Magazine articles

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Sample idea:

The first few lines of an article are particularly important. They have to hook the reader and make them want to read on. And remember you're not just hooking the reader - you want to grab the attention of the editor too. Start lively, perhaps with a curious fact - Did you know...?, a quote, or a surprising statistic. Or introduce a person, not by describing their appearance but by what they have done or what has happened to them. This also introduces the reader to what the article is actually about. Keep it as lively as possible. Consider this: 'On Monday mornings Agnes Harris does her weekly wash.' This isn't lively. It doesn't hook the reader. It's all a bit cosy and nice...and dull. 'On 19th March 1998 Agnes Harris was wrongly accused of setting fire to her neighbour's house. Last month she finally proved her innocence. Here's how she did it...' Isn't that better? Do you feel hooked? Do you want to know what happened? Well find your own Agnes and write the article yourself. You need to bear in mind that if you haven't got much of a track record as an article writer then all the editor will look at is the first paragraph. If they aren't hooked immediately then it's an instant rejection. It's no good whining that the best writing comes later - they won't read that far. Start practising your opening paragraphs. Try out a few variations on your friends. Ask them 'does this first paragraph make you want to read on?' and see what feedback you get. When people start asking you how it turned out - without being prompted first - you'll know you've got it right.

What books are available to help me write magazine articles?