Hot topic of the week

I have a question that may seem heretical and preposterous, but it has been bothering me for several months now. I have been researching the intelligent design vs. evolution debate for a 20-25 page paper I am working on for my English class, and this question suddenly sprang up during my research. How do we, as Christians and as special creationists, explain the fact that life forms, such as the kangaroo and the koala, on the continent-island of Australia are so unique to that one area of the world? The fact that koalas and kangaroos are only found on the continent of Australia, New Guinea, and the small surrounding area seems to contradict the theory of creation and support the mainstream theory of evolution. Because kangaroos and koalas are endemic to that particular area of the planet, this can be taken to support the popular belief that it is plausible that life may have evolved on Australia differently from the rest of the globe. Also, it is generally accepted that the continents

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Writer's Guidelines

Insight wants your story! Read on for suggestions on what to write, how to edit yourself, and how to submit your manuscript to us. Happy writing!

What is Insight? Who reads Insight? What to Write How to Write Writing a Story

Writing a Profile Writing an Article Editing Checklist How to Submit a Manuscript

What is Insight?

• It's a weekly 16-page magazine for highschool-aged teenagers (13-19 years old).
• It's published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association and is a ministry of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
• It's distributed to youth at church, at church schools, and through home subscriptions.

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Who reads Insight?

• Insight's audience is primarily American and Canadian teenagers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
• The readers are diverse in gender, ethnicity, school experience (public school, private day school, boarding academy, home school, college), church experience (large, small, formal, informal, "liberal," "conservative"), interests, and spiritual maturity.

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What to Write

Insight needs: true stories, profiles of Christian celebrities, profiles of outstanding Seventh-day Adventist youth, and general articles.
Insight doesn't need: fiction, sermons, poems, puzzles, and parables.


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How to Write

Writing a Story

A series of events doesn't make a story. A story has three basic elements:

1. a beginning, which provides factual details such as who, where, when;
2. a conflict or crisis, which builds suspense;
3. a resolution (physical or mental), which shows character growth.

All Insight stories must be true, and should be told from a teenager's point of view. They should include elements of good storytelling, such as realistic dialogue, believable characters (not "perfect" or "terrible"), sensory impressions (show--don't tell), and a strong spiritual conclusion.

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Writing a Profile

When interviewing an outstanding teenager or adult, look for a current "story" (see previous section). Find a time of conflict or crisis they've encountered recently (or if an adult, in their teen years). Then describe the experience as well as how the subject has grown through it.

Profiles shouldn't be a rsum of what a person has done. Rather, they should show how a person has faced tribulation and how God helped them persevere and grow.

Profiles should also include quotations from the subject, but they should be only the most powerful statements and should be used sparingly. Some leading interview questions might be: What was the most difficult time of your life? How did God help you? How did the experience change you? When did you first begin to trust Christ? When you blow out the candles on your eightieth birthday cake, what do you want to look back on?

Good profiles also benefit from interviewing other people who know the subject, such as parents, close friends, siblings, etc. After asking factual questions (How did you meet the person? How long have you known him/her?), ask such questions as: How have you seen God work in this person's life? What hard times have they been through? What character growth have you observed? How has this person changed your life?

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Writing an Article

Articles should address topics of interest to today's teenagers from a Christian perspective.

An article should begin with a story or several anecdotes to introduce the topic. The story or anecdotes should be true and involve teenagers. (See section "Writing a Story" for tips.)

The article should include a biblical perspective. (We prefer scriptural quotations in the New International Version.) Most articles benefit from one or two sidebars, which might provide "how to" steps, resources, definitions, a self-quiz, or other information related to the subject.

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Editing Checklist

When checking over your piece, make sure it includes:

• an opening that will grab the reader
• active verbs, rather than "be" (is, was, were, etc.) or passive verbs
• dialogue
• description that is concrete rather than abstract, specific rather than general
• true examples and anecdotes
• simple, current language in a conversational tone
• unpredictable details and fresh insights
• a strong spiritual message

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How to Submit a Manuscript

• Manuscripts must be typed, double-spaced.
• With each manuscript, please include: your name; mailing address; phone number; church name, city, and state; Social Security number (necessary for payment); gender and ethnicity (for illustrative accuracy); and biographical facts (such as age, job title, school attending, major, etc.).
• Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for return of your manuscript.
• Send manuscripts by mail or e-mail to:
  
  Insight 55 W. Oak Ridge Dr.
  Hagerstown, MD 21740-7390
  insight@rhpa.org
  
  
• Questions? Call 301-393-4038.