how to do an article writing

Steps of Article Writing

Article Writing Format: Suppose you have some opinions regarding a topic and you want to tell people about it. How will you do so? You can tell the opinions to persons near you. But what if you want to tell not only those people but, say, the world? How will you do so? You will write those opinions, isn’t it?

Many a time you have seen some writers or people write their problems and suggestions in some newspapers, magazines, and journals or in their blogs. They are writing their opinions and beliefs in the form of an article. In this section, we will get ourselves familiar with article writing and the article writing format.

An article is a piece of writing written for a large audience. The main motive behind writing an article is that it should be published in either newspapers or magazines or journals so as to make some difference to the world.

It may be the topics of interest of the writer or it may be related to some current issues. The topic can either be serious or not-so-serious; Same goes for its tone and language.

Browse more Topics under Article Writing

• Definition, Essential Elements of Article Writing

Objectives of Article Writing

An article is written with the following objectives

• It brings out the topics or the matter of interest in the limelight
• The article provides information on the topics
• It offers suggestions and pieces of advice
• It influences the readers and urges them to think
• The article discusses various stories, persons, locations, rising-issues, and technical developments

The Format of Article Writing

An article must be organized in a proper way so as to draw the attention of the readers. The basic outline for an article writing format is

• Heading / Title
• A line having the writer’s name
• Body (the main part of the article, 2 – 3 paragraphs)
• Conclusion (Ending paragraph of the article with the opinion or recommendation, anticipation or an appeal)

Steps for Article Writing Format

Think of the topic you want to write the article about. Only after you’ve decided your topic you can go ahead and undertake the further steps in the process one by one:

• Target Audience: Identify the concerning reading group
• Purpose: Find the objective or aim of writing the article
• Collect & Select: Gather as such information as possible. Also, identify the details that are most significant
• Organize:  Arrange the information and the facts in a logical way

Once you’ve taken care of all the Above steps you move forward to the final step- Writing.

• While writing an article, always use proper grammar , spelling , and proper punctuations
• Use vocabulary skill
• Keep the introduction of the topic catching, interesting, and short
• Discuss the opinion and the matter in an organized and descriptive manner

Common Mistakes in the Article Writing Format

Now that you know the steps of article writing and the article writing format, the occurrence of mistakes becomes obvious. Some of the common mistakes are:

• Not using facts or quotes or similar cases
• The language should not be too formal
• The article must be in easy language for better understanding
• The title of the article must be catchy and clearly understandable
• No use of paragraphs
• Expressing personal views is fine but the author must never talk about himself/herself

Points to Keep in Mind for the Article Writing Format

• The topics of the articles should be unique and relevant
• The article has to get attention
• It has to be interesting
• It has to be easy to read
• The reader is identified
• Find the main goal of writing an article. The goal can be anything from providing information, entertainment, and advice or for comparing, etc.
• The title must be eye-catching, clear, and interesting
• The introduction or the starting paragraph must be highly attentive. Use your vocabulary skills or try to use some interrogative words for the start
• Use clear statements and make assertions
• Avoid repetition and over the top logic and reasons
• Use the style of paragraph writing and write the contents uniquely and unambiguously
• Avoid using the points which interest you only and not for the general public
• Write a good and logical ending

Solved Example on Steps of Article Writing

Problem: Classify the following into Do’s and Don’ts in article writing.

• Write very lengthy articles
• Add the writer’s name
• The title should be lengthy and clear
• The heading of the article should be short, clear and informative
• Only the introduction and the conclusion should be attractive and attention seeking
• Target the audience
• One can advise, suggest and give the solutions to a problem in any paragraph other than the starting one
• The language and the style of writing should be according to the concerning readers
• There must be only three paragraphs in an article – introduction, middle one, and conclusion
• Use proper punctuations
• Use any tense , person, voice, as many abbreviations , and self-made words while writing an article

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How to start writing an article: step-by-step guide.

