How to Craft Generic Self-Help Articles for Fun and Profit

If there's one thing the internet is full of, it's generic self-help advice. Whether it's crafts, computing, break-ups, cooking, growing tomatoes or repelling mosquitoes - whatever need you have, there's a self-help article full of generic tips on that subject.

I know what you're asking -- How do I get in on this hot, internet trend? Well look no further. With Article Generator 3000, you too can be writing self-help articles that look and sound like they're really helpful.

Remember Article Generator 3000 is a complete writing system guaranteed to streamline the writing process. Just check out a few of the fabulous tips you'll get:

Generic Advice Tip Number One - Focus on the Big Picture
Details and actual specifics just slow you down. Once you pick the topic of your advice article, spend no more than five minutes thinking up solutions. A quick check of Wikipedia is a great place to start... and finish.

Here's the trick with this one - to sound more authoritative on the subject, pick specific numbers to go with the generic advice. For example, instead of recommending a few coats of paint on that craft project, recommend three.

Remember the less time you spend researching, the more time you have to write articles!

Generic Advice Tip Number Two - Suggest the Reader Do More Research
The brilliance of this tip is that it can apply to any problem. Just recommend a trip to the local library to find books on whatever self-help topic you're offering advice on. Be sure to play up the fact that this is a free solution.

Generic Advice Tip Number Three - Suggest the Reader "Identify the Source of the Problem"
This crafty tip will save you loads of time and energy. Whatever issue it is, just recommend that the reader look deeper into its underlying causes.

Some Examples:

Water in a Basement - If you find water in your basement, you need to identify the source of the leak.

Stress on the Job - To discover why your workplace causes stress, you need to identify the source of the stress.

Flexible and almost useful, the permutations for this are endless.

Generic Advice Tip Number Four - Recommend Exercise
Recommending exercise is an essential part of any generic advice article. Exercise is good for you, so for most topics, you can't really go wrong with this one. Examples: Coping with a break up - exercise helps relieve stress, takes your mind off the issue, etc.... Dieting - exercise burns calories. Writing - play up the whole mind and body thing.

Generic Advice Tip Number Five - "Find What Works For You"
Flexible and forgiving, this generic self-help tip works well in almost every situation - and it has the added benefit of making you sound concerned for the reader's well-being.

The basic uses for this tip are to couple it with your other generic tips. Using the dieting and exercise example above, you can write, "Exercise is the key to dieting..." then chase it with - "but the important thing is to find what works best for you." Follow this up with: "and stick to it" for almost helpful advice that sounds like you put a lot of thought into your article.

So the formula is:

A Generic Tip + "but the important thing is to find what works best for you" + "and stick to it."

Generic Advice Tip Number Six - Recommend the Good, Discourage the Bad
No research involved here - just pure common sense. If something is good, recommend it. If something's bad, discourage it. For example, in a relationship article, recommend communication (the good) and discourage holding back (the bad.)

Generic Advice Tip Number Seven - Suggest a Support Group
You can find a support group on just about anything, so recommend the reader find a local support group to deal with his or her issue. Really obscure self-help topics aren't an issue for this tip either if you use this simple phrase - "and if there are no support groups in your area, start one yourself."

Generic Advice Tip Eight -- Recommend an Expert
When the generic tips you offer in the rest of the article don't resolve the problem, and chances are they won't because they're not particularly helpful, suggest that the reader consult a specialist or professional to deal with the issue. This works on everything from relationship advice to plumbing repairs. Recommending an expert is the best way to end any generic advice article.

Remember, the key to crafting solid generic advice articles that actually sound helpful is to make the reader do all the work. After all, if they're not willing to work on their problems, how can they expect them to get better?