Five Types of Articles You Can Write

by David Goldsmith

If you always write the same type of article then you are probably
limiting your chances of getting published. Look at your favorite
publications and you will see they print a variety of types of
article. Here are five of the most popular types.

The ‘How To’ Article
This is a very popular type of article, in which you tell the
reader how to do something. It could be how to build a garage, how
to write a book, how to sell a house, or how to clean tar off a
pair of trousers. These articles tend to be particularly popular
because people love to find out how to do something.

When writing how to do something, and if the sequence is important,
then it is a good idea to number each step. Remember to keep your
instructions simple, yet specific. And you could even use a picture
or illustration if the publication allows it.

The ‘List’ Article
The list article is an article that lists several related pieces of
information, and is one of the easiest types of article to write.
It could be “10 Ways to Save Money”, “5 Flowers to Plant In April”,
or “The Best 12 Places to Live in Canada”. A list article should
have:

– An introduction.
– The list; each item may be a paragraph or two.
– A conclusion.

The ‘Roundup’ Article
In the roundup article, you provide a roundup of information,
statements, or opinions from a variety of sources. You might
interview a number of experts, for example, and ask them the same
list of questions. In your article you then write a roundup of the
answers, e.g.

“Bill Jones, CEO of SHJ Limited, is confident that the market will
turn around soon. “Within the next six weeks at most”, he
predicted. But Tom Sloane, at Pickwick Associates, disagrees. He
explains why…”

The ‘Inspirational’ Article
Inspiration articles include inspirational narrative, essays,
articles on faith and religion, and self-help articles.

Do you know of an issue or concern that affects many people? Think
of your own every day experiences. Write about the issue… and
help the readers to deal with life and to improve themselves in
some way.

The ‘As Told To’ Article
Because many of the people who have outstanding experiences are not
writers, there is a market for writing those people’s stories. This
is quite similar to ghostwriting, except that in this case the
audience knows that you are the writer. In the credits, you would
show “By Peter Wallace [subject], as told to Jim Davies…”
[writer].

Instead of writing a third-person narrative of the event, the ‘As
Told To’ article makes the tale more real and personal by using the
first-person.

So next time you are about to write an article, pause… and ask
which type of article would best suit your situation and topic. By
varying the types of articles you write your writing will also
develop a new depth and your articles will be picked up by a much
wider variety of publications.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Goldsmith is the author of “25 Ways to Write for Money”.
Discover multiple ways to grow your freelance writing business.

Article from: www.worldwidefreelance.com