Trying Your Hand with Advocacy Writing, Part Two
Showcase Interviews Kim Steinhardt
We spoke to law professor and former Administrative Law Judge turned environmental author and marine wildlife photographer Kim Steinhardt on the last socalwriterssowcase.com. He delivers popular talks on and writes about ocean conservation and the often troubled relationship between nature and humans, most recently with his full-color photographically documented children’s book Sabby the Sea Otter: A Pup’s True Adventure and Triumph. Now we continue the interview.
Showcase: In Part One, you mentioned that beginning, advocacy-oriented writers may be able to establish some credentials by actively engaging with organizations working for change. Explain.
Steinhardt: I believe advocacy-oriented writers can advance both their messaging and their writing skills by getting involved with groups, like nonprofits and NGOs, that are aligned with the vision they may have. I see this as a special opportunity that goes beyond helping advance the goals of the organization.
Showcase: Do you have an example?
Steinhardt: A few years back, as my passion for protecting our oceans and our marine creatures grew to, arguably, unmanageable proportions, I began volunteering as a docent with a popular California State Beach park. I developed a natural and cultural history walk that I offered for groups of visitors. This gave me both purpose as well as an opportunity to dig in and further research various pressing issues, like climate change, sea level rise, coastal policies and, of course, my favorite marine mammal – the sea otter.
The sea otter is both iconic as well as extraordinarily popular, providing endless educational opportunities relating to our relationship with the oceans and nature, in part due to its canary-in-the-coal-mine qualities. But for me, it provided lots of new areas of research for translation to the public.
These presentations helped me develop my approach to advocating on environmental stewardship issues with live public interactions, and it soon led me to writing monthly columns on these topics for a park newsletter. As time passed, the messaging evolved and before I knew it, five years of monthly (and later bi-monthly) columns had helped me clarify my message, deepened my knowledge of my subject matter, and given me ample opportunity to craft my writing for certain audiences. I was able to learn and improve based on feedback I got along the way.
Showcase: After 40 or 50 columns, you must have developed quite a portfolio.
Steinhardt: Yes, in addition to the writing experience, this also gave me a solid portfolio of coastal-oriented writing that served as part of the foundation for my later book on California’s coast. Although the book covers many areas, more than one section arises directly from the mountain of columns I’d written. I had sweated over this material time and time again, and it had been test-driven, updated, and polished. That same portfolio was part of the background credibility I was able to offer prospective publishers, ultimately leading to a green light for that book.
As my familiarity with the subject matter grew, I also volunteered my services to several other nonprofit organizations advocating for ocean-related issues – and for which I was able to offer various written pieces for their use.
Showcase: For advocacy-oriented writers, this pathway sounds like a helpful route to exercise the writing muscles, with purpose.
Steinhardt: I look at this public service, volunteer avenue as a great pathway. It is accessible. It has immediate results in terms of advancing your vision and advocacy goals. It has the potential for developing your writing skills and opening doors to put your material out there. Whether or not it is a steppingstone along the way to other publication goals, it is always a win-win for your own goals of advancing change – and using your writing as the tool in that important effort.
Showcase: Can we explore this further in a Part Three?
Steinhardt: The pairing of passion for an important issue with the art of writing seems to me a perfect harmony. What more fulfilling and effective way of spending time and life’s energy could there be? So, yes, and in Part Three, we can discuss one other important way that advocacy-oriented writing may afford benefits to the aspiring writer. . .
Look for Part Three
in the next socalwritersshowcase.com.