by Stefanina Hill

Created on: September 22, 2011

This article was written in under twenty minutes. By following a structure and fine tuning your approach to article writing it is possible to produce content within this time frame. It may even be possible to raise the quality level of the articles you produce by improving the efficiency of how the ideas within them are expressed.

The first step to the process of crafting an article is the structure. An article should start with a short, introductory paragraph where the content to follow is summarised. Outline the argument you are making. This lets a reader know exactly what they are being presented with.

After the introduction your points should be made one by one in a logical order. Sketch out on paper or in a word processor how many paragraphs you will have and the core idea you will discuss in each. It is helpful to write a one word summary of the paragraph to keep you on track and then add other notes below this heading so you have a clear pathway to follow.

After you have made your points you should write a brief summary paragraph. This paragraph returns to your original argument made in paragraph one. Summarise how you have demonstrated that the original idea is supported by your listed points.

The process of making a summary can be time consuming when that process is new. It can be refined over time and with practice. Eventually it is possible to get to the stage where a summary is formed almost as quickly as the idea. When starting out with the aim to increase speed when article writing it is important not to get frustrated with the task of setting out a structure. It is this process, when refined, which will dramatically reduce the amount of time needed to write an article.

Another factor in keeping your article writing on track and within the bounds of the structure you create is the use of an informative tone. Know what you need to tell the reader and work on getting points across in a succinct and straightforward way. Fleshing points out with anecdotes and tangents will swell the editing time by throwing you off track. Know what you want to get across and keep that firmly in mind.

Maintaining concentration is important when trying to write an article in twenty minutes. Distractions in the room, out of the window or the boundless time wasting opportunities presented by the internet can all mean that a piece of work which should take a few minutes ends up taking all morning. Concentration is another art which improves with practice. Emptying your mind of everything except the piece of work in front of you will get that piece of work completed in a much shorter time period.

Be a sharp editor. The ability to spot errors within an article on one read through is vital if an article is going to be planned, written and posted within twenty minutes. Good grammar, spelling and phrasing goes hand in hand with this as clearly the less errors there are to correct the less time editing will take.

The challenge to produce an article inside a twenty minute time period is a great exercise in lateral thinking and concentration as well as a way to significantly boost productivity. With practice the process of organising your thoughts and expressing them succinctly will become smoother and smoother. This will not just be a benefit in writing articles but in everything from day to day communication, self organisation and motivation.

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