Tag Archives: Writing

How to Write an Article – Writing Article Content

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Writing article content for distribution is a very important part of learning how to write an article, and how well or badly you do it can make or break your online business. If this sounds a bit extreme, knowing how to write an article that keeps the reader riveted to your page can make a massive difference to your business than if your writing was bland and uninteresting. That is indisputable. Most people find the title easy to put together, even if many don’t do it properly. However, it is the article content that most people seem to struggle with, particularly the first and last paragraphs.

It appears to be starting the article and finishing it that most inexperienced writers struggle with, not only with regard to the content of these sections but also the use of keywords. Article marketing is about writing articles that interest the reader, and then persuading these readers to visit your website. Not just any page, but a page that relates to the article. That is why you write an article – to get visitors to your web page. They must therefore be interested in your content, which must therefore be defined by the title.

For that reason it is difficult to regard each of the elements of an article independently. Each leads into the other. However, let’s have a look at what’s involved in writing article content, beginning with the first paragraph.

The first paragraph should take the form of an introduction to the subject of the article. The first sentence should include the main keyword, and will be very important in catching the reader’s interest. Although the title would initially have done that, it is the first sentence that will persuade them to continue or to click away. It should almost be like another title, reinforcing the topic heading, and leading into the main content of the article.

Many people will write an article without understanding the importance of the introduction and the way it leads into the main body, and also of the importance of the concluding paragraph, and how it should lead into the resource that comes after it. Writing article content, therefore, is an extremely important part of article marketing, and how you write an article can, I repeat, make or break your online business.

This is particularly so if you rely on article marketing as your major marketing strategy, where the click-through rate of readers to your website is critical to your success. You should therefore pay most attention to the title and first paragraph than to any other part of the article. The reason for that is that if these are not right, the rest won’t matter!

Introductory Paragraph

This should follow on from and reinforce the title. As previously stated, the first sentence should contain the main keyword. The next two or three should justify what you say in the first, and then lead into the main points of discussion. My first sentence above makes a bold statement, and the next three support it, or justify it. The final sentence then goes on to describe where the problem lies.

Body of the Article

This should expand on the points made in the introductory paragraph, and should follow on from the last two or three sentences. Expand on the main topic of the article, perhaps explain why the pint to you are making is important, and then propose a solution.

Of course, not all article are of the problem – solution type; some are informative and others narrative. However, irrespective of the subject matter, when you write an article for distribution you can and should still maintain a flow from title to first paragraph, and then from that to the body of the article, so that the interest of the reader is maintained.

Final Paragraph

The final paragraph should be a summing up, and lead into the author’s resource, where you publish your web page URL. You should begin by summarizing what has been previously written, and end by suggesting that further information might be useful. Read how I do it below.

Make sure you keep your objective in mind when you write an article, irrespective of the subject matter. Writing article content is easy if you remember to construct your title in such as way as to attract interest, and reinforce that in your first paragraph, particularly in the first sentence where you will repeat your main keyword. Writing article content with then seem much easier, although there is still lot for most people to learn in respect of selecting the right keywords, and constructing titles and initial paragraphs to keep readers fixed on your page.

Is Writing Enough?

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Have you ever reached a point where you felt like you couldn’t write another word? That’s where I’ve been for about 2-3 weeks now. I’ve barely written at all. Every word I do write is painstakingly squeaked out, after which I almost run away and hide from the laptop.

As a writer, this isn’t good. Writing is my life. And yet, I feel like it’s eluding me at this very moment.

I network and chat with enough writers to know that I’m not alone in this. Some writers call this writer’s block. I’ve always preferred not to call it a “block” because that seems so cold and bleak. But that’s precisely how I feel right now, so perhaps “block” is the best word after all.

So what is a writer to do at this point? Some writers really do run away from writing altogether. They throw away their notebooks and pens and swear off writing forever. This isn’t the answer.

Is writing enough? Only you can answer that question. Maybe you’ve reached a pivotal point in your life where writing isn’t enough. Maybe it’s time to step up and reach out for another life dream. But if writing is enough for you, and you just need a break, then take one.

