How to write good articles? Ten effective steps!

‘No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.’- Robert Frost

I had always wanted to be a good writer since I felt I had a passable writing talent. But I literally froze when I tried writing my first article. I did not have the confidence to continue after the first paragraph. I felt my writing talent was not as good as I thought it to be.

Then I took the decision to write in my own style. I stopped comparing myself with the experts. This decision made me write with more confidence and assertiveness. I now have a blog that deals with relationship problems. People do read my articles and it makes me happy when the number of viewers to my blog is steadily increasing.

It is not enough if you have writing talent. You should have a passion for writing. You should be persistent in churning out articles after articles. Your articles should evoke the interest of the viewers. Your writing must be easily understood by the common man who need not have great knowledge about the language.

The top ten essential things your writing should have!

1. Write in your style!

Always write in your own unique style. If you try to imitate the style of some famous writers, you can at best be a copycat. Unless you develop your own style you cannot write persistently. Write what you have in your mind cohesively and with clarity.

2. Simple English will do!

You should remember that your articles are also going to be read by people who are not great experts in English. So keep your writing style simple so that it is easily understood by everyone. Do not use bombastic words as it will put off your readers. It does not mean you should not write eloquently. Your English should be powerful but not overwhelming.

3. You should know what you are writing about!

If you do not know what you are writing about, your article will be a rambling babble about something which does not reach your readers. You should do proper research about the subject before writing about it. I cannot write about historical incidents without knowing about the right date and the exact place the event happened, can I?

4. Your article should have an introduction!

The initial paragraph of your article should inform your readers what you are writing about. Then you should concentrate on the subject. Write crisply so that the interest of the viewers never wavers. The end paragraph should have your conclusion so that the viewers know that you are bringing your article to an end.

5. Number the points!

When you number your points it helps the readers glide through your article with ease. Big and unbroken paragraphs sometimes tire the readers and make them skip your article. If you break up the paragraphs into points and number it, it makes your article easy and comfortable for your viewers to read.

6. Write good English!

Your article should be grammatically correct with no spelling mistakes. Read your article again and again for any grammatical errors and see if your article has any subject related mistakes also. When you write scientific or historical articles you should concentrate on the spelling and the technical terms.

7. Do not write big articles!

Do not write too big articles unless your subject demands it. If your articles are more than six hundred words, you tend to deviate from the subject and meander about without coming to the point. So be ruthless while editing your articles. The sentences which do not help the flow of the article should be removed.

8. Catchy titles!

The title sums up the essence of your article. So be careful in selecting a good and catchy title for your articles. Hold the attention of your readers with a real eye catching title.

9. Humor helps!

Can you write humorously? People always enjoy humor and if you can write your article with humor lacing it, you have won the battle.

10. Passion about the subject!

When you are passionate about what you are writing it gives life to your article. When you do not love the subject you are writing about, your writing will be insipid and lifeless. No one wants to read at a lifeless and listless article, do they? So write with zeal and passion.

‘Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man’. –Francis Bacon

Writing articles is not a big and strenuous job. You should put yourself in the reader’s viewpoint and answer their doubts. Keep questioning yourself about varied topics and analyze it from your perspective. When you observe people and their lifestyle, they give you many interesting topics to write about.