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Some little tips for writing articles

by fin
34 replies
I guess it's customary to write a post out of every 1000, explaining something what you've learned. I'm a little late, but who cares...

Back in October I couldn't write for s**t. Not that I'm Stephen King now, but seriously, I didn't even know how to use commas and I used to think "a lot" was one word.

There are some basic tips here, and some creative ones which I was going to write about on my blog anyway.

I accept these probably will be no good to anyone who writes cheap articles for other people. This process will probably be pushing it for most, even if you get paid hundreds of dollars per article. It's a much better system when it's your baby.

1 - Decide what you want to write about the night before. Choose the topic and some subheadings you want to include.

If you make your logical decisions the night before, you won't have to switch on your logical brain right before you go to write. You can just get straight into writing without thinking.

You will also have a chance to sleep on what you want to write about and your subconscious mind will be working hard behind the scenes thinking of what you want to say.

2 - Don't stop writing to critique mistakes. Just keep writing and edit at the end.

As before, don't interrupt your creative flow and start using your logical brain when you don't need to. Just keep writing.

3 - Never publish an article on the same day you write it.

Just like number 1, your subconscious mind will be working behind the scenes and you will always come up with great stuff later in the week which will improve your article.

4 - Expect to rewrite everything.

The first draft is exactly as it sounds - a first draft. I don't care how good a writer you are: you will never get an article right first time. You need to dissect every sentence, making sure:

Each sentence needs to be there and carries on the flow of the story
Every single word that doesn't need to be there is deleted
Every subheading hooks the scanner, who will then read
The article engages, shocks, amazes, or baffles the reader somehow

5 - Go over your article with music (something that switches you over to creative thinking).

Scan your article and let your mind wander free. See how you can make it better. Add phrases, words, tell the story in a different way.

It's basically an examination while your switched on, creatively.

Eh, can't think of anymore but I'm sure there will be.
#articles #tips #writing
  • Profile picture of the author cashp0wer
    Some nice tips here on writing articles. It would be nice if we could all be Stephen King but I think someone like that only comes along every hundred years or so. Everyone that writes does it differently. I cannot write to music or edit to it, for example. I like it completely quiet when I write articles.
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Originally Posted by cashp0wer View Post

      Some nice tips here on writing articles. It would be nice if we could all be Stephen King but I think someone like that only comes along every hundred years or so. Everyone that writes does it differently. I cannot write to music or edit to it, for example. I like it completely quiet when I write articles.
      Yeah, I didn't mean write or edit to music.

      I just used it as an example as something that could switch of your critical thought so you can come up with ideas more easily. So you can harness the power of your subconscious without trying to fight through writers block.

      I do use music when editing, sort of, but it's not a proper edit. It's more going through it with a clear mind and having ideas easily pop into your mind about what you can change.
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    • Profile picture of the author denmark syndin
      Originally Posted by cashp0wer View Post

      Some nice tips here on writing articles. It would be nice if we could all be Stephen King but I think someone like that only comes along every hundred years or so. Everyone that writes does it differently. I cannot write to music or edit to it, for example. I like it completely quiet when I write articles.
      I also like a quiet environment while I'm writing. For I am easily get interrupted by music or other loud sound so that I cannot concentrate on writing.

      But thanks for sharing your writing tips. Most of them are truly useful.
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  • Profile picture of the author moonzombie
    Thanks for sharing some tips that have worked for you.

    I find that making an outline and taking some notes in point form about what I want to write about makes it a lot easier. When I'm writing for a client, I like to do some research (Even if I'm familiar with the niche) to see if that sparks any unique angles. It makes for more work, but I strongly believe in quality > quantity and each algorithm update seems to back that up further.
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Also, if you want to take it a step further...

      6 - Keep a Moleskine

      Whenever you come up with an idea for a topic, write it down on a separate page. Come back to the idea whenever you think of something else that applies.

