Writing articles for magazines, the Internet or the local community paper needn't be a headache. Providing they are informative, reasonably short and to the point, readers and publishers will welcome your articles.
But, if the secret to writing neat, sweet articles is to keep them succinct, how do you maintain your focus and avoid the pitfalls of waffle?
Try the 3 by 3 Plan!
Taking a really simple example, suppose you want to write about kites. The first stage is to brainstorm all the possible topics under the heading of 'Kites'. You may come up with several ideas here: for example, kite history, kite safety or making a kite. Any of these subjects could form the basis of a good article.
Select just one of these ideas (let's choose 'kite-making') and then you can start to put the '3 by 3 Plan' into action.
Brainstorm again to extract just three topics related to kite-making. Remember, you want to stay focused in your article, so three is a good number to begin with! The topics you find could be:
1. Types of kite
2. Parts of a kite
3. Decorating a kite
Now, for each of your three main topics, select three linked sub-topics that will relate to your audience. Children (or parents, for that matter!) might want to know the basic information about:
1. Types of kite - (a) Classic diamond (b) Hexagon (c) Star
2. Parts of a kite - (a) Sails (b) Spars (c) Flying lines
3. Decorating a kite - (a) Painting (b) T-shirt transfer paper (c) Applique
Once your plan is in place, write three sentences about each of your (a), (b) and (c) sub-topics. You'll be surprised at how quickly your article will grow and how sharp and to-the-point your finished writing will be.
And finally, staying with the idea of three as your 'magic' number, here are three more tips:
1. Make sure you have a connecting or transition sentence between each main topic. A good linking phrase will entice your reader to keep on reading!
2. Write your introduction after you've written the main body of the article. Keep it interesting but limit it to 3 sentences!
3. If you want to write a longer article, use 5 or 7 as your 'magic' number ...
? 2005 Lynda Blake. All Rights Reserved.
NOTE:
Feel free to pass the article on to those who you think may find it of interest.
You may also republish it without seeking permission, but it must appear along with the copyright and resource box.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynda Blake is an independent writer, working with small UK businesses to improve their web presence.
Resources used in this article: brainstorming and ideas organizer software
More articles by this author can be found at brainstorming and ideas organizer software
recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..One of the best ways to promote your website is... Read More
Article authors who use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to... Read More
You submit it, that's what you do! And submit it... Read More
It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and... Read More
This article is dedicated to those who are afraid to... Read More
A large portion of your business relies on your ability... Read More
I am sure that there would have been a moment... Read More
There's a new sort of ghost stalking the digital landscape.They... Read More
SEO writing is very different from content writing, article writing,... Read More
Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion... Read More
A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their... Read More
A great headline can be the difference between having your... Read More
You may be wondering what persuasive writing has to do... Read More
[Disclosure: I went into ezinearticles.com very innocently. I... Read More
I have seen the question asked so many times. How... Read More
We all know that online publishers earn revenue from our... Read More
Get the Facts you need to start promoting you free... Read More
A revolutionary marketing device that I call article marketing I... Read More
It's amazing how quickly free articles can generatetraffic - my... Read More
Many writers struggle with the decision of whether or not... Read More
Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents... Read More
Understanding the rules of correct formatting for online articles will... Read More
Everyone that publishes a newsletter or ezine knows that the... Read More
When you create your articles in TextPad format, something like... Read More
Your publicity dreams may include being featured in Forbes, Fortune,... Read More
premium house cleaning Glenview ..How are you marketing your articles? As a writer prospecting... Read More
We've all been there. We hear about how articles will... Read More
Whether you own your own affiliate website, or subscription website,... Read More
A revolutionary marketing device that I call article marketing I... Read More
Original quotes, when used at the beginning or at the... Read More
Recently I interviewed Kevin Bidwell of All-In-One-Business.com on some of... Read More
If you are an article writer, you may have been... Read More
You've written this wonderful (no question about it) piece of... Read More
Writing for web content is one of the easiest ways... Read More
Writing articles is one of the most powerful, if not... Read More
How is it possible to turn an idea into the... Read More
Much has been touted about the effectiveness of article writing... Read More
Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
Are you short of ideas? There are times when we... Read More
"When you provide good information from which readers can learn... Read More
A few years ago as a webmaster with no money,... Read More
There are many different ways to improve link popularity for... Read More
Writers talk about rejection all the time ? just part... Read More
All of us, the authors, know that to enhance our... Read More
1. What is the single most compelling subject from your... Read More
Jim was working hard to grow his business. Long hours... Read More
Publishers and webmasters can spend massive amounts of time just... Read More
A large portion of your business relies on your ability... Read More
Find definitions from H to P... ~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~ Haiku... Read More
People love to hear stories. They'll identify with what you... Read More
Article Writing |