There are times you need to be able to set down and write an article in 20 minutes or less. And the article also needs to be informative and entertaining to hold the readers attention. And if you’re like me with several websites and eBooks in the works you really do need to be able to get an article done as quickly as possible.
Here are several tips that will help you write an article 15 to 20 minutes.
Pick a topic that appeals to your readers. Either ask them directly, or use keyword search tools to find out the most popular searches on the web in your field. I also use my websites to show me popular articles and trends in keyword searches.
Write to appeal to basic human emotions. If you appeal to a reader’s emotion you will keep their attention. This may be a problem, a concern or way to save time or money.
Suggest three ways to solve the problem. It’s a proven fact that the brain finds it easy to think in threes. So limiting your solutions to three points makes it easier for readers to digest your ideas. It also makes it a whole lot easier and faster to complete your article.
Summarize the problem with the three solutions. If your article is for the web, be sure to repeat your key words used in your first paragraph in the summary. Note: article for the web and article for papers and magazines have different priorities.
Your last step is to write your title. This is the most important step of all, because your title provides two important keys:
- A good title will entice a reader to read the article
- If you are writing for the web it ensures that readers will find your article on the web when they search for solutions on Google or their favorite search engine.
This article layout will provide you with a fast, informative article that will capture the reader’s attention.
Of course if you are interviewing a person or creating a series of articles that go together and need a flow, the set up and questions asked will be somewhat different. But if you stay with the theory of three ideas and three solutions you will find you can create an article in 15 to 20 minutes for most situations.
Note: Writing for newspapers or magazines still use who, what, when, where, why and how questions for writing an article.