An article is a piece of writing usually intended for publication in a newspaper, magazine or journal. It is written for a wide audience, so it is necessary to attract and retain the reader’s attention. An article can be formal or informal. It may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions.
Article writing is an art, and it’s not everybody’s cup of tea. Being a great article writer is not an overnight success. Great article writing demands a good amount of time expanding your ideas. Writing takes practice and you need to build your skills bit by bit. One of the basic tips is by writing practice and by reading other writers. Notice the writing style and pick up new words to enhance your vocabulary. An article should be written in an interesting or entertaining manner. You are what you read and write.
Tips to Write a Good Article
- Select your topic- Stay focused and write about what you know.
- Address your audience’s needs- Identify your audience. You need to know whom you’re writing for and why they should read it.
- Research- Take time to do some good research before you write.
- Tighten your draft- Keep your audience in mind, write a draft about the information collected or start over with a completely fresh draft.
- Make it specific- The title and the opening paragraph should attract the reader. Use bulleted lists and subheaders. Do not make paragraphs longer than 3 to 4 lines. Use keywords and catchy titles.
- Read, revise, repeat - Proofread a couple of times. Write your article and leave it overnight. Revisit in the morning for any changes and then start promoting it.
Steps to Write a Good Article
- Write Early in the Morning: Try writing the content in the morning. The morning atmosphere is quiet and energetic that allows writing fresh stuff. This helps to improve the writing skills and feel the experience of a healthy writer.
- Write in a Distraction Free Location: Choose a peaceful atmosphere around you. Distraction free location helps to keep you motivated to write healthy contents. There is various distraction-free software available to these days such as Windows live writer, Desk app or word press Distraction writing option. Avoid using mobile phones or social networking while writing.
- Choose your Topic: Think of the topic you want to write the article about. You must have a catchy title that draws in your reader. Write about something that is relevant to your interests and something that inspires you. This will make the article more accurate and a good start. Make a detailed research on the topic. Make sure you do not miss any important issue about the topic.
- Keep an Idea List: Scribble the ideas in a notebook or a word file as they come. Let that topic sit for a few days, you can add new ideas as they incubate. Keeping an idealist helps in writing a new article quickly when you’re ready to write. Never save an idea for later.
- Research Well before Writing: Brainstorm on your topic. Do a proper research on the topic you are going to write and get your facts right. This will increase your knowledge of that topic. Deeper knowledge keeps you unique in this field. Proper research will lead to a great article and you will be able to write freely and informative.
- Go Smoothly: Try not to edit content while writing an article. Just go with the flow of your thoughts as creating and editing works on the different side of the brain.
- Come Back Later: Do not try to force the words to come. You can always come back later if you find yourself stuck for the time being. Save the article and work on something else for the time being. This will be a huge time saver.
- Plan: Make your plan. Start and write the article as per the plan. A plan is a roadmap. The planning stage is vital. Organise your ideas. Spend at least a few minutes brainstorming your ideas and choose the best among them. Use subheadings to break up text and make paragraphs. Think about your subheadings and write a short introduction. This will let the reader know what to expect.
- Expand your Knowledge: Read various articles and books about the topic. The comprehension of your reading determines the quality of your article. Do not write an article about something you are not familiar with. Classify the knowledge when you read and collect according to the plan.
- Introduction: The introduction should be short and to the point. The introduction should carry clearly the basic aim of the article and the conclusion to be reached. Inform the reader of what topics the article covers and keep it minimal.
- Use Proper Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling: The article should not have spelling mistakes. After finishing has a quick look to find any errors. A good article does not have unnecessary words, sentences, paragraphs or information.
- Use Elevated Diction: Elevated diction means simply put the “big words”.
- Use Points: Use bullet or numbered points while writing an article. This will make it simpler and organized. The numbered or bulleted list is the best way to draw a reader back. The readers like such kind of articles with lists as they are easier for the eye to follow.
- Use Bold and Italics: Use bold and italics to make your points and can underline it as well. This helps the readers to stay on point.
- Describe Properly: Use descriptive terms and phrases to explain further as the audience cannot read the writer’s mind.
- Keep it Simple and Easy to Understand: Write the article in a clear, plain language and that is easily understandable. Your way of writing should be simple enough. Express your views in a simple and appropriate manner. People of all ages should understand the sentences and aim of the article.
- Keep it Short: The fewer words you use, the better. Narrow the topic as much as possible. It should not be broad. A good article does not make repetitions of the previous ones. Make every word count and this will result in saving time without letting quality slip.
- Conclusion: Spend some quality time on the conclusion part. The conclusion is not the summary; it makes an evaluation and shows the contribution of your ideas. The conclusion shows your penetration into the future.
- Publication: After completing the article send it to some people whose knowledge you rely upon. Request them to find faults in the article. Then go through your article again and the critics send by people and edit the article. Send the article to be published thereafter.
How to make an Article different from Other Types of Writing?
- The Reader is Identified: An article is like a direct conversation with the reader. The readers may be the school students, people living in a town, people who are interested in sports. Everything you write must speak to the reader and engage their interest right from the first sentence.
- Create an Outline and Master the Opening Line: An outline consists of the ideas that you’re going to discuss in your introduction, article body and conclusion. You can think about adding some images, graphics, etc. too. Open with a strong first sentence and have a strong introduction.
- Edit before you Start: Leave out all the irrelevant information. Cut down any idea that does not fit with the main topic of the article.
- Write and just Write: Repetition is the mother of learning. Practice by writing more articles until you perfect this art of writing.
- The article should be Interesting: An article should engage and entertain the reader all the way through. The article should carry a good impression of your writing. Add some humour, real-life examples and quotes.
- The article should be Easy to Comprehend: While writing an article to be clear with the concepts, words used in the article. Don’t overuse terminology as that could distract readers.
- Good Ending: It’s better to give the reader something to think about. The call to action comes to the conclusion of your article story. The best endings link back to the starting point.
- Deliver a Polished Product: Read your article thoroughly, read it aloud to hear it if it doesn’t sound right before you submit it.
Some Mistakes while Writing Articles
- The language is too formal.
- Not enough use of quotes or examples.
- Use of too many questions.
Rewrite, read aloud, rewrite, and find a proofreader. Read your article thoroughly before you submit, read it aloud so that you can hear it if it doesn’t sound right. When you are satisfied that the article well written, submit the article to an appropriate publication with a short cover letter.
There should be sincerity in the article as much as the seriousness. Follow the simple steps and you will be able to write some brilliant articles. If you want to stand out from the crowd, give the reader some information, insights or perspectives that are unheard.
