PSI sports writers Jeremy Dover (Sports Scientist), Wes Tronson (Bank Manager), David Goodwin (professional writer and editor)
The Press Service International young writer program philosophy is to convey their 'Voice' into the marketplace of ideas with university standard English a secondary consideration. This has now been endorsed by the latest philosophy in communicating to our current fresh generations.
Cheryl McGrath is the CMS Communications Officer and spoke at One Day in Melbourne on 3 June on Mission Publications Philosophy and is one of several young writers and editors who writes an Editor Note for the young writer weekly memo.
This was Cheryl's “Editor Note” last Thursday 29 June in the 'weekly young writer memo' on this subject.
Cheryl McGrath
The rise of the grammar nazi – Cheryl McGrath
Hi everyone. This week, I'm looking at prescriptivism in grammar.
If you're a writer, you'll no doubt have met up with some self-confessed 'grammar nazis'.
These are folk who know their commas from their semicolons, and will tell you that 'incredible' is a term that doesn't mean 'amazing' but 'that which cannot be credited'. These are also people who win fights on the internet by pointing out that someone used 'your' instead of 'you're'.
Now I'm all for being literate and using language well. I have a strong grasp of grammar and spelling, because it's my job (I'm an editor) and I'm trained in this way. But why this elitism about knowing these things?
For one thing, language and grammar rules change all the time. The English language is particularly fraught with case-by-case rules and words than have co-existing meanings. Words like 'decimated' now mean 'obliterated', but used to mean 'destroy one in ten'. We can't freeze language -- it moves on without us otherwise.
Secondly, good writing isn't just about good punctuation or grammar -- and actually, these are the least important parts of good writing. It's more important to think critically and deliver ideas well - than to put an apostrophe in the right place.
This is a fantastic article by about this very subject, and I highly recommend you check it out: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140923-dont-be-a-grammar-nazi?ocid=ww.social.link.facebook
Young writers at One Day in Melbourne - Bridget Brenton (Brisbane), Tim Price (Gold Coast), Irenie How (Christchurch)
Young writers philosophy
The young writer ministry has consistently held this philosophy since our inception in 2009. It is part of the reason they have had such strong readership in Christian Today.
Their readers thoroughly enjoy the style of writing that purports critical thinking and deliver ideas well and this has been the mainstay of the program.
It comes from a philosophy I adopted with my 16 books on train driver's anecdotes which essentially is 'oral history' where the speech conveyed was with warts and all and although a niche market these books sold out …..
Over the years the program has adopted tutors and 'week editors' who have worked hard to tidy up some of these rougher edges without changing the tone of the 'oral history' motif.
The program's 2016 chief editor Sophia Sinclair, the 2017 winner of the Australasian Religious Press Association's (ARPA) Ramon Williams Youth Scholarship produced a Style Guide for the young writers where Sophia encourages the young writers to - “write as you speak”.
University essay articles are strongly discouraged. The young writer program with Christian Today is not a university English class. There are plenty of web sites both secular and Christian who are English perfect where they can submit their articles and where readership is a trickle.
Laura Veloso is a former young writer and award winner and now an Australian Panellist
Strong readership
The young writers published in Christian Today have a remarkable readership and there are a number of reasons for this.
The nature of the written style is a welcome change in Christian literary genre where real stories are told from the grass roots.
The articles through Christian Today are linked into the parents ministry – CMCI – Christian Media Corporation Incorporated with mastheads such as The Christian Post (USA), Christian Today UK, Christian Today International and similar mastheads in Europe, Canada, India, Australia and New Zealand. Networking is the name of the game.
We encourage other Christian publications to republish these young writers, first because they are superb articles with brilliant ideas and critical thinking, also to give these young writers' names additional by-lines for future reference and possibly contractual employment as writers.
We welcome new prospective young writers to become part of the young writer program, aged between 18-30, contact Dr Mark Tronson timeout@bushorchestra.com 0419 917 713
Dr Mark and Delma Tronson the founders of the young writer ministry and author of 24 books
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at