Crafting a Quality Article
The Drunkard’s Article Writing System
5 steps after 5 pints of beer
I was fortunate to have worked with a talented sub-editor who took the time to teach me how to craft an article. An article that was interesting and that would attract readers. His emphasis was always on quality.
“Don’t just write crap,” he used to say, with a smouldering cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. “Always aim high. Be the best you can and f — -ck everyone else.”
The daily five pints of beer he consumed in the local pub at lunchtime usually ignited his bouts of swearing. I think he liked me because I could match him with his drinking — most of the time; though I still cringe now when I think of the lift he gave me to the local train station in his battered, second-hand car with eight pints of beer under his belt, driving on a slippery snow covered road in the middle of winter.
However, we survived.
But this subby taught me an easy five step system for writing a quality article. So, in his memory (I’m afraid the alcohol triumphed over his liver in the end) I thought I’d pass it on and hope that it will be useful to somebody.
Before we explore the system, make sure that you know what you are going to write about. You’ve done your research and you have your notes in front of you.
Step 1
Write your opening paragraph. This should explain exactly what the article is all about and why it will be of use or interest to your reader. Make it personal. Add a little anecdote. Hook your reader so that he wants to continue reading rather than do something else. With your opening paragraph in front of you, you can now easily focus on what you need to cover in the article.
Step 2
Now make a list of the points that you want to discuss. Remember, you are writing this for the benefit of your reader, not for yourself. You don’t matter. For most articles, six points will be adequate. If you have over six points, then they will have to wait for the next article.
Step 3
Look at your list of points and turn them into questions. For example, if one of your points, in an article about politics, was “Every politician will lie occasionally to hide the truth.” Turn that truism into “Why does every politician lie occasionally to hide the truth?”
The logic behind this little trick is that it is easier to answer a question than to justify a statement. A question seems to open the mind to more possibilities, revealing more to write about.
Step 4
All you have to do now is go through the question one by one and answer them. But you don’t want it to read just like a bunch of answers. Use your skill to edit the answers that you write so that they flow naturally from one to the next. Try to be entertaining and add a dose of emotion where necessary.
Step 5
Finally, add a summary paragraph. This will be a recap of the major points and also tell the reader what they need to do next, or where to find more information, etc. This paragraph should round off the article to everyone’s satisfaction. Leave the reader with the feeling that he has learnt something new and useful.
If you use this system regularly, it will soon become second nature when you wish to draft a quality article.
Personally, this simple system reminds of my sub-editor friend, Paul, crowded bars at lunchtime, pints of frothy beer, cigarette smoke, and the cry of:
“Drink up. It’s your round. We can manage another pint…. or two.”
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