Writing a Statement

You have decided on a great idea and researched a publication, what's next?

Before you write any part of your article you should write a statement. This will keep you focused and makes the writing process much easier and quicker.

A statement should be concise and have between one and three sentences. Here are a few examples:

How to buy a good second-hand motor vehicle Changing jobs and finding your ideal position Moving house with little or no stress Five secrets of a healthy mind and body

The next step is to write between three and six essentials you would like to cover in the article. For example:

"How to buy a good second-hand motor vehicle"

Where to obtain finance

Who can check the vehicle for roadworthiness?

Will a trade-in be required?

Decide on the vehicle make and year

You can write them down in any order and then simply renumber them in the order you want each one to appear in the article.

Now you know exactly what you are going to write about. Research will be effective and less time consuming. Anything that slips into your article that is not one of the essentials or directly relates to the statement doesn't belong and should be removed.

A statement keeps you focused during the research, writing and editing processes. You have a clear direction. The content of your article will be meaningful.

Editors will love your work and keep asking you for more.

barb clews is an award winning journalist with nearly 1,000 published articles to her credit. She has been a writer and editor for 15 years and is the author of "Article Writing for Freelancers" and "20 Tips to Increase Writing Skills" Visit barb clews to subscribe to "Words that Work", Barb's monthly ezine packed with tips for writers.

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