How to write an article

1. Choose a topic

Brainstorm your topic. Make a list of potential topics. You might want to write about immigration or organic food or your local animal shelter. In order to write a coherent yet concise article, you need to narrow the topic. This will give you something more specific to write about, which will make for a more forceful article. Ask yourself these questions:

What interests you about this topic?
What is a point that people usually overlook?
What do you want people to know about this topic?
For example, if you want to write about organic farming, you might say to yourself, “I think it’s important to know what organic labeling means on food packages. It can be very confusing to know what it all means.”

Choose something you’re passionate about. Make sure it's something you can write a lot about. You should care about the topic you choose to write about. Your enthusiasm will show in your writing and will be much more engaging for your readers.

Your goal is to convey enough passion that your readers think the issue in your article is worth caring about.

2. Research

Conduct preliminary research. If you’re not at all familiar with your topic (if, for instance, you need to write on a specific topic for a class assignment), then you will need to start conducting some preliminary research.

Enter some key words into an online search engine. This can lead you to sources that write about your topic. These sources can also give you an idea of different approaches to the topic.
Read as much as you can on the topic. Visit your local library. Consult books, magazine articles, published interviews, and online features as well as news sources, blogs, and databases for information. A good place to start looking for data not readily apparent on the Internet is the Gale Directory of Databases, which exists in both book format (available in libraries) or online.

Gather supporting evidence. Start identifying ways that you might support your overall argument. You should gather about 3-5 solid examples that support your overall argument.

You can make a longer list of evidence and examples. As you gather more evidence, you will be able to prioritize which ones are the strongest examples.

Use reliable sources. Be wary when researching online. Draw only from reliable sources like reputable newspapers, experts on the topic, government websites, or university websites. Look for information that lists other sources, since this will help back up any claims made by your source. You can also find sources in print, and the same precautions should be taken there.

Don’t copy any text directly from another source. Paraphrase this text instead, and include a citation.

Don’t assume that one source is completely accurate. You'll need several unrelated sources to get the full picture.

3. Writing

Write your introduction.

A compelling introductory paragraph is crucial for hooking your reader. Within the first few sentences, the reader will evaluate whether your article is worth reading in its entirety. There are a number of ways to start an article, some of which include:

Telling an anecdote.
Using a quote from an interview subject.
Starting with a statistic.
Starting with straight facts of the story.

Write your main part.

include transitions. Link each separate idea with transitions so that your article reads as one cohesive piece. Start each new paragraph with a transition that links it to the previous paragraph. For example, use words or phrases such as “however…,” “another important point is…,” or “it must be remembered that…”
give proper context. Don’t assume your reader knows as much about your topic as you do. Think about the kinds of background information that your reader needs in order to understand the topic.

Write your conclusion

Wrap up your article with a dynamic conclusion. Depending on your article, this might be a conclusion that empowers the reader. For example, if you’re writing an opinion piece about food labeling, you might convey to your readers how they can learn more about labeling.

If you started with an anecdote or statistic in your introduction, think about reconnecting to this point in your conclusion.
Conclusions are often strongest when they use a last, brief concrete example that leads the reader to new insights. Conclusions should be 'forward thinking' -- point the reader in a direction that keeps his or her "thirst" for knowledge going strong.

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Write-Articles

Tasks 15th of March:

read the text above
start writing an article about eastern
structure it like suggested in the text above
if you want to do more research: what information do you need for your research?

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