Jacqueline Luberto

The ParagraphAI Team

• Updated on  09/12/2022

Want to write an article but are unsure ofow to adequately convey a message to your intended audience? Getting started can be challenging, especially if you’re still organizing your thoughts or deciding on an appropriate tone. If you find yourself struggling with how to start writing an article, following a few simple steps can streamline the process. With the right strategies on your side, you’ll be creating well-written articles in no time.

Using an established strategy makes the business of article writing a smooth journey rather than a daunting task. However, if you want to make the steps for how to write a good article a breeze, then it’s time to leverage AI. Exploring the endless opportunity that lies within a free AI writing tool like ParagraphAI can streamline the techniques behind what makes a good article, giving your readers the  information they need.

What is an Article?

What is article writing ? Article writing is a form of written communication aimed at engaging a wide audience through various media outlets. In the context of article writing, these media outlets encompass publishing entities such as newspapers, magazines, journals, and more.

Articles are written works intended for a wide audience to view, and traditionally are published in magazines, newspapers, or journals. Therefore they are typically shorter than other forms of writing, such as books or essays.

If you’re contemplating how to write a great article, a key point to remember is that it can be about any topic, from current events to personal experiences. They are intended to inform, educate, or entertain the reader. As you gain proficiency in organizing your thoughts, understanding your audience, and building a coherent structure, you will inevitably learn how to write articles fast, a skill that improves over time.

What Should Be in an Article?

As with any medium designed to deliver any type of information, there should be coherent follow. Regarding articles, it can begin with how to start writing an article and then transition into a logical structure that introduces, explores, and delivers the main point of the article. You can achieve this by creating the following sections:

• Title: Something that will make the reader want to learn more about the topic.
• Introduction: Where you present the topic and summarize the main points of the article.
• Body: The main argument, made up of supporting paragraphs.
• Conclusion: Summarization of the argument and call to action.

By following this structure and these article writing tips, your articles will effectively communicate their arguments in a clear and concise manner to your audience.

How to Write an Article

Here is a quick list to get started on articles: 

Find a topic.

Find your target audience., perform research on your story to create trust., write an outline., get a rough draft together., create the subject matter., read and or share with friends for any errors..

Before proceeding, one should first consider the topic of the article and what its objective is. Is the article meant to be informative or entertaining? Perhaps you are making an argument to convince the reader of something. This would be a good starting point if you’re wondering how to start writing an article.

With your topic in mind, also consider your audience. What might draw them in? If you were someone with less knowledge on this topic, what questions would you want this article to answer? This is where tips for writing an article can be really useful. Think about your writing from the perspective of potential readers. This process will help you communicate your ideas are clearly and make your content a good read.

Research will be a necessary step for most articles intending to inform or argue a certain topic, as supporting evidence allows you to write with more credibility. Drawing from your experience can also provide unique insights, as people might find value in your anecdotes. Seeking out statistics, quotes from interviews, and references from academic publications is an important step in creating a well-informed argument.

(Source: Wings )

You will also have to come up with a title for your article, which should be eye-catching while accurately reflecting the content of your writing. It can be helpful to brainstorm a few ideas and consider which one fits the main idea while being the most engaging to a potential reader looking to learn more about the topic.

When writing an introduction, you will want an interesting hook that draws the reader in and a brief overview of your article. This is where you can set the tone for your article and deliver the thesis statement that the following paragraphs will support.

The body is then made up of paragraphs that each will support the main point that was laid out in the introduction. This is where you will dig deeper into your arguments and answer any questions that you anticipate readers may have going into the article. The paragraphs should ideally be short and concise to retain the reader’s interest.

For your conclusion, you should summarize the main point as a means of tying up all of the points made by the article. With an effective call to action to close out your argument, you will leave the audience reflecting on your writing.

How to Write an Article in ParagraphAI in Two Easy Steps

While developing techniques for how to write an article more efficiently, learning to make use of a free writing tool such as ParagraphAI is a worthwhile way to increase your productivity. If you’re curious about how to write an article using AI, this is the perfect place to start. If you’re looking to brainstorm ideas, structure your thoughts, or come up with words and phrases to use in your articles, ParagraphAI has you covered. This tool can provide help in a variety of ways. Here’s how you can get started.

