How To Win Story of the Year in 2024

By Amber Friedrichsen, Associate Editor at Hay and Forage Grower

Want to know how to win 2024’s next Story of the Year? We asked this year’s winner, Amber Friedrichsen, what her secret is, how she won the award this year, and its impact on her career.

1. How do you win the Story of the Year?

I’m not exactly sure how the selection process works, but I entered my story, “Making hay was a part of his flight plan,” in the personality profile category of the writing portion of the ACN Communications Awards before it was chosen for Story of the Year. I decided to submit this article to the contest because it was one that I really enjoyed writing, so I wanted to see what the judges thought of it and what I could have done differently to make it better.

2. How does this award help your professional career and ACN career?

Since I won this award so early in my career, I find the recognition both exciting and humbling. It gives me confidence in my writing but also reminds me to look for ways to keep improving. I think a good feature story is a good balance between being informative and entertaining, and I hope I can continue to strengthen my writing style to achieve both.

I will also continue to participate in the ACN Communications Awards contest because I like having my work critiqued, and I appreciate reading feedback from the judges. These ratings and comments prove that the same story impacts people differently, which is something to keep in mind during the writing process. I also like seeing the other winning entries, and I look forward to getting to know fellow ACN members in the future.

3. What tips or tricks do you have for ACN members who want to receive this award as well?

One thing I try to practice is staying present during interviews with farmers. Sometimes, an interesting detail or a unique angle comes up in conversation that takes the story in a different direction than what I expected. This tends to be what makes a story stand out, so it’s important to me to pay attention to the little things. I also try to write in a way that lets the farmer’s personality shine between the lines. In addition to all of the crops and field work and equipment, the people should be the heart of the story.

4. Why do you enjoy being a member of ACN?

I’ve only been an ACN member for a short time, but it has already opened up a lot of opportunities to me. I’ve enjoyed attending Ag Media Summit as an ACN member the past two years and the connections I’ve made at this event. Overall, I appreciate being a part of an organization made up of other agricultural journalists of all ages who I can learn from as I continue in my career.