Much like an art form, writing requires skill and dedication. Contrary to popular belief, writers too visualise their writing before they start writing. If you are looking for some pointers that can help you write better articles, here are a few tips to help you better utilize your writing skills:
Tip 1: The importance of research
Article writing may not require an exceptional imagination, but you should research and understand your topics before you start writing. If the topic you are working on is relatively new, it is vital to carry out extensive research on the topic. If you are quoting people or statistics, make sure you verify the sources before placing quotes in your articles. In a nutshell, before you start writing keep all your research material in one place. It is also important to have a concrete plan on how you want to approach the topic.
Tip 2: The framework
Irrespective of the nature of the article, you should have a framework in mind. If the article is lengthy or complicated, write down the main points on paper and create a brief outline. What differentiates a good writer from an average writer is the writer’s ability to present articles as a single coherent piece of writing.
Tip 3: Know your audience
Before you start writing, you should know who is going to be your target audience. If you are writing an article that will be read primarily by doctors, there is no point in trying to keep it simple; doctors are expected to understand articles that use medical jargon. As a rule of thumb, try and keep your articles simple and easy to read (unless you are explicitly asked to use jargon or make the article technical). Similarly, do not use big/difficult words unless you are confident your readers can understand them. A common mistake committed by most amateur writers, is trying to impress their audience by using difficult words. If the reader cannot understand half the words he reads, he will sooner give up reading the article than reach for the dictionary. In a nutshell, it is important to know who will read your articles.
Tip 4: Keep your sentences short
There is nothing grammatically incorrect with using long sentences; however, it pays to keep sentences as short as possible. Break down sentences into smaller, readable chunks, this will ensure the sentences are easier to read and also easy to proofread. Sometimes, it is difficult to avoid using longer sentences (a good example being legal articles that are filled with lengthy legal clauses), in such cases use paragraph spacing to divide the article into smaller more readable sections.
Tip 5: Maintaining focus
If you have trouble staying focused when you are writing longer articles, make sure you have a writing framework ready. It is not always possible to write an article in a single session; if this is the case, pace your writing, if required set yourself a deadline. Making up a deadline will keep you focused and help you concentrate.
Tip 6: Keeping a uniform tone
Maintaining a neutral tone is essential while reviewing products and services. If your article is biased, chances are the reader will not pay much attention to the article. For example, if you are reviewing a cell phone and the first lines of your article read “I love Nokia”, the reader will probably not give much thought to the article. While writing reviews it is important to maintain a neutral tone, and any praise or criticism should usually be reserved for the end of the article. It is important to let the reader form his own opinion; this ensures that your article is read in earnest and your opinion also holds more weight. A neutral tone ensures your writing is appreciated and you have a loyal following of readers.

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Tourists travelling to the City of Aberdeen are faced with the daunting task of having so many diverse attractions to choose from that they won’t know where to begin. It’s a titillating problem to have, certainly, but it still requires some thought. Those inclined towards culture, art and history cannot go wrong when selecting any of the following excellent museums.

1. Aberdeen Art Gallery
Set in an exquisite Victorian Building in Schoolhill, the Aberdeen Art Gallery is open every day, from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sundays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the rest of the week. Admission is free.

Inaugurated in 1885, the Aberdeen Art Gallery is to this day one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. The Art Gallery boasts of a magnificent marble and granite main hall as well as several large rooms adorned with hundreds of paintings and sculptures ranging from Impressionist artworks to modern pieces and works by Scottish Colourists. On a regular basis, many of today’s acclaimed artists stage special exhibits at the Aberdeen Art Gallery.

The gallery also boasts of a fine collection of antique silverware and decorative works. Visitors can also see contemporary craft and a wide range of decorative art.

2. The Gordon Highlanders Museum
Located at St. Lukes on Viewfield Road, the Gordon Highlanders Museum is open for a limited time only each year, mainly from the first Tuesday of April to the last Sunday of October, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sundays and 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the rest of the week. The establishment is closed from November to March except for special appointments.

