7 practical article writing tips on how to write a grade A essay

Constantly writing articles as a student, essay writer, freelancer, blogger or in any form of article writing, in general, can get boring, especially if you’re the type that loves mathematics (hmm….I don’t know why there’s this bias with many people).

I know you may have your points, and even be able to rattle them in a debate. Putting your ideas together on paper, just as you have them in your mind is a challenge. Other times too, you put in your best, but you don’t know how in this world, your grades don’t turn out as good. If this is you, then there are some tips in this blog article for you (we’ll talk about writing blog articles a bit later).

What do we mean by “Article Writing?”

An article is any piece of writing for the public (electronic or print). They may be fact-based, like academic writings or surveys, or more subjective in the case of blog articles or articles for publication in a magazine or newspaper. The length of the article may also vary depending on the purpose of writing and the target audience.

Blog articles, for instance, may be well over 1000 words while newspaper articles or magazines often have fewer words. Research articles may also depend on the journal in question, but they’re usually more than 1000 words.  These may be newspaper articles, magazine articles, journals, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) optimized articles, blog articles, and many more.

Difference between Article Writing and Essay

This is pretty confusing for me too, but I eventually learnt to distinguish between them.

Now that we know what an article is, what is an essay?

Do you ever remember writing, “Myself” or “My first day in school?”. Yh, these are essays.

Essays are short formal or literary writings that thoroughly discuss topics of interest. Essays are subjective in nature and may contain the writers’ opinions, experiences and even idioms or proverbs.

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Types of Article Writing

The type of article determines, to a large extent, the content of the write-up. Under listed are 4 (four) main types of articles.

1. Descriptive Writing

This type of writing gives the reader a vivid picture of what you’re trying to communicate. Descriptive Writing is detailed, painting a picture of a scene, an emotion or action. This suggests a subjective or personal tone.

2. Narrative Writing

Narrative Writing recount an event, from the introduction, climax, and then conclusion. This usually does not involve facts. Eg. short stories, autobiographies.

3. Expository Writing

This explains the tone and diction of textbooks, manuals and business documents. They are also used in manuals and research materials. They give facts and explain specific topics, explaining processes or just creating awareness about a phenomenon.

4. Argumentative Writing

This is meant to change the writer’s viewpoint on a subject matter. Here, writers strongly make a case, appealing to the reader’s emotions. Both facts and opinions can be used to buttress the topic under discussion.

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‍Need a grade A in Article Writing? Consider these 

 

1. “What type of article am I writing/expected to write?”

   To get started, this is the single most important thing to ask yourself. 

The type of article or essay:

 This determines:

• The tone
• Diction
• Overall content (pictures, video, text styles and presentation of information)

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Being able to determine the type of article you’re expected to write influences, to a large extent, the content of your article/essay. You don’t want to use jargon, or emotionally expressive language when writing formal letters, or in an academic research paper (though it can be useful when used verbally during presentations, depending on your target audience). You have to go straight to the point. Likewise, in a narrative or descriptive article, you’re free to express yourself, and not be rigid.

2.  Who is your target audience?

Writing an article for publication in the Junior Graphic is different from The Daily Graphic. The diction, tone/language, and content vary (pictures, puzzles, quizzes, and so on). There are also columns that contribute to the development of children and teens, like “Dear Aunty Betty”, which I still love reading as an adult (I would totally love to meet Aunty Betty someday, lol).

3. Accurate content and relevant—KNOW YOUR STUFF!

Article writing must have accurate content, especially, with academic papers and topics such as health and nutrition and law/issues pertaining to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. If you intend to make a real and lasting difference, then your facts should be true. There’s time to be subjective, especially with experiences, but know that many people may buy into your idea and may mess it up (whether you like it or not). 

Feed them with the truth. If it’s based on an experience, indicate it, and reference your quotes or the researcher appropriately. This is why you should research properly, and don’t hesitate to admit it if you blunder and your attention is drawn to it. That’s how you learn and grow.

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Again, there are topics relevant to everyone at a particular time or to a specific category of people. For instance, a couple struggling to keep their marriage together may not benefit as much from a business-related article as much as an article on managing differences in marriage, nor will it benefit a Ukrainian migrant to read an article on marriage when they need tips on how to make money because they have lost everything. 

4. Where your article is going to be published. 

Many journals and newspapers or magazines have their requirements you must comply with if you want to publish your work with them. These may include the number of words or diction. For instance, to publish with Daily Graphic, either in print or online, click here to see the requirements. Paige Writers Ghana is also open to the publish stories. Check out some of their blog post articles, or contact us for further enquiries.

With online publishing especially on sensitive topics like relationships, and health, at Paige Writers, we allow you to openly connect with others, you need to strip and pour out your heart to others and/or get the help you need. It is totally okay to remain anonymous or use a nickname. Whatever it is, stay true to yourself.

5. Interesting Content

Content with no pictures sucks for most people, don’t lie! Even books with no pictures have paperbacks with designs. Not just the design or pictures make articles interesting, but the text. The article should excite the reader. It should be short and conversational. Even if it has to be lengthy, it should be visually appealing and have short paragraphs.

 Not everyone can be a writer or poet, but anyone can write content (which can be not so good). Your grammar/tenses, spelling, punctuation and paragraphs speak volumes when it comes to understanding your article.  This is the reason why we have editors, proofreaders and content writers you can hire to get your write-up polished and interesting without losing the meaning of your article.

6. Easy to read and understand

If your article has every detail ticked, except its readability, then it is better to not have written it in the first place. The essence of writing is to connect with the reader and to stir up a certain response or action in them. If they can’t read it easily, they’ll drop it or move to the next website article. Don’t get me wrong, certain topics require using technical words, fine. Even with that, a person should be able to guess the meaning of some words as used in the story or article, and if they’re really interested, it shouldn’t be a herculean task for them to read and understand.

7. What response or action do you wish to stir up in readers?

All articles have a purpose, whether it’s conflict resolution, providing a lifeline to depressed people, inspiring creativity and innovation, growing your career,  hiring your services or buying a product, there should be an impact, and a positive one at that. What is the essence of life without impact? Impacting just one soul counts as much as thousands, especially if you’re now starting out, so don’t get discouraged in any way.

Article Writing Format

Well, articles may have different formats depending on the type of article but there are a few features that cut across. These include:

1. The title of the article
2. The Publication type
3. The Introduction
4. The Body
5. The Conclusion
6. The name of the Writer

NB: They may have subtopics in-between depending on what type of article you’re writing.

Creating a conducive environment for writing

Finally, you become better when you practice writing, so practice….a lot.  Everyone makes mistakes, I know, but read over. If you need a quiet environment to concentrate, do so.

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To create meaningful and relevant content, you don’t just write anything, anyhow, to anybody. 

I hope this has been useful info in writing a grade A article now that you know what article writing is, the types of article writing, factors to consider, and article writing format. Cheers to a grade A article!