How to write an Article
May be you are one of the very few who is interested in writing. All desires come from God. So I certainly believe that you are chosen by God to influence His kingdom by your pen. They say, pen is mightier than the gun. So believe that you have something in your hand that can accomplish much more than the gun. I thought I should give you a few tips to help you write better.
First of all, your article should have a message that you received from God. You must be able to say, “The Word of the Lord came to me.” God does not speak to you from thunderbolts. Often it is just an impression. You ‘feel’ like writing on a subject. When you read the Bible the subject stirs your heart. You seem to be thinking about it all the time. Well, if that happens, take a diary and start noting down those thoughts. Fleeting thoughts come as blips in the video screen and disappear as falling stars. If you are meditating on two subjects note down the two separately.
Even a major prophet like Jeremiah was not too sure when the Word of the Lord came to him. Only later he knew that it was a Word that came from God (Jer 32:6-8). So just go by your impressions.
Sometimes the Lord may confirm it. You may come across some material on the subject or Bible verses may gather in quick succession as also your thoughts, to complete the article. The gospel or the epistle writers were not celebrated writers. But their writings have become literary masterpiece because of their message content.
The title should be striking. Don’t name your article ‘LOVE.’ It is most uninspiring. If you put it as, “LOVELY PEOPLE” more people may read it. Have an introduction. The introduction should be short and inspire the reader to go into the body of the article. Most people read the introduction and decide whether it is worth spending their time reading the article. It should be crisp and tell the reader what to expect inside.
The body of the article should be a neat unfurling of your thoughts leading step by step to the climax. Choose a not-too-common topic. If you write on faith or love or Esther, the reader will quickly conclude he knows all about it. If you do choose a common subject there should be deep insights and an inviting heading.
When you write you don’t run alone. You get others to run with you to take hold of God.
As you keep crushing papers and throwing inside the waste paper basket, the voice at the back of your mind telling you to give up, will grow louder and louder. Fight discouragement. My first article for Blessing was rejected and I vowed never to write again. But I picked up the pieces of my shattered brain and started writing again. To become a writer takes time. So keep at it. Whether you are winning a contest or losing is immaterial. As you keep writing you will mature and fruition. So start with your next article right now without waiting for any contest.
Have your readers in mind. Matthew had the young believers in mind while narrating the life of Christ; Mark and Luke unbelievers, and John mature believers. To whom you are addressing greatly influences your pen.
Stick to your subject. Do not wander. To make the article interesting you may include one or two of your ife experiences but avoid writing too much about yourself. Sprinkle some humour here and there to make the reader chuckle and relax. Avoid using the KJV translation which is hard on the reader. Use modern translations like NIV or NKJV. Being familiar with more than one version gives you the advantage of amplifying a verse. Biblical content also should be good.
Interviewing a few people with reference to the subject will throw open windows in your article for fresh breeze. If you are writing on parenting you can meet some parents and discuss with them the difficulties they faced or lessons they learnt. If you are writing on ‘Arranged Marriages’ conversing with such couples may throw fresh insights. An article can have a song or story inside. A quote from Shakespeare or Thirukural will add beauty to your write up. There should be life in your writing. An ugly baby is any day better than a beautiful doll. End your article with some punching suggestions for practical application. What is the reader expected to do after reading your article? If you write about Bitterness he should be shown the way to come clear of it. Otherwise your article will become paan—fit for chewing and spitting.
Any writer must be a voracious reader. Read any good material. Read some secular magazines too, so that you will not be out of touch with the current world. Try to read prize winning books like the Booker. As you read, underline beautiful words, phrases, expressions and quotes and write them down in a diary. It is a treasure. Once you conclude the article, go through this diary, pick out suitable stuff to embellish your material. It will give a face lift to your workmanship. I have three such diaries now full of material collected over 30 years. You can jot down in it your own thoughts. Improving your language is very important. Langauge must be grammatically correct and aesthetically engaging. It should capture the heart of the reader. Hi fi language puts off readers. Language should be simple, readable but beautiful. Such attention to detail will lift your article way above the run-of-the-mill amateur writings. It is not wrong to give the final product to a seasoned writer or a professor or a journalist for betterment and suggestions. Never tire to write, rewrite or re-rewrite.
If you are serious about writing do not miss a Writers’ Workshop if it floats your way. If you are sending your article to a contest write legibly or better, get it typed. Correct it and send it without mistakes. Unless specifically mentioned you can use both sides of the paper. Keep a copy of all your writings. Some, which may not be appealing today may come in handy tomorrow. My article, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ was written some twenty or Twenty-five years ago. It came up while I was digging up a suitcase, dog-eared, brittle and faded. I found it interesting and gave it to my daughter. Her throat choked and she could not proceed to read as she had difficulty seeing through her full eyes. So I included it in my latest book Nearer My God! and it became an instant hit.