Though your time frame is limited, the Gordon Highlanders Museum is well worth the visit as it recounts the dramatic story of one of the British Army’s most heralded regiments in stunning detail. The Museum features mementoes from the lives of the regiment’s outstanding personalities, those kilted soldiers from the North East of Scotland, and pays tribute to their accomplishments.

This small museum is an absolute must for fans of military history and features regular screenings of films on the history of the regiment. Among the items on display is an authentic Nazi flag from Hitler’s staff car.

Children are welcome to try on a number of replicas of the regiment’s uniforms

3. The Maritime Museum
The Scottish Tourist Board rates this historical gem on cobbled Shiprow Street as a five-star attraction. It is open daily from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the week. Admission is free.

Built in 1593, the Aberdeen Maritime Museum narrates in vivid detail the story of the city’s long relationship with the Sea. This award-winning museum traces Aberdeen’s rich maritime history for over 500 years and covers the lives of prominent personalities who helped shape one of Aberdeen’s signature industries. In addition, it provides a view into the technical side of the maritime industry by focusing on the evolution and technology of ships and oil rigs.

The Maritime Museum is a series of old buildings comprised of castle-style corridors and elegant staircases that lead to vast enclaves with various room sets, scale models and historical artefacts. There is no other place in the United Kingdom that provides displays on the North Sea oil industry. The museum also offers a spectacular view of the bustling harbour.

4. The Marischal Museum
The pride of Broad Street covers over eight centuries of local and world history and is open daily from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sundays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the week. Admission is free.

Founded in 1786, the Marischal Museum is the second-largest granite structure in the world. Much of its early collections came from donations by generations of friends and graduates of Marischal University. As a result, the unique collections are of high quality, particularly the Egyptian and Classical antiquities, non-Western ethnography and Scottish prehistory and numismatics that rank alongside the largest in Scotland.

The lavish displays are encased in several floors of the Marischal College building. They also include artefacts from the Balkans and Tibet as well as insightful relics from the North East of Scotland.

5. Provost Skene’s House
At the heart of the City of Granite lies Provost Skene’s House, the city’s oldest surviving townhouse and an absolute architectural wonder.

Dating back to 1545, Provost Skene’s House is a prime example of early burgh architecture. Inside, visitors can learn more about the city’s historical past through its period room settings, such as the 17th century Great Hall, Parlour and Bedroom, the 18th century Bedroom and Georgian Dining Room and the late 19th century Nursery.

The house also features a Painted Gallery with an intriguing series of religious paintings, a Costume Gallery that displays the changing fashions of the city’s past and various displays of coins, archaeology and other items of local interest at the top floor.

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The hardest part of writing is the first sentence. When you look at the whole project, it seems like an impossible task. That’s why you have to break it down into manageable tasks. Think of climbing a mountain. You are standing at the foot of it and looking up at its summit vanishing into the clouds. How can you possibly scale such an immense and dangerous mountain?

There is only one way to climb a mountain ? step by step.

Now think of writing your ebook in the same light. You must create it step by step, and one day, you will take that last step and find yourself standing on the summit with your head in the clouds.

The first thing you have to do, as if you actually were a mountain climber, is to get organized. Instead of climbing gear, however, you must organize your thoughts. There are some steps you should take before you begin. Once you’ve gone through the following list, you will be ready to actually begin writing your ebook.

Beginning Steps to Writing an ebook

First, figure out your ebook’s working title. Jot down a few different titles, and eventually, you’ll find that one that will grow on you. Titles help you to focus your writing on your topic; they guide you in anticipating and answering your reader’s queries. Many non-fiction books also have subtitles. Aim for clarity in your titles, but cleverness always helps to sell books ? as long as it’s not too cute. For example, Remedies for Insomnia: twenty different ways to count sheep. Or: Get off that couch: fifteen exercise plans to whip you into shape.

