Stop Struggling and Write Your Article

Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice and start writing your promotional article today.

As a writing coach, I frequently work with independent professionals who have great ideas for promotional articles, but no idea how to start writing them. Here are the first three of six essential steps to help you get clear about your subject, kick-start your process, and ensure your article is ready to go.

1. Have something you really, really want to say. It seems obvious, but before you write, make sure there's a point you want to make, a story you want to tell, advice you just have to give. You've got to be a little bit burning to write, or your message will ramble, you'll be bored, and there'll be no connection with your reader.

Before you write, see if you can state the kernel of what you want to say in one sentence. If you can make it intriguing, all the better:

"Here are six guaranteed ways to kick-start your writing."

"Here's why my divorce was hell and how you can avoid that experience."

"The best way to have a tidy office is to get rid of your office."

If you can't state your premise in one sentence, either you're not clear on your message or you have more than one topic. Take some time and get clear on that single thing you want to say. We want one topic in depth, not skimming the surface of several.

If you're stuck on your article, or getting bogged down or confused as you write, you can be sure you need more focus. So take a deep breath and put your article away until you can state your one-sentence premise.

2. Create an outline. I used to be one of those "jump in, bang ahead and follow your nose" type of writers. And guess what? Every time I tried to write, I'd run out of steam. I'd lose focus, so I wouldn't finish; or, if I did finish, I'd have to edit a huge, rambling mess. Ugh. The whole process took weeks and was extremely discouraging.

You see, I was writing fiction, and I had this idea that it was more "creative" and "artistic" to just jump in. Making an outline seemed so predictable and dull.

My awakening came when I began writing non-fiction articles. Here's why: I had to communicate a message, and communicate it clearly. I had to write coherent, logical paragraphs, in strong, simple language. And I couldn't take weeks to write every article, or I'd be, well, pretty darn old before anything was ready.

So, give me predictable and dull (for process, that is-not results!). Starting with an outline frees up my energy and attention for the actual writing and saves me one to two complete days of editing per article.

A great way to create an outline is to read other people's articles, analyse their structure, and use that structure for your own. Be sure to choose well-written articles by established professionals in your field.

Here's an example of an outline I created by deconstructing an article I'd read:

• intriguing introduction

• statement of the problem

• case history to demonstrate your solution

• list of practical tips

• upbeat conclusion

Fill this out in point form, making sure that there's a logical progression of thoughts. Then flesh out your points. You can write a first draft of a 1,500-word article in a day or two, put it away for a day, go back and tighten it up. You're done.

Please note-using an article's structure is fine, using someone else's words is plagiarism (theft of their intellectual property).

Here's the great part: You can simply use the same structure over and over. No one will notice, or care, because the content will be different each time.

3. Consider using lists. People love to know the 10 best ways, the five secrets, the 12 essentials. Be honest-don't you always take a peek at an article whose title promises "Five ways to enhance your love life" or "10 secrets to financial independence"? There's something almost addictive about reading these lists, like nibbling popcorn or potato chips.

Here's my take on what makes lists enticing:

Readers love the tidbit form. The items in the list break up your article into manageable chunks of information, and also provide visual clues for skimming the page. Face it, you've done some of the reader's work for her (and who isn't grateful for a bit less work?).

Lists create an air of authority and credibility. After all, it takes confidence to promise "the 10 best ways" to do something.

This format creates a ready-made action plan for the reader.

For you, the writer, a list makes the process much less daunting. It's less stressful to tackle writing your article if you know that you can divide it into five or 12 info-bytes comprising a paragraph or two each. And lists force you to be concise and direct.

You can use a list as the structure for your entire article, or you can include a list within a longer, more narrative-style piece of writing. One way to do this is to offer your reader a concluding list of practical tips coming out of your article's premise.

This is a great strategy for staying connected with your readers. If you're discussing "big" concepts that threaten to become too vague, give your reader an agenda:

"Now that we've discussed the importance of being organized at work, here are five actions you can take.

About The Author

David Roddis, The Writers' Coach, helps independent professionals write killer marketing copy, promotional articles and information products that attract more clients. Go to http://www.coachdavid.ca/fasttrack1 to join his mailing list and receive a free copy of "12 questions to fast-track your article". For more information, visit http://www.coachdavid.ca.

---

Secrets About Freelance Writing They Dont Want You To Know

The first step to getting published is to find your... Read More

Article Marketing: Know your Topic

Everyone knows an expert is just a drip under pressure.... Read More

10 Ways Writing Articles Can Improve Your Business

Writing articles has proven time and time again to be... Read More

Publishing: Changing realities (II)

There is some wisdom in saying that when you are... Read More

Ezine Article Writing In 10 Easy Steps

1. Choose A Topic.You need to choose either a hot... Read More

Article Marketing Benefit - Surges in Web Traffic Over and Over Again From Article Writing

Writing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of articles and making... Read More

Website Promotion: Alternatives to Article Banks

Writing and submitting articles to article banks is a well-known... Read More

Are You Submitting Your Articles?

Last month, I began promoting Jason Potash's "Article Announcer." I... Read More

Article Writing: Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from My English Teacher

By now you probably understand how important writing for trade... Read More

5 Simple Ways To Get Ideas For Awesome Articles!

1. Participate in chat rooms related to your targeted audience.... Read More

Writing for the Internet - How to Market Yourself on the Web

Writing articles for online newsletters and websites can be a... Read More

Theres More Than One Way To Carve This Turkey

Although this may sound like a funny metaphor, if you... Read More

Direct Sales Reps CAN Write Articles - Heres How!

We all know that article writing is a great way... Read More

Top 10 Benefits Of Submitting Articles To E-zines

When I started Ezine-In-A-Box I wanted to help people publish... Read More

How Article Marketing Will Make You a Fortune

Article marketing-the simple act of writing one 400 word article... Read More

Get High Quality Traffic by Writing Articles

One of the best ways to promote your website is... Read More

How to Get Ideas for an Article?

Are you short of ideas? There are times when we... Read More

How to Use Free Articles to Explode Your Internet Business!

In this article I will show you how to use... Read More

How I Write Articles For Profit

Most Internet marketers worth their salt know how effective articles... Read More

Writing the Five Essentials

The five essential questions to be answered in your article... Read More

Why You Need an Article-Marketing Strategy before Posting a Single Article Online I

Part 1 of a 2-part series To read Part 2... Read More

Article Marketing: Capture the Other Half of Your Target Market

Heard about article marketing but not sure why you'd need... Read More

Promote Easily With The Two-Step

Here's a really simple way... to promote your online business... Read More

Increasing Web Traffic With Original Articles

The name of the game as far as Internet marketing... Read More

Web Content Barn Blasted by Shotgun Software - Article Marketers

As we prepared to move our 12,000 article database from... Read More

Article Writing: How to Sound Like the Expert You Are

You, too, can become a recognized expert in your specialized... Read More

Drive More Traffic to Your Web Site by Submitting Articles Online

If your business has a website, you're probably searching for... Read More

Writing: Getting Started

Writing for web content is one of the easiest ways... Read More

The Benefits of Publishing Articles to Build Big Ticket Marketing Relationships

Ok, today we are going to talk about one of... Read More

An Article

People love to hear stories. They'll identify with what you... Read More

Write Articles That Get Results

It's no secret that writing and publishing helpful articles is... Read More

Jump From Unknown to Widely Quoted in One Week

Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More

Article Marketing 101: The Perfect Author Resource Box

If you want to really make your article "SELL" then... Read More