoughI can bang on about market research ad nauseam, it is one of themost important aspects of creative writing.

When we begin our writing career, the most vital lesson weshould learn is the importance of thoroughly researching themarketplace for potential outlets. This is not merely a question ofsending along something in a similar vein hoping for an acceptance;it is the continual study of a particular publication so webecome familiar with that editor’s preferences. It doesn’t matterhow competent we are with the written word, it will be of noavail if we haven’t concentrated our efforts on finding out allthere is to know about our target magazine.

Choose the most current issues available and read througheach magazine very carefully, paying particular attention to theadvertisements because these give an even clearer indication tothe age/reader/market profile for that particular publication.Magazines are filled with all sorts of articles, on a vast variety ofsubjects, but again we need to analyse a selection of those alreadyaccepted by the editor before submitting anything of our own.

What sort of style appeals to the readers? Are the examplesfactual, argumentative, emotive, nostalgic, how-to? Do they offera subject for discussion, or do they merely mirror the author’sopinion? Choose six country magazines for analysis and, pickingthree articles from each, compare them with the following:

• Do the majority of articles contain any new information, orideas linked with current viewpoints or issues?

• If the article covers a familiar subject, is it written from afresh and interesting angle? If so, outline the point ofinterest.

• Does the title catch the eye and if so, why?

• Does the lead paragraph hold your attention and is thesubject clearly introduced in the opening paragraph?

• Do the articles consist of long or short paragraphs? Do longor short words predominate? How many words to asentence? Do the articles comprise of easy to understandwords?

• Is the house style of the publication chatty, friendly, formalor pompous?

• At what type of person are the advertisements aimed?

Research, however, does not necessarily end with the collectingof targets through market research. To add a more professionaldimension to features and articles, we will need to interviewpeople and organisations that have experience in our subject.Editors and publishers want original material that includes inputfrom fresh sources; it is not enough to regurgitate previouslypublished ideas; we need to think of some new ones of our own.

It is not, of course, easy to be original – after all, even thephilosophers tell us that there is no such thing as originalthought. As far as writing is concerned, being original meanstrying to find a different approach to a subject, even to portray itfrom another angle, play ‘Devil’s Advocate’ and offer an alternativeviewpoint. Have a look at the following previouslypublished example of what appealed to the editor of TheCountryman for a January issue.

Life As It Is Lived: The Country Kitchen

Think of the country kitchens from your childhood and whatimages immediately spring to mind? There’s usually the batteredAga (or Rayburn) of course, but more often than not, in ourgrandparents’ house a huge black range, with its multiple ovensand a roaring fire in the grate, would dominate the kitchen inboth summer and winter. The ovens were rarely used for cookingonce a modern gas stove had been installed but they saved thelives of numerous lambs, kittens and chicks, as well as dryingboots and airing the washing. And mingled with the headyaroma of the week’s baking, there would be the underlying smellof damp leather from tack drying by the fire.

By the hearth was always a large, comfortable (if rathergrubby) armchair where grandfather, straight from the fields,could find comfort for a while without having to worry abouttrailing mud through grandmother’s inner sanctum of cleanliness.On a small sofa, equally battered and grubby, a dog or twowould be curled, only marginally cleaner than their humancompanion, but always alert and waiting for the next outing.

The battered furniture might have gone but in any countrykitchen there is always a constant battle between mud and dogs’hair. Kitchen floors are still flagstoned or quarry tiled, sincenothing else is durable enough to withstand the seasonaltraipsing in of mud and muck, no matter how well we clean ourboots.

Most meals are still taken at the kitchen table – often anenormous well-scrubbed pine affair that had supported countlessgenerations of elbows during the house’s long history. During thedark month of January work in the fields is kept to a minimum asthe cattle and sheep are fed closer to home, and this gives neighboursthe opportunity to call – their arrival timed to coincidewith the latest batch of baking and the ubiquitous tea loaf. Thisrecipe has its roots in wartime austerity and its spicy aromaregularly wafts around our kitchen today.

RECIPE: Tea Loaf

1 cup cold tea
1 egg
3 ozs margarine
1 teacup sugar
1 teacup mixed fruit
2 large cups self-raising flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon mixed spice

Simmer the tea, margarine, sugar and fruit in a saucepan for 3minutes and then allow to cool. Mix with flour and beaten eggand pour into a 2 lb loaf tin lined with greaseproof paper.Bake for 1 hr 20 mins on Gas Mark 4 (or 180 C).

This morning’s visitors are tough local farmers, a father anddaughter duo who breed terriers and horses in equal quantitieshere in the Glen. Both red-faced and square-set, they can only betold apart by his bushy side-whiskers and her pearl stud earrings.Booted and capped, the Battersbys have just returned from thehospital following treatment for a broken toe sustained whentheir tractor overturned on the ice. The vehicle was stuckfast between the high, sloping sides of the boreen, and if therehadn’t been the confines of the cab to prevent Battersby seniorfrom spilling out into the road, the accident would have beenfatal.

Nevertheless, with an Irish relish for the near-deathexperience and illness, we are regaled with the story yet again,with both father and daughter talking at the same time, eachanxious to deliver the punchline about God’s good luck, andboth tugging at slipper and sock to reveal the purple-huedextremity. The more grisly aspects of the naked foot with itshorned toenails are averted by the production of a pot of coffeeand the tea loaf. An hour later, all that are left are the crumbs andthe Battersbys have hobbled out in unison into the biting wind,reluctant to leave the warmth of our comfortable modern kitchento go back to the chill of their stable yard. The dogs watch themgo, but make no move to escort them off the premises as is theirusual custom.

With modern climate change knocking the seasons out ofkilter there is, however, something reassuring about deep snowand freezing conditions around Midwinter and the New Year.We may be inconvenienced for a few days by electricity cuts andfrozen pipes, but for a brief moment, we have an insight intohow our ancestors viewed these conditions: huddling togetherfor warmth around a meagre fire, with fuel and food suppliesrunning low, and wolves prowling outside, waiting to feed off thedead. This is a mysterious frozen world where trees loom ghostlikeout of the mist. Everything is covered with a glittering film ofhoar-frost that forms when moisture in the air freezes on coldsurfaces (usually overnight), producing ice crystals in the shapeof scales, needles, feathers and fans.

There is an old country saying that a foot of snow is worth aninch of rain, simply because melting snow slowly percolatesdown into the subsoil. For all the disruption it causes, thethawing process is so slow that most of the water finds its wayinto the underground water systems, the maze of streamsflowing along the underworld of the land. These extremes ofwinter weather are Nature’s way of demonstrating that, despiteall the scientific advancement, humans have little control overtheir life on the planet.
(Continues…)Excerpted from The Country Writer’s Craft by Suzanne Ruthven. Copyright © 2012 by Suzanne Ruthven. Excerpted by permission of John Hunt Publishing Ltd..
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