Step 1: Enter Your Topic

By supplying ParagraphAI with the topic of your article, it generates an introduction paragraph and two body paragraphs. This gives you a strong starting point with which you can work off of to write the rest of your article. However, the article produced is unquestionably incomplete as it lacks a conclusion—and in the case of this Macbeth article, body paragraphs exploring the other two themes mentioned in the introduction need to be addressed. This is a good thing to remember and understand to utilize the tool effectively. Luckily, this can be remedied.

Step 2: Prompt Using Specifics

For any paragraphs left that you may need to complete your article, you can enter the topic of that paragraph specifically and plug that result into your article to fill in the gaps. 

In the case of a body paragraph, you would enter one of the supporting ideas that help to make up your overall point, while with a conclusion paragraph, you would enter the thesis from the introduction in order to summarize the whole article. With everything assembled, you have a complete article to revise as needed!

With the right understanding of how to write an article and the importance of one’s structure, style=”color: #EC693F”ParagraphAI can help you create articles more efficiently than ever before. 

Once you’ve decided on your topic, you can start your article off strong with a click of a button and similarly create the rest of your paragraphs as you go along.

So if you’ve got an article to write, consider getting some assistance from ParagraphAI’s free AI writing tool. You may be surprised at how quickly you’ll be able to organize and present your thoughts.

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How To Write an Article

April 27, 2022 (Updated: May 4, 2023)

Depending on the industry of your business, it’s possible you might benefit from creating quality content like blogs and articles. Well-written content can help you attract an audience to your brand by providing them with helpful and insightful information. In turn, this helps your company build audience loyalty and satisfaction, which you can use to turn your readers into paying customers. So, let’s dive into what you need to know on how to write an article. In this article, we discuss:

What Is an Article?

How do articles work with content marketing, what is the format of an article.

• How To Write Articles for Your Business

Tips for Using Articles In Content Marketing

Image via Unsplash by @nickmorrison

An article is a piece of informative content that people research, write, and distribute to readers. You can write articles for different mediums such as newspapers, magazines, and websites. Companies, however, most often write and use articles as part of their content marketing strategy. This provides readers and potential customers with information that’s valuable and helpful. This helps motivate them to interact with the company further, such as more articles, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase.

Read more about it: All About Content Writing: Your Definitive Guide

When companies perform content marketing with well-written resource articles , they often develop a lot of content at once. To start this, businesses research specific keywords that their website and content should target. These keywords are often relevant to the business’s industry or field. For instance, let’s say your company helps new authors self-publish their works. Some of the articles you write might include “how to self-publish your book,” “tips for a first-time publisher,” and “how to tell an engaging story.”

Each one of these articles might attract a specific audience to your website. Then, using well-placed calls-to-action, you can entice your visitors to interact with your company further. This can include scheduling a call, downloading content, or reading more articles on your site.

Here are some steps to help you format your articles and improve their readability:

1. Add a Title

Your title defines the article’s topic and gives readers a preview of what they expect to read. When writing your title, it’s important to keep it between 50 and 60 characters. This will help ensure that Google and other search engines show the entire title on the search engine results page (SERP). It’s also helpful to make sure it’s enticing. Consider using different techniques, like adding numbers or promising the answer to a question. For example, “Marketing: A Definitive Guide” or “12 Tips For Changing Your Fashion Style” are both examples of eye-catching titles.

Looking for more tips on title creation? Check out our free eBook on how to create effective titles and headlines .

2. Include Your Name

Adding a name or author information to your article can help humanize your brand. This can allow you to build better relationships with readers and develop a community around your content. If you have a content team, have them take turns publishing posts with their own bylines and a bio at the end of the article. This might even encourage some of your readers to comment on your articles and start a conversation with the writer by asking them questions or voicing concerns about the material. This also gives your team the opportunity to showcase their expertise in a particular topic.

3. Write the Introduction

Your introduction tells your audience what the article is about and explains to them why they might find the information interesting. Often, an article’s introduction can mean the difference between someone continuing to read or immediately clicking away. Use strategies to catch your audience’s attention, like captivating narratives that outline a problem your target audience faces with the promise of demonstrating how to solve it.

