How to Write Articles

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How to Write Articles

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Part 1 of 5: Forming Your Idea

1.
1
Get familiar with the type of article you want to write. As
youre figuring out your topic and focus, think about the type of
article that will best suit the points that you want to convey.
Some article types are better suited to certain topics. Some of
the most common types of articles are:
News: This type of article presents facts about something
that happened recently or that will happen in the near future.
It usually covers the 5 Ws and H: who, what, where when,
why and how.

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Feature: This type of article presents information in a more

creative, descriptive way than a straight news article. It can
be an article about a person, a phenomenon, a place, or
other subject.
Editorial: This article presents a writers opinions on a topic
or debate. It is intended to persuade the reader to think a
certain way about a topic.[1]
How-to: This article gives clear instructions and information
about how to accomplish some task.
Profile: This article presents information about a person,
using information that the writer typically gathers through
interviews and background research.
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2.
2
Brainstorm your topic. Make a list of potential topics. You
might want to write about immigration or organic food or your

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local animal shelter. In order to write a coherent yet concise

article, you need to narrow the topic. This will give you
something more specific to write about, which will make for a
more forceful article. Ask yourself these questions:
What interests you about this topic?
What is a point that people usually overlook?
What do you want people to know about this topic?
For example, if you want to write about organic farming, you
might say to yourself, I think its important to know what
organic labeling means on food packages. It can be very
confusing to know what it all means.

3.
3
Choose something youre passionate about. You should care
about the topic you choose to write about. Your enthusiasm will
show in your writing and will be much more engaging for your
readers.
Your goal is to convey enough passion that your readers
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think the issue in your article is worth caring about.

4.
4
Conduct preliminary research. If youre not at all familiar with
your topic (if, for instance, you need to write on a specific topic
for a class assignment), then you will need to start conducting
some preliminary research.
Enter some key words into an online search engine. This
can lead you to sources that write about your topic. These
sources can also give you an idea of different approaches to
the topic.
Read as much as you can on the topic. Visit your local
library. Consult books, magazine articles, published
interviews, and online features as well as news sources,
blogs, and databases for information. A good place to start
looking for data not readily apparent on the Internet is the
Gale Directory of Databases, which exists in both book
format (available in libraries) or online.

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5.
5
Find a unique angle. When you have decided on your topic
and youve narrowed it down to something more specific, think
about how you can make this article stand out. If you are writing
an article about something that other people are also writing
about, try to be unique in how you approach the material. You
should add to the conversation, not exist alongside it.
For example, for the organic food topic, you might focus on
one grocery shopper who doesnt understand organic food
labeling. Use that opening anecdote to lead into your main
argument, known as a "nut graph," which summarizes your
unique idea or point of view.

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6.
6
Hone your argument. In most articles, the writer makes an
argument. This is the main thrust of the article. Then the writer
finds evidence to support this argument. In order to make a
quality article, you need a quality argument. After youve settled
on your unique angle, you can really zero in on the argument
that youre trying to make.
For example, if you are writing about how one person learns
how to read organic labels, your overall argument might be
that the public needs to be aware that many companies
misuse organic labeling. This leads to dishonest practices in
product advertising. Another topic might be: its important to
know who owns your local media outlets. If corporate media
organizations own your local newspaper, you may get very
little media coverage of your area and not know much about
your own community.
Write your argument in one sentence. Post it near your
computer or writing area. This will help you stay focused as
you start working on your article.

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Part 2 of 5: Researching Your Idea

1.
1
Learn about your topic and argument. Start researching your
specific topic and argument. Go beyond the preliminary
research you already conducted. Learn the fundamental issues
at stake, the pros and cons, what the experts say, and so on.
The best writers have a "documents state of mind." They
search both for primary (original, unpublished) documents as
well as secondary documents on that subject.
Primary sources can include a transcript from a
legislative hearing, lawsuit filing, county property indexes
with folio numbers, discharge certificates from the
military, and photos. Other primary sources could include
government written records in the National Archives or
special collections sections of your local or university
library, insurance policies, corporate financial reports, or
personal background reports.

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Secondary sources comprise published databases,

books, abstracts, articles in English and other languages,
bibliographies, dissertations and reference books.
You can find information on the internet or in a library. You
can also conduct interviews, watch documentaries, or
consult other sources.

2.
2
Gather supporting evidence. Start identifying ways that you
might support your overall argument. You should gather about
3-5 solid examples that support your overall argument.
You can make a longer list of evidence and examples. As
you gather more evidence, you will be able to prioritize which
ones are the strongest examples.

