How to Write a How To Article

As the saying goes: "First impressions are the most important". If my title was any good, then it got you to check out this article. Afterwards, the introduction hooked you (or at least you decided you'd read in spite of the introduction; I hope it was the former and not the latter) and got you to read through this article. If my title and introduction had been sub-par, you may have skipped on to the next how to article in your quest for knowledge.

The same way you decide to read articles based on the enticement factor of their titles and introductions is how most other people decide to read your articles. A good title clearly explains what you want to explain during the course of your article, while the introduction provides a helpful synopsis to help people determine if your article is worth the time to read.

This is a generation of instant gratification, where time is gold. So, you need to make people decide that your article is the best use of their precious time.

A general rule in article writing is that an article should always have at least five hundred words or more. Anything less starts to stretch the definition of what constitutes an article. However, you don't want to write a ten thousand word epic on the virtues of making a ham sandwich, because I doubt most people would have the patience to read such a thing. In other words, more than five hundred, but within reason as well.

Of course, what should your article contain in those 500+ words?

• Clear and concise information relating to your how to topic. You want to determine your target audience and write appropriately. If your how to article is targeted at children and preteens, you'll want to use a simpler vocabulary. If your article is a treatise on heart surgery, I'm sure the cardiologists in the crowd won't mind if you use more complex medical vernacular. In any case though, it needs to be clear.
• Adequate grammar and formatting. You don't want to make one huge wall of text, as it's trying on the eyes, to say the least. Make good use of paragraphs, points, commas, and all other grammatical artifices to make your article look neat and mature.

So now, you have your 500+ word article on how to raise arctic wolf pups from the South Pole without them deciding you're a tasty meal. It has a compelling title, a good introduction, a solid body of concise and informative text, and some supporting pictures. What's left? The conclusion of course!

Just as I did in the last paragraph is how you should do when you are writing a how to article. You want to summarize what you talked about during the course of your article so people refresh their memory about the subject at hand. After all, it is a well-known fact that people most strongly remember what's at the beginning and at the end of any body of text.

I hope that this article has taught you how to create your very own how to articles. Feel free to ask for tips on the subject in the comments section. As usual, feedback/praise/constructive criticism is always appreciated as well!

Until the next time, take care and have fun! ;)

-Winterfate