Here are additional tips to improve your article’s introduction:

• Keep introductions short and concise:  Write three to four sentences for your introduction to inform the audience about what they can expect to read. Use writing techniques to generate suspense for the reader and enhance their curiosity about the article’s topic.
• Shorten the length of sentences: Write shorter sentences so the reader can easily understand what you’re writing. Write in the present, active tense and remove filler words like “that,” “just,” “even,” and “seem” to strengthen the quality of your content.
• Write the body first: Write the rest of your content before writing your intro paragraph to give you options on how to present your story. You may try to add the introduction with placeholder text and complete it once you write the rest of the article.
• Deliver on promises: Only introduce topics your article will explain further. This approach builds trust with a reader because they want to read about what attracted them to your article.

4. Insert Your Body

The body of your article should include different headings that relate to the topic. For example, let’s say you’re writing an article on “how to change a tire.” Your headings might include “why is it important to know how to change a tire?,” “tips for changing a tire on a highway,” and “steps for changing your tire.” Under each of these headings, you can write short paragraphs that deliver unique information to the reader based on the subject of the heading.

Though the number of headings in an article may vary, it’s beneficial to have at least two. This can help break up the information and improve the readability of your piece. If you’re writing listicles or how-to articles, you can also create sub-headings for each of the steps or list items. Improving readability can ensure that your potential customers read your content for a longer period of time, which can reduce its bounce rate and increase its conversion rate.

5. Write a Conclusion

The conclusion restates the main point of your article. It gives the reader a clear picture of the lesson they should learn after reading the article’s content and how the main points connect with the purpose of the article. Conclusions should include a call-to-action, which gives the reader an action to perform once they finish reading your article. Explain the value of your call-to-action to give the reader an incentive to act on it once you present it to them.

These calls to action can include phrases like:

• Sign Up Now
• Schedule a Call
• Download Today

Your calls to action can vary between articles or landing pages of your website depending on any ongoing marketing campaign or if there’s a subset of your target audience who will be visiting your content.

How To Write An Article For Your Business

Here are some steps to help you write a quality article for your business’s marketing efforts:

1. Define Your Topics

Pick a topic that can entice your target audience to read about your company or your client’s company. Write a list of engaging topics and evaluate how they’re relevant to your target audience. If you need to expand your list, conduct keyword research to find the highest-ranking articles on search engines. You might need to narrow down your list of topics based on their relevance and the difficulty of the keyword.

Once you have your keywords and topics, create a content schedule. This can help you develop deadlines for each article you write and ensure you’re posting consistently. When you post content consistently, it can help increase your audience’s loyalty and help them know when new content might be available.

2. Perform Research

Once you have the topics ready to go, it’s imperative that you perform research. This research can help you deliver quality and accurate information to your readers. It can also help you understand the most popular headings other businesses use for their topics. For instance, let’s say you’re writing an article on “how to write a book.” When you search that keyword into Google, take a look at the top-ranking articles. Do any of them have similar headings? What kind of information do they cover beside the main topic? Use this information and bring it to your own audience.

If you need to perform additional research on content, look at different types of evidence to support the main points of your article. Some data you may find for your article includes:

• Quotes relevant to your topic
• Definitions of industry-specific words (if applicable)
• Current events on industry topics
• Facts from national and local news outlets
• Company data separate from what’s available on SERPs

2. Write a Draft Without Editing It

Write a rough draft to structure the ideas you’re communicating to your target audience. This can give you more freedom to write your ideas and thoughts about the direction of your article. The ideas and thoughts you write lay the foundation for your article and present the work you need to complete during the editing process. Keep your research in one folder or document so you can note the data you found and reference it in your content.

Relevant: 9 Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing

3. Read Your Draft Out Loud

Once you’re finished with your rough draft, read your article out loud from start to finish. Refer back to your research to identify if your rough draft matches the tone and messaging of your company or what your client requested. For example, you might note that you need to elaborate on the year-round benefit of travel if you’re working on an article for a client in the tourism industry.

