Article writing does not mean “boring.”
Once people realize I’m a writer, they’ll often ask how I come up with good ideas. I’ve learned that when they ask, they’re usually asking about fiction. After all, what could possibly be creative about writing non-fiction? Everybody knows non-fiction is “Just the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.” Right? Wrong!
To be honest, some of the magazine articles I’ve written required as much creative energy as a fictional short story. The goal of good article writing is to take the information readers need and package it in a way that is interesting and entertaining. In other words, you need to package it artistically, which is definitely an art.
Here are some boring topics that ended up capturing the attention of editors . . . and giving me a paycheck in my pocket!
Teeth whitening. Think there couldn’t possibly be a creative way to talk about whitening teeth? Think again! Since it was requested by a singles’ magazine, I divided the whitening options into categories singles could identify with. First I started with a catchy title (Whiten Up, Will Ya?) and an interesting anecdote, and then listed the options, along with their explanations, in order of price:
- For the price of a fast food meal (whitening toothpaste and brush-on whiteners)
- For the price of a restaurant steak (whitening strips and mouth guards with gel)
- For the price of a weight bench (dentist-supervised, take-home kits)
- For the price of 10-15 rounds of golf (in-office whitening)
- For the price of a cruise (laser treatments)
I also used some phrases that would be considered too cutesy by some, but they worked in this piece. “The price doesn’t have to be hard to swallow” and “You can fork out a little or you can fork out a lot” aligned with the subject in an entertaining way.
Carbohydrates. Can you say B-O-R-I-N-G? I started by saying carbs had been getting the bad rap for years–since the 1860′s, when the first low-carb diet book was written by an undertaker! But for this article, the primary creativity was in the subtitle, which was carried into the article as headings: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Truth About Carbs.
- The “Good” heading discussed what carbs do for us and why we need them. (In case you didn’t know, carbs are NOT the bad guys!).
- The “Bad” covered what we’ve done to carbs that make them bad for us. (The bottom line is, we’ve taken something that was created to be good for us and taken all the good out by processing, frying, and adding salt and sugar.
- The “Ugly” disclosed how food packagers deceive consumers with labeling. (Healthy-sounding names, like “wheat flour” are deceptive–even processed cake flour begins with wheat flour.)
And here are some creative titles that editors especially liked:
- Licensed to Pill? Unlicensed online pharmacies.
- The Eyes Have It. Article on eye care. Opening sentence: “I hate to tell you, but your mother lied.” Paragraph goes on to dispute old wives’ tales about eyes.
- Take Two CDs and Call Me in the Morning. Music therapy for pain.
- Humor therapy: Laughter is Serious Business
In each article, I included relevant statistics, warnings, and quotes from expert sources. And, of course, each article ended with a short conclusion that confirmed the take away.
As you can see, using your creative side, even in writing magazine articles, can mean the difference between a publishable article and one that collects digital dust in your computer.
After all, it doesn’t matter if we’re talking fiction or non, the bottom line is, “boring” doesn’t sell. “Well-written, entertaining, and information-filled” does!
Happy writing!
Vonda
