inverted pyramid which deals with how information is arranged in a story. Putting the most important information at the top of the pyramid allows the reader to get the most with the least amount of effort. What you are essentially doing is using the pyramid concept to organize your thoughts with the goal of maximizing the readers experience. This is especially pertinent when writing for the web. Taking this concept a little further, with the most important information is in the first part of the article, you guarantee that scanners will get what they need quickly or that they will be enticed to delve deeper into your article.

Be a reader first.

Reading makes one a better writer and I believe this is something all writers know to be true even if they may not always practice it.It is what you do anyway when you are engaged in researching a topic for your feature article or even for a novel. A good writer will make reading on a regular basis an integral part of his or her journalistic endeavours. Reading newspapers and magazines is especially useful. Take notes, organize clips and information, jot down ideas, things you hear or read about. This information can come in very handy for future writing assignments.

Be relentless about editing your work.

Often as journalists, we tend to take the short cut when it comes to verifying our work. Spell check is a useful tool but it can be seriously lacking in terms of finding grammatical errors and typos. Keep a good companion English grammar book handy and always refer to if you are in doubt. There should be no excuse for grammatical errors and typos as far as journalists are concerned. Journalists should be role models for young and upcoming writers and writers could quickly lose credibility if their work is found to be lacking basic writing standards.

Writing is an enduring art form and the opportunity to write for an audience is a great privilege. Journalists are charged with the responsibility of continually improving their craft, engaging the reading public and preserving the precious art of writing.

Learn more about this author, Joan Schroeder.
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