Find any errors and fix them and pay attention to sentence flow and structure. The notes you make when reading out loud help you humanize your content and keep readers engaged until the end of your article. If your target audience stays on the page long enough to read the article, it increases their chances of performing the call-to-action. For example, if a reader clicks on a link in your article’s call-to-action, it may influence them to buy more products and services or give feedback on their experience with your company.

Ask an editor or friend to read over your article to make additional edits. They might provide insight on what you need to add to improve your article’s quality, such as adding information to give readers more clarity.

4. Make Final Edits

Read your article out loud one more time after you make all edits to ensure that you’re confident of its quality. If you have a style guide, read it over again to make sure your content aligns with their specifications, then submit.

Here are tips to help you write an engaging article:

• Target the rich snippet: Rich snippets show up at the top of the first page of search results and give a brief view of what the article includes. If you find searchable keywords for your article, use the content in the rich snippet as a framework for the type of content you’ll write.
• Add photos and video: Adding photos and videos gives your readers another reason to engage with your article. Images and videos can provide more information, add context on existing information, or break up information to enhance the content’s clarity.
• Develop personas: Personas are fictional representations of your target audience. These help you figure out the style and tone of your article, and ensure your writing attracts the right people.
• Repurpose your content: After you write an article, consider using that information and content for different parts of your website. Use your research to develop a podcast, white paper, or eBook.

At CopyPress, we can help you with all the above. We’ll work with you to create a living style guide that describes your content’s purpose, target audience, competitors, and brand voice and tone, as well as any stylistic details you want our content team to keep in mind. Then, we’ll write content that both search engines and your target audience will notice. With the right content in place, have our content team repurpose your top-performing articles into an eBook or white paper .

Feel confident with our team of expert writers, editors, and quality assurance specialists who can help you create high-quality, engaging articles for your website. Schedule a call with us today to see how we can help you boost your content marketing efforts.

CopyPress writer

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How to Write Articles

Last Updated: June 13, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Janet Peischel . Janet Peischel is a Writer and Digital Media Expert and the Owner of Top of Mind Marketing. With more than 15 years of consulting experience, she develops content strategies and builds online brands for her clients. Prior to consulting, Janet spent over 15 years in the marketing industry, in positions such as the Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Bank of America. Janet holds a BA and MA from the University of Washington. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,266,195 times.

There are a multitude of different types of articles, including news stories, features, profiles, instructional articles, and so on. While each has specific qualities that are unique to its type, all articles share some common characteristics. From forming and researching your idea to writing and editing your work, writing articles can give you a chance to share compelling and important information with readers.

Forming Your Idea

• 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.
• 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 writer’s opinions on a topic or debate. It is intended to persuade the reader to think a certain way about a topic. [1] X Research source
• 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.

• 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 it’s important to know what organic labeling means on food packages. It can be confusing to know what it all means.”

• Your goal is to convey enough passion that your readers think the issue in your article is worth caring about.

• Enter some keywords 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 apparent on the Internet is the Gale Directory of Databases, which exists in both book format (available in libraries) or online .

• For example, for the organic food topic, you might focus on one grocery shopper who doesn’t 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 perspective.

• 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: it’s 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 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.

Researching Your Idea

• 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.
• 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.

• 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.

• Don’t assume that one source is completely accurate. You'll need several unrelated sources to get the full picture.

• 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.

• Don’t copy any text directly from another source. Paraphrase this text instead, and include a citation .

Outlining Your Idea

• For example, if you are writing an article for a specialized academic audience, your tone, and approach will be vastly different from if you’re writing an article for a popular magazine.

• It’s helpful to start with the five-paragraph essay outline. [4] X Research source 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 doesn’t suit your article so well.
• You might also find that this structure doesn’t suit certain types of articles. For example, if you’re doing a profile of a person, your article may follow a different format.

• Make sure to fully attribute your quote and use quotation marks around anything that you didn’t 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.”
• Don’t overdo the quotes. Be selective about the quotes you do use. If you use too many quotes, your reader might think you’re using them as filler instead of coming up with your material.

Writing Your Article

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

• 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.

• 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.”

• For example, use words or phrases such as “however…,” “another important point is…,” or “it must be remembered that…”

• 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. Moreover, 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.

