Writing an Article - some tips

[Sir Shockwave]

Well, this is my first topic, so I think I should try to be as clear and concise as possible. However, as with everything, I think this is mostly going to end up being made of so much fail.

More or less, I wanted to ask (and I know the topic title is VERY deceptive) if some of the regular members of the Escapist who write out opinion based threads (usually for discussion, and I've seen those vary between things from casual topics, to politics and even in some cases religion) for some general helpful tips. Admittedly, I am not a man of nerves, nor do I have experience in writing a clearly worded article. This is mostly because I have a very Derp mindset and an explanation or opinion I think is clear is (to most people) going to read as very confused and/or muddled. It gets worse when one considers I've had little to no Journal experiance, not even a Facebook or Twitter page (due to my own opinion on Social Networking).

But generally, yeah...any tips, Do's and Don't's etc people care to share?

 

[Nickolai77]

I'm a Features editor for a university newspaper, so my advise would be:

-Open and finish with a memorable sentence. This is so the reader is led into reading the article and they remember it when they finish reading.

-Clear paragraphing

-Check spelling and grammar

-Avoid repeating words in the same sentence, show of your vocabulary.

-Don't waffle, keep it to the point

-Keep in mind whom your reader is and write accordingly.

-Re-read your work, edit, and then re-read again, make sure you write with clarity.

 

[Jordi]

This should be obvious, but I just want to say that you should make an effort. I suspect most people on the internet are just rattling on without even consciously trying to make sense and proofreading what they wrote. Make sure there are no stupid grammatical or spelling errors, and try to place yourself in your audience's shoes.

This won't necessarily mean that your post/article will be a great read, but at least you'll be able to get your point across.

Also, no offense, but often I see people writing stuff and finding myself thinking that it would have been much better if they didn't. Make sure you have something to say, and a way to explain it. I often start typing a reply on these forums only to find out that I need to think more on my point, either because it is not consistent or because I can't explain it properly. And then I don't post. I wish more people would do that.