I just had a thought. If you know writing is enough for you, but you feel drained and can’t write, romance the writing again. Here are some ideas for you to try:

Read a book in a genre you wouldn’t normally choose. I love self-help books. If you see me in the library or a bookstore, you’ll most likely find me perusing the self-help section. When I was younger, I read contemporary Christian romance books. I would devour a book in as little as two hours, uninterrupted.

Reading from the same genre all the time almost makes you zone out until every book begins to read the same to you. Pick up a book in a genre totally opposite of what you’d normally read. If you like mysteries, try a book on self-improvement. If you enjoy motivational books, read a historical fiction.

Only write in your journal. If you don’t already keep a journal by hand, you don’t know what you’re missing. Writing on the computer makes writing fast, which is why you should keep an offline journal. Writing by hands slows you down. It slows down your hand, but it also slows down your mind and thought process. Try writing just three pages a day, by hand.

Ask yourself this question: Why do I write? Sometimes you get lost in the words until you lose sight of the core reason for the writing. What was it that drew you to writing in the beginning? Why did you enjoy writing? How did it make you feel? Why was it so meaningful? Get back to the basics and remember how you used to feel about writing.

Ask yourself this question: What will happen if I don’t write anymore. Close your eyes and imagine your world a place where writing is no more. Maybe you’d pursue another dream career. Perhaps you’d spend more time with your family. Maybe the stress that constantly nags at you would suddenly be removed. Imagine your life without writing. If you imagine it to be a better place, then maybe you should listen to your heart and say good-bye to writing. But if you feel a deep, empty spot where the writing once was, you probably just need a break for a bit.

Is Writing Enough?

Posted on by

Have you ever reached a point where you felt like you couldn’t write another word? That’s where I’ve been for about 2-3 weeks now. I’ve barely written at all. Every word I do write is painstakingly squeaked out, after which I almost run away and hide from the laptop.

As a writer, this isn’t good. Writing is my life. And yet, I feel like it’s eluding me at this very moment.

I network and chat with enough writers to know that I’m not alone in this. Some writers call this writer’s block. I’ve always preferred not to call it a “block” because that seems so cold and bleak. But that’s precisely how I feel right now, so perhaps “block” is the best word after all.

So what is a writer to do at this point? Some writers really do run away from writing altogether. They throw away their notebooks and pens and swear off writing forever. This isn’t the answer.

Is writing enough? Only you can answer that question. Maybe you’ve reached a pivotal point in your life where writing isn’t enough. Maybe it’s time to step up and reach out for another life dream. But if writing is enough for you, and you just need a break, then take one.

I just had a thought. If you know writing is enough for you, but you feel drained and can’t write, romance the writing again. Here are some ideas for you to try:

Read a book in a genre you wouldn’t normally choose. I love self-help books. If you see me in the library or a bookstore, you’ll most likely find me perusing the self-help section. When I was younger, I read contemporary Christian romance books. I would devour a book in as little as two hours, uninterrupted.

Reading from the same genre all the time almost makes you zone out until every book begins to read the same to you. Pick up a book in a genre totally opposite of what you’d normally read. If you like mysteries, try a book on self-improvement. If you enjoy motivational books, read a historical fiction.

Only write in your journal. If you don’t already keep a journal by hand, you don’t know what you’re missing. Writing on the computer makes writing fast, which is why you should keep an offline journal. Writing by hands slows you down. It slows down your hand, but it also slows down your mind and thought process. Try writing just three pages a day, by hand.

Ask yourself this question: Why do I write? Sometimes you get lost in the words until you lose sight of the core reason for the writing. What was it that drew you to writing in the beginning? Why did you enjoy writing? How did it make you feel? Why was it so meaningful? Get back to the basics and remember how you used to feel about writing.

Ask yourself this question: What will happen if I don’t write anymore. Close your eyes and imagine your world a place where writing is no more. Maybe you’d pursue another dream career. Perhaps you’d spend more time with your family. Maybe the stress that constantly nags at you would suddenly be removed. Imagine your life without writing. If you imagine it to be a better place, then maybe you should listen to your heart and say good-bye to writing. But if you feel a deep, empty spot where the writing once was, you probably just need a break for a bit.