Questions before writing
Writing an article may look simple from the outside. We sit down, start typing, and expect the words to flow. But before the actual writing begins, there are several questions that need to be decided: What should I write? How should I write it? And how much should I write?
The first question—what to write ?
This can be solved by making a list of ideas before beginning. Instead of immediately choosing one idea and starting to write, list all the possible topics that come to your mind. Once the ideas are in front of you, it becomes much easier to select the one that is worth developing.
The next question is how to write. This depends largely on the topic we have selected. Suppose you decide to write about gardening. You may need photographs from your own garden, your personal experiences, observations, successes and failures. A gardening article based on personal experience will naturally be written differently from an article explaining a scientific concept. In this way, how we write depends greatly on what we have chosen to write about.
Then comes the question of how much to write. Should everything be included in one long article? Or would it be better to divide the subject into several parts, with different headings? Sometimes a long article works well, while at other times breaking it into smaller sections makes it easier for the reader to follow.
Write first. Edit later.
When you actually begin writing, don’t allow spelling, grammar and other corrections to interrupt your thinking. Many times, it is better to write in a very plain way, almost like writing in a notepad. At this stage, the important thing is the content.
Once all the ideas and information have been put down, you can think about the other aspects of writing. This separation between writing and editing can make the whole process much easier.
Editing is much more than correcting grammar
Editing is a very important stage, but many people think editing simply means correcting spelling and grammar. That is not its main purpose. Modern writing software can automatically identify and correct many spelling and grammatical mistakes.
The more important question is this:
Does the article flow properly from the reader’s point of view?
Is any important information missing? Is there a gap between two ideas? Does one paragraph naturally lead to the next? Is there any portion where the reader may lose interest and simply skip ahead?
These are the questions that real editing should address.
Sometimes, while editing, we may discover that an entire paragraph needs to be rewritten. Sometimes an idea that seemed important while writing turns out to be unnecessary. We may have to read, rewrite and edit the article several times before we are satisfied with it.
Never underestimate the ending
There is one more important stage in completing an article: the ending.
The final part should be memorable. It is often the last thing the reader reads, and therefore it can influence what remains in the reader’s mind about the entire article.
The ending could be a thought-provoking question, an interesting observation, a conclusion, or even a surprising statement. A strong ending can greatly improve the quality of an otherwise good article.
Publishing is not the end
Once the article is ready, the next step is to publish it—on your own blog or website, or on platforms such as Medium and others.
But publishing is not quite the end of the process.
After uploading the article, look at it as a reader would see it. Is the formatting correct? Are the photographs appearing properly? Are the headings clear? Is it comfortable to read on a mobile phone as well as on a computer?
Only after checking the published version should we consider the article truly ready.
An article needs readers
Writing and publishing alone are not enough. We also have to reach the readers.
Share the article’s link through appropriate channels—Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp groups and other social platforms where your readers may be present. The purpose is not simply to get more clicks. It is to bring the article to people who may find it useful or interesting.
And once readers start responding, the conversation becomes part of the article’s journey.
Read their comments. Answer their questions. Clarify their doubts. Sometimes a reader’s question may reveal something that was not clear in the original article. These interactions can make the article more effective and can even provide ideas for future writing.
Perfection is a goal, not a destination
Finally, there is one thing every writer should remember:
Never wait for 100% perfection before publishing.
We can always find something that could be changed, improved or rewritten. Writing is a process of continuous learning. Every article teaches us something that can make the next article better.
Perfection is a goal—not a destination.
And perhaps the real journey of an article begins not when we finish writing it, but when a reader starts thinking about it.