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3.
3
Use reliable sources. Be wary when researching online. Draw
only from reliable sources like reputable newspapers, experts
on the topic, government websites, or university websites. Look
for information that lists other sources, since this will help back
up any claims made by your source. You can also find sources
in print, and the same precautions should be taken there.
Dont assume that one source is completely accurate. You'll
need several unrelated sources to get the full picture.

4.

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4
Keep track of your research sources. Write down where you
get your information so you can cite the sources. Typically, the
bibliographic information for a source includes the authors
name, article title, publication title, year, page number, and
publisher.
Choose a citation style sooner rather than later, so you can
compile citation information in the correct format. MLA, APA,
and Chicago are some of the most common citation styles.

5.
5
Avoid plagiarism. When you are looking at other sources, be
careful about how you compile information. Sometimes, people
copy text into a single document to use as notes for their article.
But in doing so, they risk potential plagiarism because the
copied text gets mixed up in their own written work. Be sure to
keep careful track of which writing is not yours.
Dont copy any text directly from another source. Paraphrase
this text instead, and include a citation.

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Part 3 of 5: Outlining Your Idea

1.
12Edit step
1
Decide on the articles length. Does this article have a word
count? Do you need to fill a certain number of pages? Consider
what type of content youre writing about and how much space
this will fill. Also, think about how much needs to be written in
order to cover the topic adequately.

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2.
2
Consider your audience. Think about who is going to read
your article. You need to take into account the reading level,
interests, expectations, and so on.
For example, if you are writing an article for a specialized
academic audience, your tone and approach will be vastly
different than if youre writing an article for a popular
magazine.

3.
3

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Outline your article. Before you begin to formally write, write

up an outline of your article. This outline will break down which
information goes where. It serves as a guide to help you figure
out where you need more information.
Its helpful to start with the five-paragraph essay outline.[2]
This outline devotes one paragraph to an introduction, three
paragraphs for supporting evidence, and one paragraph for
a conclusion. As you start plugging in information into your
outline, you may find that this structure doesnt suit your
article so well.
You might also find that this structure doesnt suit certain
types of articles. For example, if youre doing a profile of a
person, your article may follow a different format.

4.
4
Choose quotes and other evidence to support your points.
You will likely come across information that succinctly supports
what youre saying. This might include a statement that
someone has made, or a sentence within another article that is
particularly relevant. Choose the most important and descriptive
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part to use in your own piece. Add these quotes to your outline.
Make sure to fully attribute your quote and use quotation
marks around anything that you didnt write yourself. For
example, you might write: A spokesperson for the dairy
brand Milktoast says, Our milk is labeled organic because
our cows are only fed organic grass.
Dont overdo the quotes. Be selective about the quotes you
do use. If you use too many quotes, your reader might think
youre using them as filler instead of coming up with your
own material.
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Part 4 of 5: Writing Your Article

1.
1
Write your introduction. A compelling introductory paragraph
is crucial for hooking your reader. Within the first few sentences,
the reader will evaluate whether your article is worth reading in
its entirety. There are a number of ways to start an article, some

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of which include:
Telling an anecdote.
Using a quote from an interview subject.
Starting with a statistic.
Starting with straight facts of the story.

2.
2
Follow your outline. Youve drafted your article in outline form,
and this will help you focus on writing a solid and coherent
article. The outline can also help you remember how details
connect to each other. You will also be reminded of how certain
quotes support certain points that youre making.
Be flexible, however. Sometimes when you write, the flow
makes sense in a way that is different from your outline. Be
ready to change the direction of your piece if it seems to
read better that way.

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3.
3
Give proper context. Dont assume your reader knows as
much about your topic as you do. Think about the kinds of
background information that your reader needs in order to
understand the topic. [3] Depending on the type of article, you
might give a paragraph with background information before
proceeding into your supporting evidence. Or, you might weave
in this contextual information throughout your article.

4.
4

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Show with description. Use eloquent and descriptive language

to give the reader a good picture of what youre writing about.
Carefully choose descriptive verbs and precise adjectives.
For example, you might write about the grocery shopper
having trouble with organic food labels: Charlie
concentrated on jars of peanut butter on the shelf. The
words organic and natural seemed to jump out at him.
Every jar said something different. He felt they were shouting
at him: Choose me! Buy me! The words started swimming
in front of his eyes. He left the aisle without buying anything.

