This is Giggler01 here, enjoying her summer holidays. (It is going to cost a fortune to develop all of my pictures. (But then again, that's what parents are for. =D)) Anyway, I am here to follow up on an article I wrote some time ago about the best ways to write an article.
Lately, lots of people have asked me how to write better articles, and I find that there is SO much more to say than what I described in my other article. Being the wonderful and caring person I am, I have decided to share these "tips and tricks" (as Biscuit would call them) to you aspiring young writers. Kewl?
Anyway, my first hint is to be patient. Let's see... the article of mine that was published this week was written three months ago. Once you've submitted an article, there's always a chance it will get published, so don't despair!
Don't write your articles to bash someone. It's okay to argue something, but don't put a person down for their opinions. Some criticism can be good of course, but don't be too harsh. (I do know some people who are really sensitive towards criticism, yet can dish it out constantly.) Even if you don't like an article, there is always a proper way to deal with a situation. I will be very honest and admit that there is one fairly famous Times Writer who drives me up the wall, but I've never bashed them for it. They are still entitled to their opinion.
Variety is the spice of life. Try and vary your topics. If you write six articles on the same subject and they all get published, you've got a slight problem. One article about Why-passes, and maybe a book review, or maybe you'd like to share your amazing poetry skills with all of Whyville. Try new things, and eventually you'll learn the style you like best. (Did I mention that I enjoy doing photography articles the most? Just something to get you thinking.)
Something that drives me crazy is when a person writes an article that is a paragraph long and doesn't really have a point. (It annoys me even more when these get published, though...) I have run into some articles where I need to drag it out a little longer (I admit it!) so I have interviewed people! It makes the article worth reading!
Always be evaluating! This is probably my best piece of advice. When you read an article, think about how you feel towards the subject. When you are in a chat room and you see something that makes you form an opinion, figure out how you can write a strong article on the subject.
My final piece of advice is to take your time. Think your thoughts, and collect your ideas before you sit down to submit a piece. Your article will turn out better. Don't put it off too long, though -- I've discovered three people that have "taken" my ideas lately. Not cool!
Anyway, I'm off for a quick snooze. L8er y'all! (Oh, and I refuse to ever put a napkin my lap again, but that's a whole other story!)
