Writing Articles (Part 14 of 21)

Slant your article.

You can write your article two different ways. The common method is to write an article and search for a magazine or ezine to publish it. That often works—but it's not efficient.

A better way is to slant the article to fit the needs of a particular publisher. That's called "knowing your markets."

For instance, I don’t like put-down jokes and I decided to write an article on the subject. I aimed it at parents so that they could set the example for their children.

I sent the article to a magazine and their guidelines stated that staff wrote 90 percent of their articles. I had studied the magazine enough to know my article fit their scope and style, so I sent it. Three weeks later an editor wrote to say she liked the article and that it was exactly the kind of material they wanted. (I felt affirmed by that comment.)

The problem was that they didn’t see how they could use it for at least a year. "This isn’t fair to you," she wrote, "so please feel free to sell it elsewhere. If you have not sold it within six months, please send it back and we’ll accept it for publication."

I didn't want to wait. I changed three sentences to focus on adults in general, gave it a new title, and sent it to a different magazine. They bought it and also paid more money than where I sent it first.

In my early days of writing I wouldn’t have known how to do that. Despite my changing the slant for a second magazine, the principles of writing articles still hold. I started my article with one basic thought, illustrated my point, told about the harm of put-down jokes, and offered suggestions on how to avoid that type of humor.

Slanting is part of the craft I learn. 

It's more work to slant ly writing for a specific publication. 

It's also a sign of professionalism.

Writing Articles (Part 13 of 21)

Two Qualities Every Article or Book Needs

I've previously mentioned the need for uniqueness. That is, what can you say that hasn't been said endlessly and probably better than you could?

One major method I used in my early days is what I call the yes-but concept. When I read what others say on a topic that I'm interested in, I mentally argue with them. I read their presentation and say, "Yes, that's true, but. . ." That is, I try to think of what the author isn't saying or I raise my own questions.

The second quality every article needs is universality. Whatever idea you have, you need to show readers how it applies to them. Your premise must be important enough for readers to say, "Yes, that's something I need to read."

If you want to talk about coping with an illness that only one person in 40 million people face, you'll have trouble marketing that idea. But you could write about the mental and physical anguish of coping with a debilitating illness and use your experience to illustrate your premise.

When I write for publication 

I remind myself of uniqueness and universality. 

My writing needs both.

Writing Articles (Part 12 of 21)

Ignore the manuscript for a time.

Many writers feel exhilarated or relieved when they write the final word and want to get it to the editor or agent. Resist that urge. Look at it again critically. Does this sentence make sense? Did I explain it thoroughly? Did I over-explain?

After I close the file on a manuscript and leave it a few days, perhaps as long as a month, I've always improved it. I use the absolute always because I mean without exception.

When I return to the material, I read it with new insight because the material has been churning in my unconscious mind. (I intentionally put the previous sentence in the passive voice. I could have written: My unconscious mind churned the material, but the emphasis was on the action (churning) and not on the actor (my mind). This is an extra tip.

I write to get the story written; 

I rewrite to improve the quality.

Writing Articles (Part 11 of 21)

Don't distract readers.

Let's look again at reading two magazines. As you focus on each article, here’s another question to ask: Is there anything that distracts me from a single focus? Less experienced writers tend to provide too much information and thus divert the power of the message.

Once you have a single-focused idea, you can state it in one sentence. Here are examples:

* If you’re considering adoption, here are seven things you need to know.

* People see the patient, but the caregiver becomes invisible.

* I didn't want to forgive Betty, but Betty forgave me.

If I can't reduce an article, scene, or chapter 

into one statement, 

I probably haven't focused.

Writing Articles (Part 10 of 21)

How do I write the first draft?

My answer is simple: Go wild. Don't censor yourself. Vomit on the page. Let it flow. Remind yourself you can always go back and delete. You'll certainly be able to go back and improve.

If your first draft contains paragraphs that don't fit the topic, delete them. However, you may have stumbled on to the idea for a follow-up article.

Write the draft and don't worry about grammar or style. No one has to see the draft but you. You may be one of those logical, analytical writers who thinks sequentially. Let it flow. If you're the other kind and your mind jumps around and you end up with a first draft of 5,000 words and you need only 1/5 of the material, that's all right. Don't censor yourself.

The too-many words writer needs to learn to cut, cut, cut. I call that the fat writer. By contrast, I call myself a skinny writer (I am thin, but that's not the reason).

As a skinny writer, even when I let it flow, my first draft reads more like an outline than a full article, but I've written my concepts and major thoughts. If you're a skinny writer, you'll have to add details or information to bring readers into your way of thinking.

When I write my first draft, I vomit on the page. 

I will go back later and clean up the mess.

Writing Articles (Part 9 of 21)

Two ways to outline your article:

Here are two methods, both of which provide a helpful formula. I'm not a formula-type writer, but both methods have proven beneficial to many.

#1Train Method: (Visualize the old-fashioned freight train with the snowplow, locomotive, boxcars, and caboose.)

1. Snowplow or Cowcatcher: You grab attention, carry readers into the article with a quote, anecdote, or question to rouse curiosity and keep them reading.

2. Locomotive: Write the theme or purpose that sets the direction and establishes your focus. It's a concise statement of your viewpoint.

3. Boxcars: They carry the evidence that supports your premise. This is the heart or substance of the article and you arrange it in logical sequence.

4. Caboose: You end the article so that readers feel they are at the end and you didn't merely stop.

#2 Guideposts Method: This is the basic formula used by Guideposts magazine for their articles.

1. Hey! You grab attention.

2. You! This is the theme or reason the article is important to readers.

3. See! You show your viewpoint or purpose. This is the body of the article.

4. So? This is your conclusion. You haven't finished until you show readers the relevance of the article to their lives.

Because I want to learn, 

I seriously ponder the two formulas.

Focus your article.

Before you write, plan where you’re going. If you start with a single concept or idea, you decide on a beginning or introduction and bring in evidence to support your point.

If you have a distinct focus—a single idea—that's where you start. I strongly recommend a written outline. It helps you know where you start and becomes like a map to get you to the end.

Once you know you have the material structured, begin with an illustration or a statement that points readers in the direction the next six pages will take. The story can be either negative or positive—its purpose is to bring out the problem you want to resolve in the article. (This holds true with fiction: You start with someone having a problem.)

Ask yourself questions. Answer them in logical order so that each fact or incident naturally leads to the next.

For example (and those two words are a logical transition from the previous paragraph), you want to write about learning to forgive. The most obvious way is to set up the problem and it can be done in a few words or two paragraphs.

I can't remember when I began to detest Maynard. Was it in grade school when he played his stupid jokes on me? Was it the time he stole two dollars from my wallet? Or was it when he started dating Gina because he knew I liked her?

Now I have the problem—the obvious next thing is to resolve the issue. I don't like Maynard, but I need to get those angry, bad feelings out of life and forgive him. How do I forgive?

Move from setup to the logical steps you followed to forgive. Or you can point out that all of us have times we need to learn to forgive. You tell them the five things (or seven or three) they need to do. Use your story with Maynard to illustrate the steps.

I focus on a problem or situation 

and then show how to arrive at a solution.