|
Home::Article Writing
What is an Article?
Author : Hans Hasselfors
Basically, an article is a body of text that imparts information. Whether this is done in a scientific language, with an informal voice or in a more serious manner, is usually decided by the subject and type of article, and to whom it is aimed.
A scientific or medical article aimed at professionals will use the first example, i.e. scientific language. The same article aimed at the general population must be written in laymans language that everyone can understand. An article written on a serious subject should have a similar tone of writing, while something aimed at teens or young adults about entertainment, clothing or sport eg, will take on a bright and more breezy note.
To get a human face on the issue being discussed in an article, many editors require two anecdotal pieces to be included. These will come from interviews with people who have first hand experience of the topic. In an article about home-schooling for instance, you can interview people whose children are home schooled. If you dont know of anyone, support organizations can help by supplying names and phone numbers. They are willing to do this because your article will help to spread the word about their work.
An article usually has five sections:
· Headline - Yes, this is important, as it will inform the reader what the article is about. If it is catchy, or has a hook of some kind, so much the better. The reader will be curious to find out what it is all about and read on. Look through a paper or magazine and note some of the headlines.
· Introduction - One paragraph is usually enough for the introduction. It should build on the headline and explain the content of the article without giving it all away.
· Main body - This will contain all information that is required about the topic along with anecdotes if any.
· Conclusion - The conclusion need only be one or two paragraphs to sum up and round off the information presented. In the case of how-to articles, it should give the reader a pat on the back for all the hard work that has been done and point out the benefits. Eg, Now you have the most unique gizmo on the block and your friends will be envious.
· Bibliography - This is not always necessary. Some editors like to see a list of your information sources, but dont necessarily publish them. A longer article that contains specific important information on say, health issues or scientific topics may require a bibliography.
The how-to article is a little different than other types of articles. It should be written in imperative voice, eg, Grasp the leaf and pull down. Not, You should grasp the leaf and pull down. Warning on safety, if necessary, should be presented early in the body of the text and unusual terms and names explained clearly. Let the reader know what the project entails in the introduction they might not want to paint 200 copies of that flower after all. A list of tools and materials will be required, but it is a good idea to leave writing this list until the last, even though it should appear at the beginning. This is so no mistake can be made in the type of tools and materials used.
In general, the how-to article will be written in steps. It is important that these appear in the proper order of doing, so the reader will not be confused. Do a quick summary of what the project should look like at various stages so the reader will know whether the job is going right. Visualize each step carefully as you write. The how-to article is one of the easiest types of articles to write. If sketches are required and you cannot supply them, just do a rough job to give the general idea. Magazines usually have their own artists who will work from what you supply.
Articles about VIPs have been done to "death", so try and find an unusual angle to slant the information from. One writer who had tried to interview a celebrity, but failed due to the mans sniffles, still wrote the article, but based it on his failure. Another wrote about a golfing personality and interspersed the article with golfing jokes. Editors and readers alike love a touch of humor.
One of the easiest articles to write is the 10 tips to a great (whatever) type. The ten tips form the body of course, while the introduction explains why you need this information. The brief summary recaps the information and gives a call to action, eg, Now you know the best way to catch that fish, go out there and do it.
You should always keep the writers voice out of your articles. People want to know whats in it for them, not why you thought you should write it, or how you got the idea for it. And if you are writing about a topic that is so unusual that few people know about it, try to use an analogy that is familiar to them. In general, you dont need hooks or gimmicks to start an article, simply find the point where the useful information starts and go from there.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
About the Author:
Hans Hasselfors is the founder of www.SubmitYourNewArticle.com. Learn about the many benefits of using our article directory.
Article Submission done by: www.articles-submit.com
Courtesy of:SubmitYourNewArticle.com
Spam emails More free articles Related articles
|
More related feeds |
If Clinton Wants VP, Obama Can't Stop Her
Does Hillary Clinton want to be the Democrats vice presidential candidate? Probably. Could she get on the ticket by dropping out before the last states vote on June 3rd? Definitely not. Does Barack Obama want her on the ticket? ..."Street to seat brand domination" absent from AY renderings
The Sports Business Journal article published Monday on six founding partners for the planned Barclays Center arena said the Nets promise “street to seat brand domination.” “We’ll have very little static signage,” [Nets CEO Brett] ... Lend Me a Pick Ax: The Slow Dismantling of the Compositional ...
Women have made tremendous strides toward parity with their male colleagues in the field of composition, but we're not all the way home just yet. Why Gen Y Is Going to Change the Web
This article is just meant to highlight some of the ways Gen Y will impact the future of the web. What other ways can you think of? Image credits: Who's going to Hire a Gen Y? Picture: Anthony Weate; Hates Ads: debaird. Columbia Journalism Review Article
... book is that it can be updated by subscription?), but in one short article he pulls together a lot of the discussion of content delivery systems--mainly the Amazon Kindle but a bit on e-books in general--and their possible impact. Clinton campaign airing a series of postive ads
Hillary Clinton's campaign released a series of ads Friday.' (CNN)— Hillary Clinton’s campaign released a series of positive ads in Oregon and Kentucky Friday, as the Democratic primary race continued its second straight week without a ... What Will Life Be Like in the Year 2008? (Nov, 1968)
Well, we do have flat-screen computers you can write on that fit in a briefcase, but I’m still waiting to take my 250 MPH car to a business meeting in another domed city. Perhaps by the end of the year. view additional pages ... 13 First Steps To De-Toxify Your Home for Baby
Like most moms in this day and age, I belong to a local parenting message board. I had some misgivings before I got involved, as I am not much of a joiner, truth be told. I never, for example, belonged to a sorority or anything along ... Video Game Article: Highlights From Gamespot's User Soapbox
Among the many contributions that Gamespot has made to comedy, its User Soapbox takes the cake. The feature complies with Web 2.0 standards, which dictate that all websites that must incorporate user-created content that no one cares ... Capacocha: Pre-Columbian Child Sacrifice
The ritualistic killing of children was a common religious practice in some of the prominent pre-Colombian cultures. The Olmec civilization, which flourished in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico between 1200 and 400 BCE, ...
|
|
|