      When you have enough, write up a basic first draft on word that can be stored away until you have enough stuff to make your article.
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      • Profile picture of the author Rick W
        Thanks for some good tips, i like number 2 the dont stop to correct mistakes.

        its what i do a lot and messes up the creative flow
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          If you can work a personal story (yours or someone else's) into your article, do it. Stories make great leads when you aren't worried about optimizing keywords. They suck readers into the article and get people involved.

          > Lead with a story
          > Set up the meat of the article
          > Deliver the meat
          > Tell "the rest of the story"
          > End with call to action - tell readers how they can extend the experience they just had.

          Of course, that can be tough to do in 250-500 words. Much easier in 1,000+
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          • Profile picture of the author fin
            Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

            If you can work a personal story (yours or someone else's) into your article, do it. Stories make great leads when you aren't worried about optimizing keywords. They suck readers into the article and get people involved.

            > Lead with a story
            > Set up the meat of the article
            > Deliver the meat
            > Tell "the rest of the story"
            > End with call to action - tell readers how they can extend the experience they just had.

            Of course, that can be tough to do in 250-500 words. Much easier in 1,000+
            Great tips.

            I never wanted to speak about the actual writing of the article. If just finished a course and my method will be different from now on, but I couldn't divulge that information as it's not mine to give.

            But thanks for adding some meat.
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      • Profile picture of the author Britt Malka
        Hi Fin

        Awesome thread.

        Originally Posted by fin View Post

        Also, if you want to take it a step further...

        6 - Keep a Moleskine

        Whenever you come up with an idea for a topic, write it down on a separate page. Come back to the idea whenever you think of something else that applies.
        I have a notebook in my handbag, but I often find myself without it. When I go out to get bread, I only carry my purse and my phone.

        So I've installed netMemo on my Android phone (I had a similar app for my iPhone, but don't remember the name). When I get an idea, I make a voice record of it, and I send it to my DropBox. Then it automatically reaches my computer, when it synchronizes with DropBox.
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    • Profile picture of the author Emily B
      These are all very nice tips. I think taking a break from your writing is very important. If you try to force your brain to work, it can often work against you. Coming in with a fresh mind will help give you new ideas.

      One tip that I've learned from my composition class is what my teacher likes to call a "brouillon", which essentially means "rough draft". But the process is you just write whatever comes to mind. No structure, don't worry about spelling, and do it on paper. Get all the ideas out that you can. Write down stuff that isn't even relevant to your topic, if only to help spark ideas.

      I have one right in front of me, and in the middle of all my ideas, I've written "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name". I have the song stuck in my head, haha. But writing it down lead me to think of something else that I can put in my paper.

      Additionally, writing on paper before you type it helps. Changing between mediums puts you in a new mindset and can help spark ideas.
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      • Profile picture of the author fin
        Originally Posted by Emily B View Post


        One tip that I've learned from my composition class is what my teacher likes to call a "brouillon", which essentially means "rough draft". But the process is you just write whatever comes to mind. No structure, don't worry about spelling, and do it on paper. Get all the ideas out that you can. Write down stuff that isn't even relevant to your topic, if only to help spark ideas.
        I do this too. In my butterfly effect article in my sig, I sat down with music and some paper and just let my mind flow for 20 minutes writing down sentences of ideas, which eventually went into my post first draft.

        I was going to take a picture of it and add it to my article.
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  • Profile picture of the author serpentlove
    Good tips; even made a few notes myself. Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author jakecoop79
    Great tips. Thanks for sharing.

    Sometimes when I write I get distracted by other thoughts easily. So one thing I started doing was to keep a file open while I'm writing, so that when random thoughts come to my mind I can just jot it down so I can get back to it later.

    By writing down the thought it helps my mind let it go so I can get back to the writing task I'm working on.
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  • Profile picture of the author Devin X
    Banned
    These are good tips to be sure, but I'd also add another: write as if you're speaking to one person in a conversational way. I find that works very well for me, and it helps the reader follow you better.
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    • Profile picture of the author MarkMilan
      I think a large part of what makes an article great rather than simply good is whether the author has genuine insight. I think this is often more important than the skill of the writer.

