Here are this week's Honorable Mention articles:

"What to Write" by cbake27
"Pointless Petitions" by jayne1004
"Trend Watching" by shortybak
"The New Akbar's: A Good Improvement" by eshell034
"Tossing and Turning" by Nanaimo
"All-Ages Clubbing" by LACIEBaBi
"Violence: It Needs to Stop Now" by Mychemfan
"America" by katherin6
"Help, I'm Going to a Private High School" by Angalgirl

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to the Times. Your submissions were greatly appreciated.

One question I often get is, "How do you pick which articles will end up in the Times?"

To answer that here are the top five things I look for when publishing an article:

1. Originality/Creativity: Is your topic something we have never seen before? Are you challenging others to think about something they probably wouldn't have otherwise? This is very important when submitting for the Whyville Times. We have published 297 issues to date, so you can imagine that I receive the same type of articles every week. Spice it up, write on something completely different, and you stand a better chance of getting published.

2. Current Events: A newpaper is designed to report on current events. These articles can be about what is happening in Whyville or what is happening in the world. Remember, these articles should be objective and report the facts. The purpose of these articles is to let your fellow citizens know what is going on, in case they missed it!

3. Spelling/Grammar: If your article is perfect in regards to spelling and grammar, your chances of getting in sky-rocket! I receive over 1,000 emails a week, imagine having to edit the spelling and grammar for all of those! Never use chat language and always use punctuation. The easiest way to succeed in this category is to copy and paste your article into a word processor and use spell/grammar check!

4. Recurring Articles: Proposing a series of articles you would like to write is a great way to get started in the Times. I will ask you to submit your first two, and then each week submit the next one. Some recent recurring articles have been "Favorite Hobbies," and "Behind the Set". By doing this, you show your dedication to writing and to the Times. I strongly encourage you all to come up with an interesting series to start.

5. Show Improvement: Say you submit your first article and it doesn't get submitted. That's okay! Show your article to your English teacher and ask for help. I encourage everyone to resubmit an article once they have taken the time to make improvements. By doing so, you are showcasing your dedication and desire to learn.

So there are a few tips on how to get published. Remember, ask your peers for constructive criticism, and do not get discouraged if your first article is not published. Keep writing, and you will be a Times Writer before you know it!