How to Write a Great "How-To" Article

Have you ever notice that there is a book section dedicated to "How To" articles; whether you are in the library or a book store you will always find a "How To" section.

People are always looking to find answers to everything imaginable. The quicker they can find the answer the happier they are. This is why "How To" articles are so popular. They usually offer a step-by-step process in getting something accomplished.

Here are some steps that will help guide you in creating a "How To" article.

Make a list of things you know how to do. Sit down with pen and paper and jot down about 10 things you know how to do. It can be cooking, arts and crafts, home improvement, photography, etc. I think you get the picture.

Never underestimate your ideas. After you have a list of about 10 ideas review them one at a time. At this stage don't rule out any of your ideas.

Study the market for your ideas. This is standard procedure for anything you write. Study how the types of articles you want to write are written. In this I mean that there will be different formats depending on what type of "How To" article you are writing about. Study the formats and apply them to your article.

Choose your theme and decide on a title. The title needs to reflect what you are writing about. For instances if you are writing an article about home improvement and explaining how to put up sheet rock, you may want to title your article; "How to Sheet Rock a Room" or "5 Steps to easy Sheet Rocking". This way there is no mistake on what the article is about.

Make an Outline. The most effective way of writing a "How To" article is to plan out on paper what you need to do. Write down the title of your article on the top center of your page. Next draw a line down the center of the page. The left side write down the instructions of the "How To" article. On the right side of the page write down the list of supplies you will need. If it's a recipe write down your ingredients on the right side. If it's supplies or parts this would go on the right side of the page.

Start writing. A "How To" article must have a beginning, middle, and end. The middle is where you are going to have the meat of your article. This is where you are going to have your step-by-step instructions. Be specific and don't leave anything out. Do not assume that your reader will know what you are talking about if you leave something out. It's important that you put yourself in your reader's position.

When you are done with the instructions, read them over and see if you can follow them. If possible have someone else read them for you.

After the middle portion of your article is completed, write down the opening for your article. The opening would include the ingredients for a recipe or supply list for an arts and crafts project. If your article is an informational piece you may want to write down one or two paragraphs explaining your article and use it as a way of hooking your reader into reading the rest of the article.

The end of your article is just a quick wrap up. You may want to sum up your article in a short paragraph. If your article is a recipe or arts and crafts usually the end of the instructions is the end of your article.

If you have never wrote a "How To" article before, by using the suggestions I outlined above you may discover a whole new area to write about.