Tips to write better articles that will urge readers to stay and read to the end.
How To Write Better Articles That People Read
Not your usual “write every day” gibberish.
I’ve been wanting to write this article for quite a while now. So I Googled how to write better to see if somebody had already written what I have in mind.
Like always, the evergreen tip to write every day came at top. I’ve been hearing it since childhood. And it’s a shame I couldn’t find anything better than the obvious.
But today’s a good day. I’m breaking the barrier to write something that helps. Something that is not so obvious.
This article shares some techniques to help you write better articles. Everything I share here are torn from my experience, so please don’t call me names if they don’t work out for you for some reason.
Also, these tips are specifically for people who want to write better articles that others can seamlessly read and understand. Please don’t waste your time here and expect to write the next winning fiction😒
Write down ideas that spark in you
I believe every great innovation starts with a mere idea.
Understandably, not everyone likes to scribble down ideas as they come. But if you plan to elevate your writing skills, you need to make a list of ideas continuously.
This helps give direction when writing. As a writer, waves of ideas flood the mind when they are least expected. I get mine when I’m traveling and sometimes even while I’m taking a dump💩
To help keep these ideas at bay, you can keep a notepad handy. Of course, I don’t take my notepad into the bathroom, but I’ll always have my phone with me to save any idea that rush to my head.
You should see this as a draft for your intending articles. These ideas will express as an outline of your content. And looking at the ideas you noted down gives you a clearer vision of the article you need to create.
“The more an idea is developed, the more concise becomes its expression; the more a tree is pruned, the better is the fruit.”
- Alfred Bougeart
Research, research, research!
Being a writer, I’m often faced with information overload. For some people, it’s the opposite.
By conducting comprehensive research, you can filter through the bulk of irrelevant information and settle on what is required— more like seeking a needle in a haystack.
And for some people, research will be their ticket to finding adequate information.
Your audience is more in tune with your articles when they know your contents are not only informative, but factual. This is why research is key to writing better articles that people will read.
Eliminate all doubts
A personal struggle many writers are plagued with is the feeling that they are not good enough. I get this toxic feeling whenever I sit down to write.
However, in aspiring to write better articles, you have to understand you can be as great as any of the world’s best-published authors.
Writers often deliver below-par articles because they are constantly at war with their creative minds. Let go of your preconceived insecurities and give yourself that self-confidence you need.
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
- Sylvia Plath
Be direct, simple, and concise
Often as writers, we are told to learn the art of storytelling. As beneficial as that may be, it shouldn’t be a substitute for delivering quality content. Because remember, you’re writing an article, not a novel.
You have to assume your readers have a basic understanding of the language. Use simple words to aid their general understanding.
Since you’re only writing an article, it’s vital that you hook your readers in their short attention span. Therefore, be direct and concise in your writings by getting right to the point.
Don’t linger on the introduction, and explain things concisely rather than telling an entire story.
Short paragraphs mean all ears
Be honest. Do you prefer reading chunks of paragraphs or a wall of text without line breaks?
Frankly, a mere wall of text that’s not neatly formatted gives me a headache.
And I believe it’s the same for every other reader. That’s why you need to write your articles in small chunks of paragraphs. Something that’s easy for people to skim through and still capture the meaning.
Preferably, a paragraph can be around 3 or 4 sentences. It’s the ideal count that makes people want to read, or at least skim through what’s written.
Not only does it make you write in a concise and succinct manner, it also makes the article’s readability easy for the intended audience.
Emojis speak better😎
Although often overlooked, emojis are a powerful way of conveying messages. And they do not only belong in your social media chat boxes.
Including emojis in your article is a better way of expressing yourself. It conveys to the reader what you’re trying to achieve with a sentence or paragraph, which otherwise might make them confused.
However, try not to overdo it. Your readers reach your article to read, and not to get lost in those yellow thingies.
So including emojis is one thing; knowing how and when to use them is another.
Media to complement your wall of text
In today’s world, use of media gives a whole new appeal to articles.
Images and videos are a great way to make your articles look presentable. It also helps improve the overall readability and understanding of the article.
The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual.
So text, media, and emojis should go hand in hand, helping readers understand your articles better and faster.
However, do not force media content into your articles just for the sake of it. It can be counterproductive and may cause distractions to the reader.
Use media to better express what you’re trying to convey. Use images or videos that are only relevant to the subject you’re talking about.
Be your own critic
Irrespective of your writing proficiency, we are bound to make mistakes as humans. As a result, even the world’s best authors submit their works for proofreading and editing.
The most effective way to become a great writer and write better articles is to be your critic. So look for ways to improve your first written draft, no matter how good and appealing it may seem at first reading.
When reading, the brain runs through familiar words and can cause writers to overlook mistakes. Examine the article critically by reading slowly or getting someone else to read through it.
Sometimes it may take more than one review to get a top-notch article, but it’s worth it. Be open to making revisions where necessary, and take on suggestions and criticism if you have someone else proofread the article.
Grammarly and LanguageTool are two great writing tools that help you automatically correct your grammar errors. They are effective enough to save you a lot of time writing your articles, so definitely check one of them out.
If you have a slow internet, I’d advise you not to entirely rely on these tools. They struggled to work whenever I had a choppy internet, so it’s always a good idea to manually proofread at least once before you hit publish.
These are all the techniques I use to write articles that people read. It’s torn from my experience as a writer, so I’m sure somebody will find this helpful.
If it does help you, I’d really appreciate your support for my effort. I accept virtual hugs🤗
Thank you for reading this far. I’ll be releasing another article on writing better next week. So do keep an eye out.
*I’m not affiliated to anything in this article, by the way. I’ll make absolutely 0 pennies from these links🥲*
See ya next week. Thank you!
