Nostalgia is not what it used to be – famous words and in these troubled times many people are hankering for the past. Is it true that when we remember things from the past, they were always better than they are now? The good old days! Well, maybe. We remember that holidays at Butlins were better, sweets were bigger and better and strangely the world seemed like a better place.
People get nostalgic for the good old days which means that there is always a market for nostalgia in writing. There are a number of publications that accept writing on nostalgia – be that your favorite memories of holidays, memories of walking through a favorite part of the countryside, favorite television or radio memories, music memories, favorite foods and so on. Magazines such as Evergreen, Ireland’s Own and Best of British all seek contributions on topics related to the past among other things.
How to Brainstorm a Topic
There are a number of ways you can construct your writing for nostalgia magazines to make it appealing. You could get together some old pictures and write a story around them. If the pictures are your own – great; if not, you must seek permission before using them. Pictures can evoke so many strong memories and give a real sense of the past so with some suitable words you can conjure up a little bit of history!
You could undertake a review of books or television programs from the past. Everybody has a favorite book from their childhood and writing about books and bringing them to the fore in today’s climate can be a very popular topic indeed. Music is always a topic that brings strong memories to our minds. People remember the first record they ever bought; the first song at their wedding or, morbid as it sounds, songs that remind them of loved ones who have died. You could focus your attention on different eras – perhaps the 20s, 60s or 80s. Memory Lane is a quarterly magazine that has a particular focus on the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s – so if you are a fan of this genre – get writing!
Nostalgia may be about the past, but don’t be fooled into thinking that all readers of nostalgia magazines are old. This is simply not the case. Many younger people have a love of ‘older’ things like music, books and cars. Pride and Prejudice is hardly a recent publication is it? So pitch your writing to a broad audience age range so that it is appealing to all.
As with any other type of writing for magazines, check the guidelines first. Be clear about the style and type of work the magazine is looking for before you send anything – do your homework! To ensure you have the best possible chance of being published make sure your work has been proofread for spelling and grammatical errors and that any statements of fact that you make are accurate. You should now be on your way to bringing the past to life!
