Many of us think that writing is only an expression of our thoughts and ideas.
We think that the moment we shall sit down to write, the ideas and expressions would flow out automatically and we would have a winning article right in our hands in no time.
Let me warn you that many a failed and burnout writers had entertained such utopian ideas before reality threw them out of the writing world.
Article writing is a great mental exercise.
It is not as easy as it seems to be.
Thoughts, if we study them carefully, have a random and unpredictable nature.
They would fly off from one subject to another in a jiffy.
You would not believe that while writing a story about gardening or parenting, your thoughts would veer off to everything except gardening or parenting.
Such is the flexible nature of our thoughts and ideas.
A great article or story binds these random thoughts into one beautiful bouquet and presents them to the reader in the most endearing manner.
Here are four simple methods that can be studied and used carefully to produce the finest of articles and stories: Study Your Subject Before writing about something, you should know the subject inside out.
Your ideas would sound credible or mature only if you have studied your subject thoroughly and have complete knowledge of its various aspects.
Then only you can judge what is already known about the subject and what new needs to be told.
Internet can be a great medium to research your subject, to get basic facts and to know what is already known and what remains to be told.
Study Your Market Before writing, you should also know whom you are writing for.
Writing for personal satisfaction is no fun until you see it published in print media or on the web.
So before writing, you should study where similar articles are published and what are the submission guidelines of those publications.
Many web/print magazines accept submissions from freelance writers and even pay for published material.
Search for your target publication, study its submission guidelines and then model your article on those requirements.
There is also no harm in writing a proposal to the editor or web master, detailing the idea of your proposed article.
You might get a reply, if you are good, lucky or both.
Study Your Style When you study widely, you'd realize that writers and publications have their distinct style of writing.
Each professional writer adheres to his style and each publication sticks to its policy regarding writing style.
In order to write for these publications, you need to study and emulate their distinct style.
For example, when I started writing articles, I used to write stiff sermons.
Gradually, I became more flexible and interactive with my writing and my work found space in many newspaper columns and web pages.
So try to communicate more with the reader and be flexible with your writing style while handling different topics for different publications.
Edit Before You Submit Many a great writings are unceremoniously relegated to the publishers' dustbins because they are not properly edited.
You may have got your facts right, your perspective might be unique but your article may still be having a few spelling, grammatical or structural errors.
Editors hate to see unpolished/unfinished products.
It is like selling uncut diamonds--they have no value in comparison to polished ones.
So before you submit your article, make sure you edit it well yourself or hire a freelance editor to do it for you, even if that means paying before earning from that article.
Once you get published and your work is paid and appreciated, you will know it was worth it.
We think that the moment we shall sit down to write, the ideas and expressions would flow out automatically and we would have a winning article right in our hands in no time.
Let me warn you that many a failed and burnout writers had entertained such utopian ideas before reality threw them out of the writing world.
Article writing is a great mental exercise.
It is not as easy as it seems to be.
Thoughts, if we study them carefully, have a random and unpredictable nature.
They would fly off from one subject to another in a jiffy.
You would not believe that while writing a story about gardening or parenting, your thoughts would veer off to everything except gardening or parenting.
Such is the flexible nature of our thoughts and ideas.
A great article or story binds these random thoughts into one beautiful bouquet and presents them to the reader in the most endearing manner.
Here are four simple methods that can be studied and used carefully to produce the finest of articles and stories: Study Your Subject Before writing about something, you should know the subject inside out.
Your ideas would sound credible or mature only if you have studied your subject thoroughly and have complete knowledge of its various aspects.
Then only you can judge what is already known about the subject and what new needs to be told.
Internet can be a great medium to research your subject, to get basic facts and to know what is already known and what remains to be told.
Study Your Market Before writing, you should also know whom you are writing for.
Writing for personal satisfaction is no fun until you see it published in print media or on the web.
So before writing, you should study where similar articles are published and what are the submission guidelines of those publications.
Many web/print magazines accept submissions from freelance writers and even pay for published material.
Search for your target publication, study its submission guidelines and then model your article on those requirements.
There is also no harm in writing a proposal to the editor or web master, detailing the idea of your proposed article.
You might get a reply, if you are good, lucky or both.
Study Your Style When you study widely, you'd realize that writers and publications have their distinct style of writing.
Each professional writer adheres to his style and each publication sticks to its policy regarding writing style.
In order to write for these publications, you need to study and emulate their distinct style.
For example, when I started writing articles, I used to write stiff sermons.
Gradually, I became more flexible and interactive with my writing and my work found space in many newspaper columns and web pages.
So try to communicate more with the reader and be flexible with your writing style while handling different topics for different publications.
Edit Before You Submit Many a great writings are unceremoniously relegated to the publishers' dustbins because they are not properly edited.
You may have got your facts right, your perspective might be unique but your article may still be having a few spelling, grammatical or structural errors.
Editors hate to see unpolished/unfinished products.
It is like selling uncut diamonds--they have no value in comparison to polished ones.
So before you submit your article, make sure you edit it well yourself or hire a freelance editor to do it for you, even if that means paying before earning from that article.
Once you get published and your work is paid and appreciated, you will know it was worth it.
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