Transform Your Own Experience Into an Article

[image error] Today I'm going to help you learn how to draw on what you know to write an article that will catch and hold a reader's and editor's interest. Here are 8 steps to get you started:Look for Ideas - Ideas are everywhere, waiting to be found. Think of career plans, goals, special interests, and jot down what resonates with you. Look around at the people you know in your family, co-workers, good friends. Do any of them have an unusual hobby? Find an article in the newspaper. What is your community's most pressing problems.Test Your Ideas and Choose One - Not all of the ideas you write down will work, some may even be too flimsy because you don't know enough about the subject. The main question to ask yourself is: Do I feel excited about this subject? If the answer is yes, then you're on the right track.Zero in on Your Idea and Choose a Slant - If you choose to write about flowers, that's a broad subject. Try to stick to one small aspect on that topic, i.e. perennials, annuals, etc. Once you have zeroed in on your specific topic, you'll need to find a slant, which turns general information into something special. It makes the focus matter even sharper, which will make it attractive to the reader. It's a fresh way to approach your topic.Shape Your Ideas - You probably have many ideas either on paper or in your head. List your ideas in a chart with headings of: Topic, Slant, and Title. Once you have them down in front of you, decide which one you'd like to write first. As always, you'll need a beginning, middle, and an end. If you're doing an article for a magazine, don't forget to add a sidebar, which can add additional, supplementary information.Add to Your Article Plan - Consider using the human angle. Topics that relate to people on a personal level have a good chance for success. You can use anecdotes, and if you're going to use quotes, make sure it is accurate! Don't put words into their mouths or change the meaning of what they're trying to say.Write a Dynamic Lead - You've all heard of the word, hook. That's exactly what your lead sentence or paragraph needs to do, hook the reader and drawn them into the story. You want to grab their attention. A hook can be a snippet of dialogue, an intriguing description, or a graphic bit of action. You want to be able to engage your reader's curiosity.Write Your First Draft - By having drawn up your article plan, you've already begun a rough first draft. As you know, the first draft is your preliminary account. Let your ideas flow as you write. If you write over the designated word count needed, you can always cut back on it later and eliminate what doesn't fit.Tips for Revising Your Draft:​Be sure your facts are accurate. They need to be 100% correct. If you don't take the time to check the facts, the rest of your information may be in question.Write with an open-mind. Let your reader's view their own opinion by avoiding your biased viewpoint.Have a good title. Your title is the first impression of your article, so it's important to make it clever to catch a browser's eye and suggest the article's subject matter. It's more than a label. It gives that professional touch. Whatever you choose to write about, just remember to...Keep on Writing!
source: Long Ridge Writer's Group