how_to_write_articles

How to write an article?

Writing articles can be fun. In fact writing articles can be the very first step you can take in writing your very first book. If this is your very first time trying to write an article, here are a few simple tips for you.

The first step in trying to write an article is think of a topic of your interest. Make sure this topic is something you are familiar with. Familiarity would mean that you have a certain amount of experience coupled with relevant knowledge dealing in it. It would be wise to take note and make sure your skills and knowledge are up-to-date. If you have been out of the circle for about 5 years, you can be sure some of the experiences you have gain 5 years ago is no longer valid. So don't forget to do an up-to-date research on your topic.

Second step is to take notes of what you want to write. An article cannot be too general. It must be more specific targeted at a specific niche market. For example, if you want to write a topic on Finance, it is a very wide and general topic in itself. Narrow it down to, for example, personal finance, corporate finance, etc. Even these topics can be broken down to further smaller sub-topics. The success of your article depends on how niche your topics can be targeted at. Keep your articles about the right size. Articles are usually short and about 2,000 to 5,000 words. Certain articles could stretch as much as 10,000 words but that is pushing it a little, remember you are not writing a thesis. However if your article is too short you may not have enough of a story to tell.

Third step is to create an article structure. (1) Introduce what you want to write. Give a small introduction, maybe a little about your background. Don't over write about yourself. Remember it is not about you, it is about your story. (2) The body. That is where your story comes in. This is where you organise your collation of notes and start writing them down. A tip to powerful articles. If you can invoke emotions, your article is going to stand out. (3) The close. A lot of bad article writers fail at this juncture simply because there is no close. This would lead the whole article into an anti-climax. You can be writing an excellent story in the middle but you do not have a powerful close, your audience are not going to remember you much.

Forth step, get a fantastic title. In fact you can actually think of a title first but I normally would like to keep it right at the end because by then all your contents will have been ready and you can fully and solely think about branding it. Remember, branding your title is very important, as important as a book title. Always think like a reader. What do readers look for. Catchy titles. They use to say don't judge a book by the cover, well unfortunately in the world we are living these days' we do not have much time for browsing. So, give it a title to remember, give it an everlasting impact. Brand your title.

Final Step. Check for grammatical errors. Easier said than done. I use to have a lot of grammatical errors in the past and I do not have a good command of English. But with practice, it can only get better. I am still not perfect yet but I am striving to be, that is my moto. Too many grammatical errors in your article can spell doom for you. Best way to get out of this mess is to get an editor, someone whose command of English is much better than you. This is because your image is on that article. What you write, says a lot about who you are. So be very careful.

Why write an article?

Writing an article is all about telling a part of your story. It is one way to get notice. You are trying to attract attention and that is what an article does. But why write one article when you can write a dozen. The more you write the larger your audience get and you can get a fan club of your own.

Same can be said of a book. If you are an avid writer, why stop at just one book when you can write a few. Most of you would have known Brian Tracy or Robert Kiyosaki. How many books did they write? Countless, in fact I can't even remember the numbers but I asked myself why did they write them. For this very simple reason - exposure, exposure and more exposure. They just want to be an expert in their field and the only way to do that is to continue what they started out doing in the first place.

Anyone can write an article. It is not too difficult if you follow the steps I have just shared with you. You may not be fabulous at the start, but with practice you will be right up there with the best. I would like to end with a little challenge I would like you to take upon. Start with one article first, then your second, then a few. Consolidate them and you have an e-book. Continue with it and I tell you what, you can have a book by the end of one year. Great challenge? Do it!

Cheers!
Calvin Yeo
Singapore
www.thewheelofwealth.com