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Articles should clearly state the message within the first paragraph, without repeating the title. In school, we should have been taught that the first sentence of each paragraph is important. I remember one English teacher telling us to read only the first sentence of each paragraph in an article, then make a few notes. After that, go back and read the entire article, paragraph by paragraph.

The opening sentence of the paragraph should give a general idea of the entire paragraph. The paragraph delves deeper into the subject, giving facts that are not covered in the opening sentence. These items are important to the article and are useful for a full understanding of the subject.

As the article progresses, the first sentence should introduce the subject of the paragraph. While beginning an article with a copy of the title is not always useful, repeating a variation of the title within this sentence could be useful to remind the person of the subject. Repeating titles too often doesn't come across as a professionally written article, but a gentle reminder is constructive.

Writing in a positive, professional manner is another important factor when writing articles for Helium. Anyone can write, but not everyone can pen an article that brings understanding or awareness to a person. Being professional, checking grammar and punctuation, and being accurate are marks of a good author.

Repeating an article's title immediately does not convey anything new to the reader and he may pass it up for the next article. Think of how many articles you have read on Helium or other sites in which the first paragraph repeats the title word for word. Do you continue reading or pass it up for the next article? The first sentence will either capture the reader's attention or cause him to move on to the next article.

When writing to a 400 or 500 word minimum, it is wise to not add words just to make the count. Perhaps five minutes of research will yield some facts that you can include in your article. If not, walk away from the article for a little while. Often, when you return, you will have the words ready to be added.

The final paragraph should conclude what the article is about. Wrapping up an article doesn't mean including the title once again; it clearly let the reader know that the article is nearly finished. In the case of Helium articles, we don't have to include our name or byline, but we do need to wrap up the article. Like a gift that's been unwrapped, the reader will know it's time to enjoy the gift or take the message and put it to good use.

Learn more about this author, Jinianne Lutz.
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