• 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.

• 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 you’re writing about your city’s 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.

Finalizing Your Work

• Look closely at the central argument or point you’re trying to make. Does everything in your article serve this central argument? Do you have a unrelated paragraph? 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 don’t feel like you’ve failed or are incompetent.

• It’s 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.

• It is common to be able to identify your mistakes in grammar or writing while reading aloud as well; this could cut down on the feedback that you may receive from someone else.

• This person may also catch errors and inconsistencies that you have overlooked.

• If you want to convey slightly more information, write a sub-headline. This is a secondary sentence that builds on the headline.

Article Outline Template

Expert Q&A

• 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. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• 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). Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Determine whether you actually have an interest in writing. Try writing 2 paragraphs with as much creativity as possible. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

• When writing for a newspaper or magazine, do not do so 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. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/journalism/types.html
• ↑ Janet Peischel. Digital Media Expert. Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.
• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/creating-a-5-paragraph-essay-outline.html
• ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/why-is-context-important-in-writing#quiz-0
• ↑ http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/166662

About This Article

To write an article, use both primary and secondary sources to gather information about your topic. Primary sources include photos, government records, and personal interviews, while secondary sources include books, abstracts, scholarly journals, other articles, and reference books. When you’re writing, use facts, quotes, and statistics from your sources to support your point, and explain your topic as if the reader has never heard of it before. To learn the different types of articles, including news, features, and editorials, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Article Writing

• Updated on  
• Nov 8, 2023

There is so much to read and learn these days. Have you noticed how your favourite bloggers or writers come up with unique content on new topics almost every day? In the digital era, writers have to be extra careful about how they present their ideas. It should be collated in such a way that it influences a larger audience at the same time. However, article writing is not everyone’s cup of tea and needs creative thinking .  Whether you want to pursue Content Writing courses or want to flourish your Journalism career , adhering to the structure along with presenting ideas in a well-structured way is what a writer needs to take care of. Yes, even articles have a distinct structure. Before delving into how to write an article should look, let us first understand the basics of it. 

How To Be A Content Writer? [Step-by-Step 2022 Guide]

This Blog Includes:

What is article writing, objectives of article writing, tips for writing a good article, heading or title, byline or name of the author, body of the article, step 1: find your target audience, step 2: select a topic and an attractive heading, step 3: research is the key, step 4: write and proofread, step 5: add images and infographics, sample of article writing, article writing on covid-19 for students, article on my vision of india in the future, article writing topics, common mistakes to avoid in article writing, points to keep in mind, ppt on article writing , scope of article writing.

Playing a major role in society, an article is a piece of information that is written to influence or provide information to people at large. The form and the style of article writing may vary from one topic or writer to another. Yet, an ideal article provides all the relevant factual information to the people which catches their attention, allows them to think and triggers them to act. There are several types of articles, including:

• Expository article – The most common type of article, which allows the writer to disseminate information on any topic without imposing their own opinions.
• Argumentative article – An article in which the author poses a problem or issue, proposes a solution and provides arguments to support why their suggestions/solutions are good.
• A narrative article is one in which the author is required to narrate primarily in the form of a story.
• Descriptive article – An article written to provide a vivid description that allows readers to visualise what is being described. Using the appropriate adjectives/adjective phrases will assist you in writing a descriptive article.
• Persuasive article – An article written to persuade or convince readers to accept an idea or a point of view.

An article must be written with the following objectives in mind:

• It should bring the topic or subject of interest to the foreground.
• The article must discuss all the necessary information.
• It must make or suggest recommendations to the readers.
• It must be eligible to have an impact on the readers and make them think.
• The article must cover a wide range of topics, including people, places, emerging challenges, and technological advancements.

Here’s a step-by-step guide with plenty of helpful hints to help you write an excellent article in no time:

• The first and most important thing to consider when you decide to write an article is whether or not you are well-versed in the subject matter.
• The second question you must answer is why you are writing the article.
• The next thing you must consider is the type of audience for whom you are writing the article because you will not be able to write it in a way that will entice them to read it unless you know your audience.
• The language you use is critical because the article would be unable to sell itself without proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
• Make use of keywords to attract a large number of readers.
• Maintain coherence between and within paragraphs.
• Regardless of the type of article, double-check the data and information you provide.
• Keep the title and description as brief and memorable as possible.
• Before it is published, it should be edited and proofread.

