Writing an Article

i have had an idea for an article mulling around in my mind for a while now and i was wondering if some of the seasoned writing pros could offer me some advice.
how do you manage to get the words flowing and grab peoples attention and make things informative,intresting and entertaining and make people want to read more???

I like to add a few jokes etc, or situation, never let the truth stand in the way of a good story of course, good photographs sell articles of course, especially pictures of rigs etc and a few diagrams. I think the going rate is about ?200 for 1,000 words, the French mags usually pay a bit more

I?ve sent in loads of articles to FM in my time Nick.

The main thing you shall need is a thick skin. Granville Marzdin is a very hard task master and hard to please.
The last article that I sent in (well, in fact the last thirty if you want the exact number) was rejected outright with this comment;

?To Derrick Deanos?
You are a man with a problem Mr Deanos, as long as I have a hole in my HEAD! (it was actually another part of his anatomy, but I don?t like to shock), you shall never get an article published on this site, sod off an annoy some other fishing site LARD BRAIN!

Here is a small exert for you to get some tips off Nick, I have now decided to save all my valuable articles (Just like Richard Walker) and put them all in a big book about fishing!


From the chapter ?Do the Harry Krishna?s use ground bait?

Dancing around a lot with tambourines in yellow robes and chanting Harry Krishna is of course very important if you are involved in the movement, but very few people actually realise that one of today?s most high profile anglers Des Taylor has in fact been a specialist angler and devotee for many years!
Quote Des:
?Well, at first the other anglers used to get a bit upset at my local lake when I let off a few chants just as they were about to hook a carp they had been stalking for a couple of hours, so I infact now chant and just whisper Harry Krishna instead of shouting it at the top of my voice, I am a big lad and it booms out a bit you know!
I believe that as is our tradition we should share, so I often whack a few balls of ground bait into the other anglers swims on the other side of the lake, sometimes I hit there bivvies, and they chant a few things at me in return!
Well Des, thanks for that insight, and good luck in the nationals with ?team harry krishna? later this year.

I hope this inspires you to write great articles Nick.

Derrick (the new **** Walker) Deanos.

Nick,

These articles by Mark Williams might help
http://www.fishingmagic.com/news/article/mps/UAN/3373/V/4/SP/

Nick, I've only done one, but it seemed to go down quite well.

I tried to get across my excitement and enthusiasm and like Monk said chuck a bit of humour in. I should have got much better photos too.

Good luck mate.

Deanos, top drawer mate!

Nick, shoot from the hip, say how it is in your own words, the big man will tell you straight and slightly edit if need be!

Gerritdone!

*EDIT I don't take less than 500 rips!

Nick.

All I can say is, yes, Graham will sort many things out for you, but help him a little by putting in a lot of commas, many full stops, and lot of sentences beginning with capital letters. Honestly, it really does help.

Think of how you say something, if you have to pause in a sentence, put in a comma "," and having made your point put in a point "." (full stop as we English call them). Start the next sentence off with a capital letter.

It's basic grammar, but when an editor is faced with 2000+ words all jumbled together his (or her) first reaction is to bin it, however it should read.

As a guide - sentences of no more than 35 words. Paragraphs of no more than 3 sentences. If the story can be told chronologically (as this for example, then tell it like that. If it's "opinion" make some short notes of the points you want to make, but don't labour them.

Nice article Jeff

Taking Woody?s comments it?s dead easy Nick! Think of it as a Jam Butty, Beginning (introduction of what you?re going to write about. A paragraph no more) middle (the Jam), this is where you get to bones of what your writing about. And an end, which could only be a sentence. E.g., Well the Fat lady sang!

Different people have different ways of writing; some start at the finish and work backwards to the start. Others write elaborate article plans on bits of paper, Me I have a very basic plan in my head and I honestly don?t know what the next line will be until I?ve finished the line before.
Effectively I?m telling myself the story as it unfolds. That way it keeps your interest going as you write it, making it fun for yourself as you go along. This way works for me, and I find it sparks spontaneity. Whether others reading them see them that way, I don?t know? But on the other hand, I couldn?t give a cr*p anyway!
It gave/gives me pleasure writing it and the Ed thought/thinks it has/had some merit; else it?d never see the light of day.

I find article that have to be written in an automaton way very boring to write and even worse to read. Instructional articles (how to do), and I?ve written a few, fall into this category, so spice them up with a few anecdotes or short funny fishing tails.

But I can?t stress enough it should give you pleasure writing it and if it doesn?t don?t do it.

see I didn't when i wrote the first post know I'd come back for a second go. Spontaneity!!!!!

I write the same way as Phil,my only difference is,I hope at least one person likes it!

my articles are always liked by one person,









me

some good advice there gents....many thanks to you all.i`m sure i can get the written word sorted out ok but i dont want to be let down by shoddy pics.there is certainly plenty to think about.

You can also write as though you are talking to somebody stood next to you.

Nick,

All that needs to come across is your passion for your subject, be honest say what is good and what p*sses you off.

As far as the actual mechanics of writing, a notebook is handy, it's amazing how many visits to the loo result in a good paragraph!

Good luck matey!

Just made mine up as i went along, not sure if it works for everyone but once i get started it all just rolls of the pen!

I can vouch for Woody's comment about editing. I edited two of the commercials series for other people before sending to Graham to save him a lot of work and it took me longer than it would to write the article (if I'd done it that is) in one case. the other one one took about an hour. (Woody's article took 5 minutes).

The point I'm making is that a high proportion of the regular contributors (like Kevin, myself, Barrie, Woody) write articles that Graham scarcely need touch, a quick scan, and get down to sorting out the pictures. But he also gets articles that need a lot of work, and that takes a lot of time. It's worthwhile in that the site gets a much wider variety of writers which we all appreciate but at a cost in that it's hard to afford that much time.

It also helps to know the diiference between were, we're and where, or tail and tale, or site and sight, or quite and quiet, or in Christian's case of and off!

opps!

and oops and opps

oops.