By Tiffany Chang

As students progress through school, their familiarity with longer written work continues to grow. Whether it’s an expository essay for English or a history report, they remain necessary parts of academia and what everyone is used to.

But have you considered other forms of writing you can engage with?

Do you enjoy writing? Have you ever wanted to write something else, like the online articles seen on this website perhaps, that can also showcase your talents/skills?

If so, and you’re looking for some advice, here’s a guide on how to go about writing one:

Know Your Audience

The first step of writing an article is knowing the demographic you’re catering towards. This, in turn, will help you determine your writing approach. For instance, if you’re a website that publishes articles providing information concerning a specialized area for the general public, not everyone will understand its associated terminology. Therefore, the writer’s best approach would be using common language and maybe including definitions in these articles to effectively communicate this information.

Establish Your Tone

Tone can be described as the attitude in regard to the reader as well as the message’s focus. Carefully consider your topic of choice. Does it appear as though it should be light-hearted, or would a formal tone seem more appropriate?

An example might include describing ways on how to relax. For an article offering this type of emotional relief, one may likely use a light-hearted tone. If you’re writing about a current issue such as climate change, you would want readers to take this topic more seriously, thus going with a formal tone.

Write with Clarity and Conciseness

Although a sense of formality is important when writing an online article, keeping your writing clear is also crucial. Excessive wordiness can distract from meaning and remains unnecessary in most cases.

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. Say you wanted to learn more about a certain topic and intended to find an introduction to it. Would you read an article with overcomplicated writing? Or would you prefer one that’s more understandable?

In terms of writing concisely, articles typically range from around 500-1,000 words (evidently it could be more or less, depending on the specific parameters given to you). This count ensures writers stay within the word limit while further getting their points across. As you write, remember that having more words does not necessarily equate to better work. One should focus on quality more so than quantity.

Editing and Proofreading

After you’ve completed your article, read it over carefully. Like submitting any written assignment, it’s important to indicate that you write with professionalism and put care into your work.

Does your writing flow well? Do you notice any run-on sentences that are able to be broken down? Are there spelling, grammar as well as other easily fixable errors?

Writing an article for an online platform can be an exciting process. It allows you to put on a different writing hat, discuss a subject you’re interested in/are passionate about, as well as have your work published and read by others. If you encounter an opportunity to write an online article and currently considering it, I encourage you to do so.

References

Purdue Owl. “Tone in Business Writing.” Tone in Business Writing // Purdue Writing Lab