Article Writing Tips

Jul 06, 2007

PRESTO! You have an impressive, original and effective article.

Are you a budding writer awaiting success? Have you secretly wished to have the magical ability of writing irresistible articles? Do you feel restless when you have an idea but do not know how to put it in words?

For the answer to your questions, READ ON.

Writers excelling in the art of great article writing are not born. They are made. All you need to do is follow some time-tested rules while writing your piece. If you are unaware of those rules, you have just come to the right place. Here is a Step-by-Step guide to effective article writing from the very beginning to the very end.

I. Germinating an Idea:

Give them what THEY want

No article is ever written for a writer. The success of an article depends on the number of readers of that piece. Do a little bit of research as to what the readers want and give them just that. You just need to employ a little common sense to find an impressive and result-yielding topic. Current news items and newspaper articles can provide you with plenty of topics to think about. Using the below mentioned sources may not be such a bad idea.
- Keyword research tools
- Newsletters and trade journals
- News alerts
- Press release alerts
- Online forums
- Blogs
- Seminars and conferences
- Competitors

Key-in the Keyword:

The reader should not be left wondering as to what have you written about. On the www especially, readers search using keywords making it imperative that the keywords are sprinkled judiciously over the article. This can be tricky though as the readers' flow should not be broken which can happen if keywords are unnecessarily squeezed in.
- Seal it with a catchy title:
  An attractive title is job half-done. Great articles can go unnoticed if they come with boring and long titles. Be creative.
- Think:
  An outline is a must before starting with the actual writing part. It can help:
  - In knowing whether the idea is worth it
  - Have a logical sequence
  - Weed out unnecessary parts.

II. Before you start:

Draft
Great writers do not write better. They revise better. Your success depends on not what you write but what you rewrite. Polish your piece once you are done with the outline. Remember: Even the best diamonds are polished to make them shine better.
Organize
An article must follow a logical sequence. It is critical for the writer to prioritize the arguments in an article. There needs to be a reason behind why the point number one comes before point number two. The reader should not be confused about the message of the article; it should come to him naturally.
Keep proofreading and revising
Correcting and improving your work after regular periods not only lessens it at the end, saves time and points out mistakes; it also makes the article better with words packed in a tighter and impressive way.

III. How to make your article mouth-watering:

Active voice
Use of active voice gives the reader a sense of involvement and makes the article more 'lively', as it seems as if events take place before the reader instead of him reading about something that has already happened.
Passion
Though an article should be formal, use of passionate words pull the reader towards the article and works on the interest-factor. Use ethos, logos, pathos and play to the gallery.
Readability and scanning
Any piece of writing should appeal to people from all walks of life. Readability comes with use of easy language and scanning becomes easier if the article is written in an orderly form. An internet article, for instance, is not being written for a literary society or professors alone but for the common public. Hence, the success depends on the use of words which can be understood easily, no one would like to sit with a Thesaurus while reading.
Short paragraphs
No reader likes to read huge chunks of words. Arranging the text in a logical order with short paragraphs pays off well. It brings clarity, logic and beauty.
Conclusion at the top
What writers call a thesis statement is a central tool to attract readers. The 'theme' or the 'basic message' of the article should be outlined in the very first paragraph. Instead of the popular notion that it would shy away readers, it would in fact, increase the number of readers considerably.
Examples
Use of examples does not only make the text interesting, it also leads to a better understanding and shows the confidence of the writer. The writer can only benefit by sprinkling examples wherever required.

IV. Some vital DO's:

Order Tone
Readers like to be told what they should do. Use of language such as 'it would be nice if you would', not only disinterests the reader, make the article sound like a sermon and shows low confidence of the writer; it also makes the language seem ambivalent and soft. Such language ought to be replaced by an 'ordering language'.
Specify
Articles, especially the ones written on general topics, sound vague. This can be avoided by being specific. Even while the reader chooses a general topic, focusing on a specific area can be a very good idea.
Details - don't rush
Readers do not want ramblers who do not give any details. A well explained article leaves the readers asking for more. Remember: readers love details.
Question and Revise
Conviction of the writer is displayed in a good article. Writers must therefore, stop, question and revise their work at regular periods to clear all doubts.

V. Some important Don'ts:

Fluff
'Fluff' refers to parts (of an article) that do not directly contribute to it. This must be avoided as it makes the article unnecessarily long and boring.
Hard line Breaks
'Hard line breaks' refers to paragraphs consisting of one or two sentences. Contrary to some beliefs, this does not help the reader but actually breaks his flow. Hence this must be strictly avoided.
Fancy Words
Writers often make the mistake of going for big words to impress readers. This can only go against them. What these big words do is lessen the impact, make the article cumbersome to read and narrow down the target audience.
Wrong Facts
As a professional writer, there is high probability of one's article being used by various people. This may include quoting from your article. What can completely destroy the writer's reputation is the use of wrong facts. This should NEVER be done. If there is any doubt; check, recheck or leave the 'fact' aside.
Links and Advertising
Several hyperlinks and advertisements only irritate the readers. The article should not seem like a big advertisement. Links and ads should be minimal if not none.
Language Errors
The greatest sin for a professional writer is the presence of language errors in his work. This can completely negate the impression a writer intends to leave and hence proof-reading becomes very important. Blind reliance on word processors which automatically check the spellings is not a very good idea always. For instance, if you type 'thing' instead of 'think' or 'erotic' instead of 'exotic', the processor will accept it as a valid word even when it alters the meaning completely.

VI. What to do once you are done:

Tell your Trade Secrets
A writer should not be afraid of revealing his/her 'sources' to the audience. It WON'T work against him; instead it will only show his confidence.
Scavenger Hunt
You might be having the raw material for a wonderful article already. It is very important to keep checking the needs of the readers.
Another Article
There are some areas in an article that are deleted to keep it short, not deviate from the specific topic, not make it boring, etc. This 'deleted' portion may not be 'useless'. A writer can utilize these 'leftovers' to write a completely different article.