You know the drill: you sit down at your computer, open up a blank document, and stare at the screen for what seems like hours. The cursor blinks tauntingly as the minutes tick by, and you realize you’re in for another long night of staring at that same blank page.
Sound familiar?
If you’ve ever struggled to write long form content, you’re not alone. In fact, most people find writing meeting notes or blog posts much easier than cranking out an in-depth article or whitepaper. But why is that?
The answer is simple: writing long form content requires a different mindset. It’s not about getting your thoughts down on paper as quickly as possible. It’s about taking the time to craft a well-thought-out piece that will engage and enlighten your readers.
Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Start With an Outline
Any good writer will tell you that the key to writing a great article is to start with an outline. This will help you organize your thoughts and keep track of what information goes where. Once you have a general idea of what you want to say, it’ll be much easier to start filling in the blanks. Not sure how to create an outline? Check out this helpful guide from Zapier.
Do Your Research
If you’re going to write an informative article, it’s important that you do your research beforehand. Skim through someplace like Answer Socrates and get familiar with the existing literature on your topic of choice. This will help ensure that your article is well-rounded and provides valuable insights that haven’t been covered before. Keep in mind, however, that too much research can be just as detrimental as too little. Don’t spend so much time reading that you never get around to writing!
Write in Spurts
If the thought of sitting down and writing 2,000 words all at once makes your head spin, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Writing long form content can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be written all in one go. In fact, it’s often better if it isn’t. Trying to crank out 2,000 words in one day is likely to result in subpar content that lacks coherence and flow. A better strategy is to write in spurts of 500-750 words per day until you reach your goal word count. This approach will help ensure that your final product is high quality and well edited.
Edit Edit Edit
Once you’ve finally reached “Conclusion” on your first draft, it’s time for the editing process to begin! This is where you’ll comb through your article line by line and make sure everything flows smoothly and makes sense.
Pay special attention to sentence structure and transitions; these are easy things to let slide when you’re focused on getting your thoughts down on paper but can make a big difference in how readable your final product is.
Conclusion
While it may seem daunting at first, writing long form content doesn’t have to be a nightmare – with a little preparation (and maybe a cup of coffee), anyone can do it! By following these simple tips – start with an outline, do your research, write in spurts, and edit edit edit – you’ll be well on your way to cranking out informative articles that will engage and delight your readers.
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