Before you Give Up… Try Again

Can you talk about the things you love or the things that intimidate you? Can you create arguments that support your stance in a conversation? Can you speak your heart out when you are upset or offer some wise words to help someone heartbroken? If you are confident in your ability to do these things then it is very likely you can write. By ‘write’ I mean writing productive articles for an online audience and even though it might be infrequent you can also get paid to do this.

Steps for writing a popular article

1. Before you start writing the first thing you need is a topic, choosing a topic is usually the most difficult part and is more often than not a random process. A good source of inspiration can be certain difficulties prevalent in your life at any given time as it is then that you are closest to those feelings and their solutions. You can also look outwards and write about the things you notice in other people, for example, you can write about ‘The judgmental approach of people’ or ‘How to overcome anxiety, or How to enhance your learning speed and capacity, these are some relatable topics and issues close to many people. Once I have chosen a topic to write about, I recollect every single detail that I know about it. I talk to myself, ask counter questions to my statements, and give them some more context.

2. When writing an article, don’t hold back. Write down every single thing that comes to mind as long as you stay on topic. Don’t worry about writing too much as you can always omit and summarize later but while writing your first draft let your words flow with your mind. Continuity is also an important thing to consider regarding flow in an article. Make sure your article sounds like a story with a starting, a climax, and an ending. This will ensure the intact interest of your readers.

3. Don’t strive to write the whole article in one sitting and publish it immediately. The human brain can re-make and improve things once you revisit them. Therefore, when you read your article after some time you will be able to make some valuable corrections. The best thing is to write half of your article and then go do something else. After a while re-read it and write the remaining article then after a while read through your complete article.

4. Download a grammar correction app (Grammarly recommended). This will enrich your articles and omit the technical faults. This way you won’t have to learn all the tedious grammar rules.

5. Make your sentences short and simple. Avoid prolonging sentences by using conjunctions like and, or, but, therefore, commas and semicolons, etc. This will make it easier for readers to comprehend your points.

6. Try not to start your sentences with “and, but or any other conjunction”. This makes your article look more professional.

7. In an article that takes 3 to 4 minutes to read, try not to repeat the same words more than twice; use synonyms instead. Using the same words, again and again, makes the article seem repetitive and monotonous.

8. Using quotations will strengthen your point of view. Your article will look more relatable to a wider audience if you add quotations. However, do not use more than two quotations in an article that takes 4 minutes to read.

9. Do not make your sentences contradictory. Stick to your stance throughout the article. Many people make the mistake of writing one thing in a sentence and then writing the opposite later on in the same article. Try to avoid this.

10. Do not go off-topic. If you are writing about cars write just about cars, not about how an airplane engine works. Although both are transports you need to keep yourself on topic.

11. Add pictures in the article where needed. There should not be more than 3 images per article.

12. Re-read your article. Think about how your readers will feel and never be afraid of erasing sentences and writing again.

Earning platforms for writers:

•             LinkedIn

•             Fiverr

•             medium

•             Make your own website

(I have no experience of earning from writing but people I know are earning up to 15000 Rs. per article)

Written by: Khadija Waseem

About the Author: Khadija is currently studying biological sciences while having a passion for arts as well. Her hobbies include helping people cope with mental issues and writing. She is also member of Medium writing community and is a certified entrepreneur from Foster Learning.

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