You know your teachers in high school always told you to start with an outline when you had a writing assignment. And yes, you probably hated to do that. However, if you want to write a well organized and reader-friendly article, then overcome your fears, and start with a plan.
An outline is like a house blueprint — it is the ‘design’ you’ll follow. In it, you list and arrange all the chosen ideas or points so you can see the whole before you begin tapping your keyboard. You’ll find that taking just this one step will make your article writing easier and faster, and your text will be more flowing and cohesive.
So, how do you begin? Start by jotting down your article ideas, without any prejudgments. Some will seem brilliant, and others you’ll discard (for now at least). Choose one basic idea, and do some researching. Jot down notes, cite references, and look for points that support your topic. These will be your sub-topics, and the foundation of your article.
Now you need to think of a way to approach your topic so it is interesting to the reader. Think of a viewpoint you can take to hook your reader, and think of how your sub-topics can support it. Will you use a story? Can you take a contrarian viewpoint? Your first sentence will need to immediately grab the reader’s attention, so craft it carefully.
Now, connect all your sub-topics by fleshing out your points, making sure you keep to the original point of view you have chosen. Refer back to your first paragraph so you can tie up the whole in your conclusion. As a writing teacher of mine once said, “Tell them what you are going to say, say it, and then tell them what you have just said.”
Now, go back to the beginning, and reread what you have written. That was just a first draft. Does it follow your outline? Do the paragraphs flow? Have you stuck to the chosen viewpoint, and kept the article in the same person? Reread and rewrite until you are completely satisfied and absolutely positive that your article is clear, consise, and interesting. I guarantee your planning will show.
