by TheMadDreamer

Created on: May 18, 2008

First of all. Be to the point. Don't start an article like this; "As a small child I would dream of writing, I would pick up my notebook and sit with my cat thinking about far off lands and wonderful adventures". Believe me, eventually you'll start to loath that sort of writing. What you need to say is something along the lines of; "Writing is a difficult practice. Many people believe they have the knack, and maybe they do, but they miss out on key points when writing their articles, such as...". Now you may wonder why I just didn't start the article with that line there. Well, frankly I've got sick of the romanticising and naivety apparent in current articles, and I just felt the need to vent. And now, to the article:

WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU KNOW

You will always know a great deal about a particular subject. Even if it's just about how to make the best vegetarian lasagne or how to get red wine stains out of white clothes. The fact is this information will always be important to someone, and if you are the person who knows about it then you should be the person writing about it. Always write about what you know. It's admirable to see someone write about a subject they know nothing about. However, this can only go one of two ways. One, the article will be based entirely on research and will be dispassionate and far to technically minded. Or, two, it will be wishy-washy, and will contain no information at all. It will just be one persons romantic meandering thoughts.

ENVIRONMENT

Make sure you are in the best environment for writing. Sitting on a bed hanging you neck over a laptop is inadvisable. But for some people, a desk is a form of torture. Some people write better with music on, I prefer a film. Whatever works for you, use it. Don't listen to other people's advice, otherwise you'll find yourself singing along to Shania Twain when you should be writing your dissertation. Most importantly, when you sit down do not, repeat DO NOT, come at your writing as though you have to complete right then and there. Instead, just get some ideas together and allow yourself to relax. Sit down ready to write the most important and longest piece of work since 'War and Peace' and you'll find yourself with a big dose of writer's block.

BRAINSTORM

When you sit down to your writing, always brainstorm first. There are many arguments about whether brainstorming is a good idea. Well, frankly I think it's the best idea. It allows you to get all those thoughts out of your head, along with

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>