      "Wisdom and folly both are like meats that are wholesome and unwholesome, and courtly or simple words are like town-made or rustic vessels -- both kinds of food may be served in either kind of dish."

      The vast majority of articles out there are researched from other online articles on exactly the same topic -- anyone can do it. That's your $10 for 500 words right there.

      I'd bet my left arm that well-presented regurgitated content would lose to content produced by a mediocre writer with genuine insight. Beauty is only skin deep.
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      • Profile picture of the author fin
        Originally Posted by MarkMilan View Post

        I think a large part of what makes an article great rather than simply good is whether the author has genuine insight. I think this is often more important than the skill of the writer.

        "Wisdom and folly both are like meats that are wholesome and unwholesome, and courtly or simple words are like town-made or rustic vessels -- both kinds of food may be served in either kind of dish."

        The vast majority of articles out there are researched from other online articles on exactly the same topic -- anyone can do it. That's your $10 for 500 words right there.

        I'd bet my left arm that well-presented regurgitated content would lose to content produced by a mediocre writer with genuine insight. Beauty is only skin deep.
        Yeah, I agree. That's something I'm personally working on through experimentation.

        I don't want to just have a blog full of regurgitated content from 50 of the biggest blogs in my niche.

        I want to, and I hope others do too, come up with new innovative ideas to take their niche to the next level.
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        • Profile picture of the author MarkMilan
          Originally Posted by fin View Post

          Yeah, I agree. That's something I'm personally working on through experimentation.

          I don't want to just have a blog full of regurgitated content from 50 of the biggest blogs in my niche.

          I want to, and I hope others do too, come up with new innovative ideas to take their niche to the next level.
          I'm inclined to think that's how the big money is made. True expertise is difficult to attain, and that's what makes it valuable.
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          • Profile picture of the author Elluminati
            Great info. Here're my two cents: I use my cell to record my ideas the night before. The next morning I transcribe the voice recordings plus add any relevant info from research or info I didn't think of before. I've never been able to write so much per day and so quickly (I type 90 wpm).
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      • Profile picture of the author sitefurnace
        Originally Posted by MarkMilan View Post

        I think a large part of what makes an article great rather than simply good is whether the author has genuine insight. I think this is often more important than the skill of the writer.

        "Wisdom and folly both are like meats that are wholesome and unwholesome, and courtly or simple words are like town-made or rustic vessels -- both kinds of food may be served in either kind of dish."

        The vast majority of articles out there are researched from other online articles on exactly the same topic -- anyone can do it. That's your $10 for 500 words right there.

        I'd bet my left arm that well-presented regurgitated content would lose to content produced by a mediocre writer with genuine insight. Beauty is only skin deep.
        Trouble is to have genuine insight you need to have a genuine deep understanding of the subject and most 'Article writers' will write on any subject they are given rather than the ones they an expert in. Perhaps the next evolution is for top level writers to focus only on the particular niche they specialise in?
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  • Profile picture of the author Kal Sallam
    Love #1&3 ! Very true indeed,they teach you that at school (information takes a while to register)
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  • Profile picture of the author JeanneLynn
    Great tips, Fin. I think you are an excellent writer. I really enjoyed your lucid dreaming ebook. I love lucid dreaming; I wish I could do it every night.

    I tend to think that good writers already have a natural talent for it. Sure, everyone can brush up on grammar rules, but I don't know if a horrible writer can read a grammar book and be transformed.

    All of my kids are talented writers. They have excellent reading and spelling skills. They are idiots when it comes to math. My 20 year old daughter hates to write, but every college essay she does is a masterpiece. She's incapable of bad writing, no matter how much she rushes her paper.

    LOL, before I went to college, I used to use "alot" a lot. My English lit professor threatened us with death if we wrote "alot" in our papers.
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Originally Posted by JeanneLynn View Post

      I love lucid dreaming; I wish I could do it every night.
      You should become a master of meditation. When I meditate before I go to sleep, I usually have more lucid dreams than normal ones.
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      • Profile picture of the author absoluteallen
        I was going to make a thread similar to this but, if you don't mind, I'll just add my thoughts.

