How To Write An Article Online - 1

How to write an article online is designed for new writers and creators of online content (and for those looking to improve their skills). This shows you some good practices to keep your readers satisfied and informed even if they haven’t got the time to read your entire article. Watch out for the rest of this series by subscribing to this blog on the right. This series is beneficial for those wanting to start a career writing online; whether you're a new blogger, a freelance writer looking to break the online market, or someone seeking to write content for online sites that pay you to write for them. 
NB: There are some additional helpful links to get you started at the end of this tutorial. 
You can read the other parts of this tutorial here: How To Write An Article Online

How to write an article online 1: good practices

People who regularly read online content generally tend to skim though the works because of lack of time. If, however, they find material that offers help in a way that relates to their specific need, works that amuse them, or content in which they’re interested, they'll stop and take the time to indulge in a more thorough read.  This considered, if you don't enable easy skimming on all of your work, you may lose fans to writers who are more succinct in their articles. Here are some common ways to ensure that your internet articles are ready for easy reading and skimming.

Use pictures to illustrate when you write an article 

Pictures work well to illustrate your point without having to go into too much detail. If you have a good digital camera, start taking your own pictures. You alone know exactly what you want to say, and using your imagination to set up and capture just the right image for your article could reap you benefits. You may even discover that you actually have a talent for photography. When you learn more on how to write an article online, you'll see that having your own pictures is a lot more practical than using existing ones online. 

In my writing course I was told that a good writer always carries a camera because you may find yourself in a situation where you’ve taken an on-the-spot photograph which may be worth a lot to a newspaper. In addition to this, you may get your big break of acceptance by a large publication, simply because you have a unique picture to go with the story you want to tell. These articles show you how to use your pictures to optimize your work.
Optimizing pictures on your blog increases page views
How to store pictures online

Separate your sections when you write an article

If you take a look at this article you can easily assimilate the important points by looking at the heading of my sections. This not only helps your reader to focus on which part of the piece he/she wants to digest, but it works wonders in helping you, the writer, centre your thoughts precisely. If it helps, write your section headings before you write the article. 

If you write in one long paragraph capturing several main thoughts, but scattering them throughout the piece, your writing can read very confusing and clumsy. Most readers won't take the time to sift through to the 'good' bits. 

Use bold or larger headings when you write an article

Writing an article online is different from writing for traditional publications - bold headings may be required but not vital. However, if you’re an Internet content provider, your employers and readers will expect your sections to be headed in bold print. This not only makes it easier for the fans to capture the essence of your work, but it gives a better skimming result to the casual reader, not to mention SEO (but we won't talk about that here).

If this article is important to you, you would read the entire piece. However, if you were in a hurry and only wanted to skim the gist of the message, you could do so in less than one minute.

Remember to edit when you write an article

There is no point paying attention to the other factors if you aren’t properly editing your work. If you want to perfect – or at least improve – your writing skills, editing should be a large part of producing quality product. I’ve edited this article six times so far, but I’m sure that you can still pick out at least one typo or error in the content. This is because you’re looking at it with completely fresh eyes - another reason to leave your article for a few hours (or a day, if you've got the time), then read it one last time before publishing it.

Why is editing important for skimming? Because if your content is accurate and well-written, it should be easy to understand with merely a brief look-through. If your writing is less than adequate, it would be difficult for skimmers to make any sense of it at all. Editing is a large and very important part in learning how to write an article online. 

Here are some brilliant, English tutorials on getting the grammar, punctuation and spelling right.

Use revision blocks when you write an article online

While these are not always necessary, it’s a good idea to have one at the end of tutorials or articles that instruct. If your reader cannot finish your longer sections, having a revision block at the end of the tutorial gives him/her an option of just reading that section. If it makes sense to them, they will return for a more exhaustive read. Remember that as the creator, it’s your job to do the research and provide your reader with the information you claim to have. Regardless of how your reader chooses to peruse your work, your pieces should always provide good and accurate information. This is your responsibility, one that you took upon yourself the minute you decided to put your thoughts into words and publish them. This is not something you should take lightly when writing articles online.

Use bullet points when you write an article

Bullet points are very useful if you want to write an article online for proper Internet skimming.  Stay away from wordy phrases and express yourself as succinctly as possible. Bullet points also allow you, the creator to highlight the facts in the article that you want the reader to pay attention to. Not only does this look neat and professional, it also hones your skill in focusing on one point at a time. 

Revision and conclusion to 'How To Write An Article Online - 1'

1. I should use pictures to illustrate points when writing an online article.
2. I should section off my articles so that I can focus my thoughts in orderly patterns when I write.
3. Bold headings make my work appear neater, and make them easy to skim through.
4. Edit, edit, edit. Well-written work is easier to read, than pieces littered with mistakes.
5. Revision blocks like this one are helpful to the reader for skimming purposes.
6. Bullet points lend a professional look to my articles, and help my readers to focus on the main points I want to bring to their attention.

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