Next, write out a thesis statement. Your thesis is a sentence or two stating exactly what problem you are addressing and how your book will solve that problem. All chapters spring forth from your thesis statement. Once you’ve got your thesis statement fine-tuned, you’ve built your foundation. From that foundation, your book will grow, chapter by chapter.

Your thesis will keep you focused while you write your ebook. Remember: all chapters must support your thesis statement. If they don’t, they don’t belong in your book. For example, your thesis statement could read: We’ve all experienced insomnia at times in our lives, but there are twenty proven techniques and methods to give you back a good night’s sleep.

Once you have your thesis, before you start to write, make sure there is a good reason to write your book. Ask yourself some questions:

* Does your book present useful information and is that information currently relevant?

* Will you book positively affect the lives of your readers?

* Is your book dynamic and will it keep the reader’s attention?

* Does you book answer questions that are meaningful and significant?

If you can answer yes to these questions, you can feel confident about the potential of your ebook.

Another important step is to figure out who your target audience is. It is this group of people you will be writing to, and this group will dictate many elements of your book, such as style, tone, diction, and even length. Figure out the age range of your readers, their general gender, what they are most interested in, and even the socio-economic group they primarily come from. Are they people who read fashion magazines or book reviews? Do they write letters in longhand or spend hours every day online. The more you can pin down your target audience, the easier it will be to write your book for them.

Next, make a list of the reasons you are writing your ebook. Do you want to promote your business? Do you want to bring quality traffic to your website? Do you want to enhance your reputation?

Then write down your goals in terms of publishing. Do you want to sell it as a product on your website, or do you want to offer it as a free gift for filling out a survey or for ordering a product? Do you want to use the chapters to create an e-course, or use your ebook to attract affiliates around the world? The more you know upfront, the easier the actual writing will be.

Decide on the format of your chapters. In non-fiction, keep the format from chapter to chapter fairly consistent. Perhaps you plan to use an introduction to your chapter topic, and then divide it into four subhead topics. Or you may plan to divide it into five parts, each one beginning with a relevant anecdote.

How to make your ebook “user friendly”

You must figure out how to keep your writing engaging. Often anecdotes, testimonials, little stories, photos, graphs, advice, and tips will keep the reader turning the pages. Sidebars are useful for quick, accessible information, and they break up the density of the page.

Write with a casual, conversational tone rather than a formal tone such as textbook diction. Reader’s respond to the feeling that you are having a conversation with them. Break up the length and structure of your sentences so you don?t hypnotize your readers into sleep. Sentences that are all the same length and structure tend to be a good aid for insomnia!

Good writing takes practice. It takes lots and lots of practice. Make a schedule to write at least a page a day. Read books and magazines about the process of writing, and jot down tips that jump out at you. The art of writing is a lifetime process; the more you write (and read), the better your writing will become. The better your writing becomes, the bigger your sales figures.

In an ebook that is read on the screen, be aware that you must give your reader’s eye a break. You can do this by utilizing white space. In art classes, white space is usually referred to as “negative space.” Reader’s eyes need to rest in the cool white oasises you create on your page. If your page is too dense, your reader will quit out of it as soon as their eyes begin to tear.

Make use of lists, both bulleted and numbered. This makes your information easy to absorb, and gives the reader a mental break from dissecting your paragraphs one after the other.

Finally, decide on an easy-to-read design. Find a font that’s easy on the eyes, and stick to that font family. Using dozens of fonts will only tire your readers out before they’ve gotten past your introduction. Use at least one and a half line spacing, and text large enough to be read easily on the screen, but small enough so that the whole page can be seen on a computer screen. You will have to experiment with this to find the right combination.

Of course, don’t forget to run a spell and grammar check. You are judged by something as minor as correct punctuation, so don?t mess up a great book by tossing out semicolons randomly, or stringing sentences together with commas. (By the way, that’s called a “comma splice.”)

Last of all, create an index and a bibliography. That’s it! You’ve written a book! Now all you have to do is publish your ebook online, and wait for download request from your website visitors.

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Filed under: Bibliography