How to write Articles

Method 1 of 3: Come Up With An Idea

1)Get to know your audience. Decide who you need to write for before proceeding with planning or writing an article. Writing for an academic audience vs. writing for pre-teens is very different and you will need to plan accordingly.

2)Identify the needs of your readership. What do your readers need to know? How does your own knowledge match up against the information they need? This will be the easiest way for you to find a topic to write about. You can also extensively research information that you don’t know, so don’t be deterred by that.

3)Be unique. If you are writing an article about something that other people are also writing about, try to be unique in how you approach the material. You should add to the conversation, not exist alongside it. This will draw your readers in and keep them coming back for more.

• Write about your topic in a way that no one has ever written about it before. You can take a different tone, a more visual approach, or any number of other methods of altering the material.
• Bring new ideas to the topic. Make suggestions or offer information that other people don’t have. This will give people a reason to read your work over others.

4)Be passionate. You should care about the topic you choose to write about. Your enthusiasm will show in your writing and it will be much more engaging for your readers. You may even be able to make them care about something they did not care about previously, like current events or historical concepts.

Method 2 of 3: Research Your Idea

1)Learn the basics. Get the general explanation of whatever you are trying to write about. This will give you a basic framework for what to look for as you research. You can use a website like Wikipedia, read newspaper articles or a book, or talk to someone knowledgeable on the subject. It will depend what you are writing about.

• You should assume, at this stage, that some or all of the information you are getting is incorrect or incomplete. Don’t stop your research here.

2)Find reliable sources. Now that you know what to look for, research your topic. You can use the internet, a library, conduct interviews, watch documentaries, or whatever you feel is appropriate to teach you everything you need to know about your topic. Be an expert!

• You can do research online very easily. However, you should be wary. Draw only from reliable sources like reputable newspapers, experts on the topic, government websites, or university websites. Look for information that lists other sources, since this will help back up any claims made by your source. These materials can also be acquired in print and the same precautions should be taken there.

3)Get different types of material. During your research, look for material that isn’t text. This can be used or altered to add to your article. You can look for data to make your own charts or templates, take photographs to match your text, or anything else which you feel might help your readers understand the information better and make them care about the topic as much as you do.

Method 3 of 3: Write Your Article

1)Decide your length. Does this article have a word count? Do you need to fill a certain number of pages? Consider what type of content you’re writing about and how much space that can fill, as well as how much needs to be written in order to cover the topic adequately, before proceeding with writing your article.

2)Outline your article. Before you begin formal writing, you will want to outline your article. This outline, which will break down which information goes where, will serve as a guide and help you see where more information may be needed.

3)Pay attention to style, structure and voice. You will want to write with a style, structure, and voice which makes sense for the type of article you are writing. Evaluate your audience to determine what the best method would be to present your information to them.

·         For example, a newspaper article will need to offer information in a narrative, chronological format and be written with accessible but not overly-colloquial language. An academic article will need to follow the general 5-paragraph essay format and be written with high, formal language. A how-to, like WikiHow articles, can be written in more informal language which is intended to connect with readers on a personal level and should follow a format which allows for the breakdown of information into clearly visible sections and steps.

4)Edit your work. Before you submit your work, you will want to do some editing and revision. If time allows, wait for a day or two before editing. This will allow the information to filter out of your brain, so that you will be less likely to read the text with what you intended to write rather that what you actually wrote (skipping words, writing the wrong word, etc.). Reading aloud can also help with this.

• Read over your text for spelling and grammar mistakes.
• When that is done, make sure the structure makes sense and the information is broken down in a logical manner. Can someone new to the material follow and understand what you are saying? Make sure you do not include any contradictory information or information which appears to be contradictory.
• Rewrite sections or the entire thing as necessary. Revisions like this are commonly needed, so don’t feel like you’ve failed or are incompetent.

5)Make it better. Add to the amazing text you’ve written with videos, pictures, charts, and any other visual or audio material which you found or made in the course of your research. This will make your information more engaging and easier to understand.

6)Respect the rights of other writers. If you are using information from an external source, be sure to cite the source at the bottom of the article. Depending on the license of the content, you may or may not need to cite the external source. However, it's always better (and certainly more polite) to ask for permission if you are unsure.

7)Submit your work. When you’ve finished, submit your work in the appropriate manner.

8)Ignore the trolls. People like to get angry about other people’s opinions. It’s just a part of life. The internet has made this even easier and far more vicious and common. If your article is submitted online, you may find that people post negative comments about what you have said. Even with journal articles, you will have colleagues disagree with you and use very complex language to essentially call you schoolyard names. The healthiest practice with trolls is to ignore them. You can’t please everybody.