Formats make things easier, especially for novices. They help you maintain a flow of thoughts in your writing.
We recommend using the AMP Stories format as it lets you create visually rich, highly engaging and immersive experiences for your readers. Owing to features like less loading time, crisp content and appealing visuals, the stories format proves to be a smart choice for blogging and content marketing. It’s a consistently fast, beautiful and high-performing format for online writing.
There are some who think that writing skills are something that one is born with. This could be true to a certain extent. However, what’s also true is that writing skills can always be cultivated. All you need is a mind that’s brimming with ideas and an innate desire to express those ideas in the form of words.
Beyond that, you just need to let your thoughts take over and let them flow freely. Easier said than done, it only makes sense to follow a certain pattern to make the article an interesting thing to read. Then again, there are all those types of articles that require different types of formats.
Enough said. Writing an article is not as arduous a task as it’s made out to be. Formats, in fact, are there to make things easier for you; to assist you with arranging your ideas in a logical sequence. Now, we’re all familiar with the run-of-the-mill formats that begin with an introduction, have a body in the middle and end with a conclusion. But since there are different types of articles, they obviously need to be written in different ways to make them reader-friendly.
Title
An oft-ignored part of the article, the title is instrumental in bringing you readers. It should be catchy, yet self-explanatory. It should be different, yet easy to comprehend. A good title attracts the attention of the reader, and also makes him want to read further. Having said that, articles that have a serious tone, or are scientific, medical, or research-oriented must have simple and specific titles. Articles on lifestyle and entertainment can have innovative and experimental titles.
Introduction
One can’t really stress enough on the importance of having an impressive introduction. By that, it means that an introduction should be more like a tease – it should explain the topic at hand without revealing everything that’s going to follow, and egg the reader to move ahead. On the other hand, introductions of news-based articles should follow the Five Ws format, answering the When, Where, Who, What and Why questions.
Body
An article without a body is like a head without a body. A body elaborates the topic. You need to research well on the topic, so that your mind brims up with facts and information. Plan out a structure and systematize your ideas, so that it is made more clear to the reader. Make sure that you stick to the topic. Avoid using jargon words as much as possible. In case of a profession related article, jargon words can be used. Use sub-headings to make it more simpler to comprehend.
Conclusion
It is easy for most writers to string up random sentences to make up a conclusion, which is indeed unfair on the article that has been written from the heart. Here, the only thing to be kept in mind is that any new idea or thought does not deserve a place in the conclusion. The conclusion is essentially a brief recap of the entire article, which signifies the end of the write-up.
Do-It-Yourself Articles
DIY articles, mainly should be precise and to-the-point. You need not beat around the bush to explain the concept involved, as it can bore people reading your article. Your introduction should explain the concept briefly. Perhaps you could add a piece of trivia here to make it interesting. The body should include a step-by-step explanation of the procedure involved. Adding illustrations of the procedure halves the need to explain things in words. A separate and elaborate conclusion is unnecessary in DIY articles, as the reader’s foremost concern is understanding the procedure. A couple of lines signifying the end of the article should suffice.
Recipe Articles
While writing an article on how to make recipes, your writing should be friendly. Try using the simplest of words that even a novice in cooking can grasp what you write.
The first thing to begin with is the title or name of the recipe. Next, write a good introduction describing the dish and giving information about its origins and the nutrients involved. Produce the list of ingredients along with its measurements.
Photos of the ingredients can be added so that the readers get a clearer picture. Furnish the details of the steps involved in cooking. Let the steps be made clear and to the point. Later you can give additional information regarding the tips (suggesting an alternative method) and risks involved. Here again, it’s not necessary for a detailed conclusion. A few lines signifying the end of the article will suffice.
Motivational Articles
Motivational articles are written with a purpose to inspire. A fitting quotation by a famous personality or a proverb sets the mood for the rest of the article and manages to create an impression. Ideally, these articles start with identifying the problem and describing its debilitating effects on the human psyche. Next, the body paragraphs should focus on ideas to release the worries, and restoring normalcy. You could make use of examples or snippets of poetry to explain, instead of sounding too highbrow or philosophical. It is extremely important to conclude these articles on a happy note, or else they wouldn’t really be a motivational read.
Descriptive Articles
Articles that require lengthy explanations, or are of the educational or scientific variety should be formally written. These articles typically follow the staid introduction-body-conclusion format. Unless the article is specifically written on a light note, there is no need to move away from the formal format. It would be advisable to make use of subheads in order to enhance its reader-friendliness. It is easy to go on rambling in descriptive essays, so stop yourself if you think you’re repeating points. The conclusion should be a brief review of the entire essay.
Reviews
Reviews needn’t follow any specific format, as long as they are informative, and don’t sound too affected. The focus should be on the analysis right away, or else it would send the reader packing. Explain the product specifics in the introduction, along with the most important features to watch out for. The body should include an analysis of the features – inserting a pros and cons section here is advisable. Conclude with your overall opinion, and make sure you do not make it prejudiced. Also, do not begin to discuss any new point while you’re signing off.
Writing an article should, most importantly, be a fulfilling experience for the person writing it. Only then will the writer be able to do full justice to it. Insincerity is something that the reader spots almost immediately, and no formats can rescue such a write-up. Honest writing always manages to drive the point home, and automatically falls in line with the necessary format.