Know the Difference Between an Author and a Writer !

Article Writing Format

Whatever you wish to write, it is important for you to first know the structure of the article and then mention the details accordingly. Divided mainly into 3 sections- Heading, Byline and Body , let us have a look at the article writing format you should keep in mind while composing your piece of information.

The first thing to be noticed and the most important component in article writing is the heading/title. To draw the attention of the readers, it is important to give a catchy heading of not more than 5 to 6 words to the article. 

Below the title comes the byline which states the name of the author who has written the article. This part helps the writer earn the actual credit that they deserve.

The body consists of the main content of an article. Be it story writing or article writing, it is completely upon the author to fix the length of the composition and the number of paragraphs that would embed the information. Generally, an article contains 3 or 4 paragraphs wherein, the first paragraph introduces the readers to what the article will be about and all the prerequisite information. The second and third paragraphs will cover the crux of the topic and here, all the relevant data, case studies and statistics are presented. Following this, the fourth paragraph will conclude the article where the solutions to the problems, as presented in the second and third passages (if any) will be discussed. 

Also Read: How to Write a Book?

Step By Step Guide for Article Writing 

After knowing the format, let us have a look at the 5 simple steps involved in the process of article writing: 

Before writing on any topic, it is important for a writer to first identify the audience the article targets. It can be a particular group of people, children, students, teenagers, young adults, middle-aged, elderly people, business people, service class, etc. Whichever group of people you choose to write for, select a topic that directly or indirectly impacts their lives or spreads the relevant information. 

For example, if the article focuses on parents, then you might write about child psychology, the daily nutritional diet of a child, etc. The tone and the language should also match the suitable audience in article writing. 

After you have chosen your target audience, the second important step in article writing is to choose an apt topic for your composition. This gives an idea of how you should process with the article. After you select the topic, then think of an intriguing title for the same. 

For example, if you want to make the students aware of the various MBA specializations available, you can write – “ Everything you need to know about MBA specializations ”.

Consequent to selecting your targeted audience, topic and title of the article, research is the most important thing in article writing. Read umpteen articles, statistics, facts, data, and new governing laws (if any) to get a hang of all the information to be incorporated in the article. Additionally, check the authenticity of the data, so that you do not state anything outdated. Before proceeding with the article writing, prepare a rough draft or an outline of the article in bullet points and keywords so that you don’t miss out on the important information. 

Once you have collected all the facts and data, you can now begin your article writing. As discussed, start the article with an introductory paragraph, followed by a descriptive and a concluding paragraph. After you have written everything, it is pertinent to proofread your entire article and check whether there are any grammatical errors. As a reader, it becomes a major turn-off when you spot even the minutest of a mistake. Also, make sure that the content is not copied from some other website. 

To make your content even more attractive for people to read, you can also include some infographics. Adding images makes the article even more engaging and it proves to be more influential. Thus making the purpose of your article writing successful!

Given below is a sample that can give you more clarity on how to write an impeccable article: 

Know What is Technical Writing !

Covid -19 for Students By Sahil

Covid-19 has affected all sections of human life. While it affected all industry sectors it has a major impact on education. Classes were switched from offline to online at night but it created confusion among students, especially the ones that were about to enter college. Students even took a gap year hoping for the situation to get better. While schools and colleges are opening because vaccination is in full swing across the globe there are still many challenges.

Understanding COVID-19, how it spreads, and how to protect ourselves are the most important things to be learned first as soon as the school reopens. Students should know the rules they are going to follow and the benefits of following the covid-19 Safety Rules in the School Classroom. It’s very difficult to make the children understand because innocent minds may not get acquainted with the current situation.

