RedWine
03-27-2006, 08:53 AM
Whether it's for a magazine, newspaper, your teacher, or even wikiHow, writing an amazing article whittles down to one widely-adaptable technique. Here's how to use that technique to your advantage.
Steps
Determine your topic. Exactly what are you going to write about? Brainstorm for ideas if you have to. When writing for wikiHow, you may even wish to refer to requested topics for ideas.
Figure out who your audience is. Are you writing for a beginner, an intermediate, or an advanced audience? For example, if you are writing an article about "Creating PowerPoint Slides," are your readers new to PowerPoint, or business people looking for advanced tips?
Do your research. How well do you know the topic? Is it something you can write easily about with little or no preparation, or do you need more information from experts in the field?
Decide on the length of the article. Teachers, magazines, and newspapers will often give you a limit. wikiHow articles, on the other hand, are often "as long as they need to be and no longer."
Write either an outline or a summary of your article. This will help bring the concept of the article into sharper focus.
Write the rough draft of the article as follows:
Tell your readers what you are going to tell them. This is your introduction. For example:
This article explains how to create a PowerPoint slide presentation. It covers the following information: choosing a theme, creating a title slide, and creating topic slides.
The information in this article is written for a beginner. The author assumes that you have never used PowerPoint.
Tell your readers what you promised to tell them. In this section you tell them how to choose a theme, create a title slide, and how to create topic slides.
Tell your readers what you just told them. For example:
This article taught you how to create a PowerPoint slide presentation. You learned how to choose a template, how to create a title slide, and how to create topic slides.
Check over your piece for presentation.
Check for faulty information. Have you double-checked your facts?
Delete any unnecessary or contradictory information. The only time you should have information that doesn't support your topic is if you're doing a "point-counterpoint" piece.
Eliminate anything that is just taking up space. Don't fill your work with fluff. If you need to do more research, go ahead and do it.
Check for grammar and spelling errors.
Read it aloud to yourself to make sure the text flows smoothly.
Rewrite the article as often as it takes.
Turn in your completed article.
Tips
Neither the outline nor the summary for your article has to be in traditional I, II, III format. The point of formatting is to help you. If you feel you can find your focus by writing a list of incomplete sentences, then go for it. Later, if your teacher wants a formal outline, you can create one from the article itself.
By checking grammar and spelling errors last in the editing process, you won't waste any time by correcting those on something you may delete.
Warnings
Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to write the article. If you don't, then you'll be rushing at the last minute to create something that isn't representative of what you can truly do.
Things You'll Need
Something to write with: computer, pen and paper, etc.
Research materials. Either go to your bookshelf, the library or find an expert on the topic.
Steps
Determine your topic. Exactly what are you going to write about? Brainstorm for ideas if you have to. When writing for wikiHow, you may even wish to refer to requested topics for ideas.
Figure out who your audience is. Are you writing for a beginner, an intermediate, or an advanced audience? For example, if you are writing an article about "Creating PowerPoint Slides," are your readers new to PowerPoint, or business people looking for advanced tips?
Do your research. How well do you know the topic? Is it something you can write easily about with little or no preparation, or do you need more information from experts in the field?
Decide on the length of the article. Teachers, magazines, and newspapers will often give you a limit. wikiHow articles, on the other hand, are often "as long as they need to be and no longer."
Write either an outline or a summary of your article. This will help bring the concept of the article into sharper focus.
Write the rough draft of the article as follows:
Tell your readers what you are going to tell them. This is your introduction. For example:
This article explains how to create a PowerPoint slide presentation. It covers the following information: choosing a theme, creating a title slide, and creating topic slides.
The information in this article is written for a beginner. The author assumes that you have never used PowerPoint.
Tell your readers what you promised to tell them. In this section you tell them how to choose a theme, create a title slide, and how to create topic slides.
Tell your readers what you just told them. For example:
This article taught you how to create a PowerPoint slide presentation. You learned how to choose a template, how to create a title slide, and how to create topic slides.
Check over your piece for presentation.
Check for faulty information. Have you double-checked your facts?
Delete any unnecessary or contradictory information. The only time you should have information that doesn't support your topic is if you're doing a "point-counterpoint" piece.
Eliminate anything that is just taking up space. Don't fill your work with fluff. If you need to do more research, go ahead and do it.
Check for grammar and spelling errors.
Read it aloud to yourself to make sure the text flows smoothly.
Rewrite the article as often as it takes.
Turn in your completed article.
Tips
Neither the outline nor the summary for your article has to be in traditional I, II, III format. The point of formatting is to help you. If you feel you can find your focus by writing a list of incomplete sentences, then go for it. Later, if your teacher wants a formal outline, you can create one from the article itself.
By checking grammar and spelling errors last in the editing process, you won't waste any time by correcting those on something you may delete.
Warnings
Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to write the article. If you don't, then you'll be rushing at the last minute to create something that isn't representative of what you can truly do.
Things You'll Need
Something to write with: computer, pen and paper, etc.
Research materials. Either go to your bookshelf, the library or find an expert on the topic.