5.
5
Include transitions. Link each separate idea with transitions so
that your article reads as one cohesive piece. Start each new
paragraph with a transition that links it to the previous
paragraph.[4]
For example, use words or phrases such as however,
another important point is, or it must be remembered
that

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6.
6
Pay attention to style, structure and voice. You will want to
write with a style, structure, and voice which makes sense for
the type of article you are writing. Evaluate your audience to
determine what the best method would be to present your
information to them.
For example, a newspaper article will need to offer
information in a narrative, chronological format. It should be
written with accessible and straightforward language. An
academic article will be written with more formal language. A
how-to article might be written in more informal language.
When writing your article, use a strong "anchoring" sentence
at the beginning of each paragraph to move your reader
forward. Also, vary the length of your sentences, both short
and long. If you find all your sentences are about the same
word length, chances are your reader will be 'lulled" into a
standard rhythm and fall asleep. Sentences which are
consistently choppy and short may give your reader the
impression you are writing advertising copy instead of a
well-thought-out article.
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7.
7
Write a compelling conclusion. Wrap up your article with a
dynamic conclusion. Depending on your article, this might be a
conclusion that empowers the reader. For example, if youre
writing an opinion piece about food labeling, you might convey
to your readers how they can learn more about labeling.
If you started with an anecdote or statistic in your
introduction, think about reconnecting to this point in your
conclusion.
Conclusions are often strongest when they use a last, brief
concrete example that leads the reader to new insights.
Conclusions should be 'forward thinking' -- point the reader
in a direction that keeps his or her "thirst" for knowledge
going strong.

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8.
8
Think about adding supplemental material. You can help
your reader understand your topic more clearly by including
graphics or other supplemental material.
For example, you could include photographs, charts, or
infographics to illustrate some of your points.
You could also highlight or develop a major point more with a
sidebar-type box. This is an extra bit of writing that delves
more deeply into one aspect of the subject. For example, if
youre writing about your citys film festival, you might include
a sidebar write-up that highlights one of the films. These
types of write-ups are usually short (50-75 words, depending
on the publication outlet).
Remember, these materials are supplemental. This means
that your article should stand on its own. Your writing needs
to be understandable, clear and focused without the help of
charts, photographs or other graphics.
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Part 5 of 5: Finalizing Your Work

1.
1
Edit your work. Take some time to edit and revise your article.
If time allows, wait for a day or two before editing. This will give
you some distance from your article. Then you will be able to
view your article with fresh eyes.
Look closely at the central argument or point youre trying to
make. Does everything in your article serve this central
argument? Do you have a paragraph that is unrelated? If so,
this paragraph should be eliminated or reframed so that it
supports the main argument.
Eliminate any contradictory information in the article or
address the contradictions, showing how the contradictory
information is relevant to readers.
Rewrite sections or the entire thing as necessary. Revisions
like this are common for all types of articles, so dont feel like
youve failed or are incompetent.

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2.
2
Comb through for grammatical errors. Even when an article
is well-written, it will not be taken as seriously if it has
grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Make sure your writing
is forceful by cleaning up your grammar.
Its helpful to print out a hard copy of your article. Go through
it with a pen or pencil to catch mistakes. Then go back and
correct these mistakes on the computer.

3.
3

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Read your article out loud to yourself. Listen for tone, rhythm,
sentence length, coherence, grammatical or content errors, and
compelling argument(s). Think of your writing as a a piece of
music, an auditory experience, and use your ears to evaluate
the quality, strengths, and weaknesses.
It is common to be able to identify your own mistakes in
grammar or writing while reading aloud as well; this could cut
down on the feedback that you may receive from someone
else.

4.
4
Have someone else read your article. Try showing the article
to a friend, teacher, or other trusted individual to read it. Does
this person understand the points youre trying to make? Does
he follow your logic?
This person may also catch errors and inconsistencies that
you have overlooked.

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5.
5
Write a headline. Give your article a suitable headline. The
headline is short and to the point, using no more than about 10
words, if that. A headline should be action-oriented and should
convey why the story is important. It should grab readers and
draw them into the article.[5], [6]
If you want to convey slightly more information, write a
sub-headline. This is a secondary sentence that builds on
the headline.
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Can you tell us about

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Tell us everything you know here. Remember, more detail is
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Don't say: Eat more fats. Do say: Add fats with some nutritional
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Tips
Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to write the article. If
you don't, you'll be rushing at the last minute to create
something that isn't representative of what you can truly do.
To find out more about using primary research tools and
databases, consult the Investigative Reporters and Editors
website or get a copy of The Investigative Reporter's Handbook:
A Guide to Documents, Databases and Techniques, Fifth
Edition. Authors: Brant Houston and Investigative Reporters and
Editors Inc. (New York: Bedford/St. Martin's 2009).

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Warnings
When writing for a newspaper or magazine, do not do so for
free. Ask what the freelance fee is beforehand. Your pay will
usually be calculated on a per-word basis or per-article basis.
Your work is valuable. Writing for free makes making a living
more difficult for those who depend on freelance fees to pay the
bills. If you're just starting out, volunteering to do some articles
for smaller community papers, student publications and trade
magazines is a great way to build your portfolio.

Questions and Answers

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