To avoid the risk of contracting the Covid- 19, these rules should be followed by every student and school faculty at all times. Students must carry hand sanitisers at all times. Students should never sneeze on their hands, rather they should cover them with their elbows, or may use a tissue or a handkerchief. Inform students not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth frequently. As chances are high that the virus gets spread through the touching of the eyes and nose. If students and teachers follow these basic rules, the spread can be stopped and schools can reopen.

My Vision of India in the Future By Aayush

Most of us have a psychological barrier to looking at India’s future vision, and those who perceive the future as coming straight out of the present typically have their perspective narrowed as well. I believe that the year 2050 will belong to individuals who strive to recognise diversity as a virtue in and of itself, rather than as a tool for combating new mental monocultures or a necessary compromise for social and ethical concord. In the future, India will be in the centre of the world, with variety valued as a goal in itself. My vision statement is neither a forecast of what will happen nor a wish list of desirable but unreachable goals.

It’s a statement of what we believe our country can achieve, given the level of concern that our current youth has about issues like corruption, pollution, and mismanagement of natural resources, among other things. Recognize that the elements that affect national development have changed in recent years and will continue to change in the future when imagining India in 2050. This is expected to create more opportunities than ever before.

The expanding impact and influence of India in domains such as technology, education, information, and productive skills supports the belief that India will attain and sustain higher economic growth and development in the decades ahead.

Do you have to write an article that is trending right now and will help you score better or help you practice better? Here is the list of current topics for article writing:

• Global Warming
• Environmental Pollution
• Impact of Internet
• Women Empowerment
• Education and Movies
• Value of Games in Education
• Yoga and Mind Healing
• Importance of Mental Health
• Importance of Education in Society

Explore some Creative Writing Topics

The likelihood of errors increases now that you understand the phases of article writing and the article writing format. The following are some examples of common blunders: 

• Not using facts or quotes or similar cases
• Using a tone that is too formal
• Using difficult vocabulary without knowing its meaning 
• Not using a catchy title for your article 
• No use of paragraphs to bifurcate information
• Not expressing personal views or opinions
• The topics of the articles should be unique and relevant
• The article has to get the attention
• It has to be interesting
• It has to be easy to read
• Find the main goal of writing an article. The goal can be anything from providing information, entertainment, advice for comparing, etc.
• The title must be eye-catching, clear, and interesting
• The introduction or the starting paragraph must be highly attentive. Use your vocabulary skills or try to use some interrogative words at the start
• Use clear statements and make assertions
• Avoid repetition and over-the-top logic and reasons
• Use the style of paragraph writing and write the contents uniquely and unambiguously
• Avoid using the points which interest you only and not for the general public
• Always end your article writing on a good and logical note

6 Recommended Travel Writing Courses

• Article on the Importance of Education
• Article Rules
• Essay on Global Warming
• Essay on Internet
• Essay on My Aim in Life
• Essay on Education System
• Essay on Democracy
• How to Write a Career Goals Essay?
• Essay on Digital India

Whether you want to work as an article writer for your current employer or make a name for yourself in the journalism world, your voice and skill are in high demand. What matters is that you keep writing and learning.

The road may be difficult at first. Even if you have a good idea of who you are as a writer and where you fit best, there will be obstacles. At first, every writer experiences this.

Or you may have no idea what intrigues you or what format works best with your natural writing strengths. Keep your cool! You’ll keep learning as you go. When your work is published and assignments begin to flood your inbox, the road will become smoother.

When written well, it becomes a natural part of the audience’s experience. Article writers influence how content is presented and how people think. Even when trying to write someone else’s vision, your talent makes it worthwhile to read.

Related Posts

An article is a piece of information that is written to influence or provide information to people at large. The form and the style of article writing may vary from one topic or writer to another.

Not using facts or quotes or similar cases Using a tone that is too formal Using difficult vocabulary without knowing its meaning Not using a catchy title for your article No use of paragraphs to bifurcate information Not expressing personal views or opinions

The style of article writing varies from one topic or writer to another.

Thus, article writing is a form of art that improves only with practice and the right approach. If you want to pursue a career in a field where writing plays an essential role but are confused about the program then take the assistance of Leverage Edu ’s AI tool which will curate a list of the most suitable universities and courses that align with your professional goals!

Team Leverage Edu

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