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I’m not an expert in many things. My degree is in marketing and visual communications. I read prolifically and have a general interest in science, history, social issues, politics, the arts, travel, and anything humorous. As I continue to write my 200th online article, I’m struck by the diversity of subjects available and the number of experts that love to tell us about their knowledge. Because I was employed as a Yellow Page consultant, one-fifth of my writing has been about the directory industry or how to create more effective YP ads. I’ve written about advertising in general, travel, the human condition, and my daughter. My late wife died from obesity so I’ve written about her. I’ll be publishing future articles about healthcare because my wife and I run an online health-related business. The point is that we all have many experiences and we don’t have to be experts to write articles. You just have to be able to communicate.I took a writing class in college. I was taught the basic principles of literary construction. You need an opening statement which typically turns into a paragraph. Next you outline and expound upon the theme, citing examples and references. You might include your background and qualifications. Then you summarize and reach a concluding paragraph. It’s that easy. But along the way, you need to understand sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and common sense. There is a logical flow to the words and ideas and it reaches beyond chronology and sequencing. It’s where one allows the reader to follow your thoughts without getting lost along the journey. It all begins with a concept.The simplest way to get going might be to draw upon what (a) you know, (b) you’ve done, (c) you’ve often considered, (d) you do as a hobby, (e) is controversial, or (f) is current. Then decide what tactic you will employee to tackle the subject. Will you support the common position or go against the grain? How much research will you need to secure the facts? What new or different approach can you add to an existing article or subject already published? Are you capable of telling your view or story? Where should you start?The best way to get a feel for article writing is to read what came before. Scan the present articles and pick a few to read. They are grouped by category and I suggest you chose a topic that interests you. Read their take and absorb how they embraced their subject matter. Note their credentials compared to yours. Remember, you need not have a degree to write about something. Only the desire and time to do a good job. At some point, you may be asking, why write at all? Perhaps you have a website to promote. It’s a great way to refer readers to your site or business. You may have other reasons, but decide for yourself. Once that’s done, you’re ready to go.Now for a few words of advice: (a) don’t agonize over every word, (b) keep it easy to read, (c) 300 to 500 words should be enough, (d) make it interesting, (e) educate and entertain, (f) enjoy the process, (g) proof your work before publishing and finally, (h) make us think. If you do that, you’ll have a successful outcome and a new hobby. But I have a warning. Article writing can be addictive. Someone named Lance has written over 10,000 articles. Perhaps he has a dream of being the most prolific writer on the net. I’m a lowly published author, now with merely 200 articles to my credit. Whatever your reason for crafting articles, please chose quality over quantity. Good luck and good writing.
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Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix." His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, www.poweradbook.com Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.
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