        When I first started writing, being more of the computer geek (the two finger - machine gun typist), clients hammered me with ridicule.

        I realized I had stage fright, even behind a computer. I would think things out, worry how it would be perceived, then rethink them.. I wanted to be perfect. After all, I read so many horror stories of writers not making the cut.

        When I would write, I felt like if I made one mistake it would spread all over the net that I was an idiot.

        Overcoming that was much like overcoming any phobia, it takes practice. You meet it head on, then go for it! To me that meant, study every free online writing course you can! That I did.

        Still the same course of action, I over analyzed everything I wrote, but knew how to write more efficient.

        The breaking point.

        One day I decided to take an article on something I had no clue about, emailed a buddy of mine, explained it to him. That meant I had used a topic, no research prior to the email.. only to say "this is this."

        His response: What's that?

        Without thinking I researched the topic, had over 1,000 words into his email within a few hours.

        It dawned on me that we write like we talk to people. We also explain more details in comfort when we are telling a friend about product x or y compared to a stranger.

        Soon, I was writing emails to my friend about every topic clients wanted articles on. I wrote them as I would explain it to him in person had he asked.

        Never sent the emails, instead, sent them for editing and onto the client.

        The change in reception was pretty damn good. One client even asked if I had outsourced someone new.

        The power of being comfortable goes a long way.

        Cheers
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Originally Posted by JeanneLynn View Post


      I tend to think that good writers already have a natural talent for it. Sure, everyone can brush up on grammar rules, but I don't know if a horrible writer can read a grammar book and be transformed.
      I heard something recently: a great article is a popular one, not necessarily a well-written one.
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  • Profile picture of the author fanaticodp
    Good tips. Too bad I can't apply many of them, particularly #3. On my news site, If I were to wait even one day to post an article, it would be old news. Don't want that!
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  • Profile picture of the author fenway2k
    These are all great tips. I tend to stay away from giving article writing advice because I hate it so much and I never follow the advice I would give. I just sit down, think of a topic and let it flow. Whatever comes out in that first draft is what I am sticking with. I will go back and proofread to ensure proper grammar and punctuation, but I never rewrite anything.

    I treat writing like chess. I learned how to play so I can enjoy watching others play, but the game progresses too slowly for me to actually play. I learned how to write so I can enjoy others writing, but I hate doing it myself.

    Am I the only one like this?
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  • Profile picture of the author TamilYoung
    Great tips, Thanks for sharing. Indeed following this will let us come out of the writers block too!
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  • Profile picture of the author BennyP
    Thanks for the advice! Been looking for info on this topic as i am just starting out writing articles.
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  • Profile picture of the author williamk
    Banned
    Awesome tips. This will help every new warrior member to know the tricks of the trade. I still beleive that writing is the easiest to make money with.
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  • Profile picture of the author lukedidit
    Another important one is how you start the article, most people kill it with the opening line and don't realise its the most important aspect of the whole article.

    If you don't hook them in the first 20 words, you suck, they will leave, and not bother to come back to your crappy insignificant blog ever again!

    Never open with predicable crap like 'Today I am going to be talking about'.

    Instead come out with something dramatic to catch attention

    "Fact! 75% of SEO's are wrong and they are oblivious to the fact they live in ignorance of the truth"

    This will do two things, experts will take the bait and see the gaunlet has been dropped, newcomers will see you as an authority.

    From there on in, even if the rest of your content is far from exemplification of the ultimate factual truth, it won't matter. Readers will correct and debate you in the comments which is just what you want! More Engagement and Emotion! That is what will get them coming back for more!
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    • Profile picture of the author kmg
      Great tips Jamie. Thanks for posting them.

      I have always found it helpful to pick a topic I am going to write on then 'sleep on it'. It's amazing how often I wake up with the article already formed the next morning.

      Then the trick is to jot it down as soon as I wake up, before my conscious brain gets in the way. So I keep a notepad and pencil beside the bed to capture ideas and insights before I lose them.
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