20 ways to organize a story

Looking for fresh approaches to your articles or blog posts? Check out this guest post by writer Kate Harold.

20 Ways to Organize a Story

By Kate Harold

When you write story after story like I do, you run the risk of getting stuck in a rut – where your stories can start to feel a bit stale. The standard article format of intro-details-conclusion is functional. However, use it too much and your readers may begin to think Ho-hum.

Stop Your Stories From Falling Flat

How can you keep your writing feeling fresh? Mix things up by altering how you organize what you write. A simple change in structure can help breathe new life into a long list of blog posts or newsletter articles. See if you can liven up your next story using one of these techniques to organize it:

Listicle: A story like this one, based primarily on a list. Often includes a number in the headline.
Q&A
Chart/Charticle: An article with a chart as the leading feature.
Age-based: For topics that cover varying ages, i.e. investing through the years.
Chronological/Timeline
“By the numbers”: Popular with sports statistics, but can be easily be adapted for other industries.
Recipe: Can be engaging when used for non-food-related topics.
Do’s and Don’ts
Whys and Why Nots
How to
Problem/Solution
Step-by-Step Guide: Use numbered steps as subheads.
Quiz
Pros/Cons
Myths/Facts (myth buster)
Slideshow: Group of related photos for online viewing, with short text to accompany each.
Round-up: Several ideas that fall under one theme, with a brief description of each.
Expert Roundtable: Group of experts offering varying insights on a subject.
Then and Now
Did You Know?

A quick glance through this list often helps me think of a subject in a new way. And when you can present a topic in a way that feels new, you can bet your readers will notice.

About Kate Harold

Kate Harold is an award-winning freelance writer, editor and proofreader based in Cincinnati, Ohio. She writes primarily for the healthcare industry, but has covered a hodgepodge of other topics including steel cranes, circus clowns, and caps for spray paint cans. Learn more about her at www.kateharold.com. 

 

Image courtesy of basketman at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

 

 

The post 20 ways to organize a story appeared first on Susan Weiner's Blog on Investment Writing.