Your writing need not always be in article form. Try your hand in various types of writings like story, biography, poems, songs, Bible Studies, a complete book, questionnaire, etc.
Your motive for writing should be pure. It is a way of serving God. God asked a question and answered it too to the writer Baruch, “Do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not” (Jer 45:5). Put the emphasis on ‘yourself’ and read it again. To acquire fame or fortune through the ministry of writing should not be your aim. You may not become an international literary sensation but you will be queitly influencing your God-given readership. Lay yourself down on the altar of God as a sacrifice. As rose essence is taken out by crushing the rose, God may have to take you through crushing and pulverizing experiences before He can put the matter in your hands. ‘I don’t write with ink, I write with my sweat and blood and tears’ will be your testimony. It is these life transforming experiences that sharpen your skill and polish your writings.
Never mind the vitriolic remarks of your readers. They are wind to your sail. Have the magnanimity to accept and acknowledge them. When you have finished, give your work to your friend or someone for an honest evaluation and if necessary re-do it. Spread it out before the Lord and pray for each point that it may reach the hearts of readers to have the desired effect.
Those who are proficient in English should write in that international language so that you can minister to a wider audience. Reading THE MESSAGE (the Bible in contemporary language) by Eugene H. Peterson will update your language.
Write your name, address, telephone number, email id clearly on the first page of the article and pin-up all the papers if you are sending it for a contest. If you enclose a photograph do not put it loosely inside the envelope. Fix it in the first page or covering letter and write your name at the back. Never forget to write the pincode in your mailing address.
Best wishes!
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
How to write an Article
May be you are one of the very few who is interested in writing. All desires come from God. So I certainly believe that you are chosen by God to influence His kingdom by your pen. They say, pen is mightier than the gun. So believe that you have something in your hand that can accomplish much more than the gun. I thought I should give you a few tips to help you write better.
First of all, your article should have a message that you received from God. You must be able to say, “The Word of the Lord came to me.” God does not speak to you from thunderbolts. Often it is just an impression. You ‘feel’ like writing on a subject. When you read the Bible the subject stirs your heart. You seem to be thinking about it all the time. Well, if that happens, take a diary and start noting down those thoughts. Fleeting thoughts come as blips in the video screen and disappear as falling stars. If you are meditating on two subjects note down the two separately.
Even a major prophet like Jeremiah was not too sure when the Word of the Lord came to him. Only later he knew that it was a Word that came from God (Jer 32:6-8). So just go by your impressions.
Sometimes the Lord may confirm it. You may come across some material on the subject or Bible verses may gather in quick succession as also your thoughts, to complete the article. The gospel or the epistle writers were not celebrated writers. But their writings have become literary masterpiece because of their message content.
The title should be striking. Don’t name your article ‘LOVE.’ It is most uninspiring. If you put it as, “LOVELY PEOPLE” more people may read it. Have an introduction. The introduction should be short and inspire the reader to go into the body of the article. Most people read the introduction and decide whether it is worth spending their time reading the article. It should be crisp and tell the reader what to expect inside.
The body of the article should be a neat unfurling of your thoughts leading step by step to the climax. Choose a not-too-common topic. If you write on faith or love or Esther, the reader will quickly conclude he knows all about it. If you do choose a common subject there should be deep insights and an inviting heading.
When you write you don’t run alone. You get others to run with you to take hold of God.
As you keep crushing papers and throwing inside the waste paper basket, the voice at the back of your mind telling you to give up, will grow louder and louder. Fight discouragement. My first article for Blessing was rejected and I vowed never to write again. But I picked up the pieces of my shattered brain and started writing again. To become a writer takes time. So keep at it. Whether you are winning a contest or losing is immaterial. As you keep writing you will mature and fruition. So start with your next article right now without waiting for any contest.
Have your readers in mind. Matthew had the young believers in mind while narrating the life of Christ; Mark and Luke unbelievers, and John mature believers. To whom you are addressing greatly influences your pen.
Stick to your subject. Do not wander. To make the article interesting you may include one or two of your ife experiences but avoid writing too much about yourself. Sprinkle some humour here and there to make the reader chuckle and relax. Avoid using the KJV translation which is hard on the reader. Use modern translations like NIV or NKJV. Being familiar with more than one version gives you the advantage of amplifying a verse. Biblical content also should be good.
Interviewing a few people with reference to the subject will throw open windows in your article for fresh breeze. If you are writing on parenting you can meet some parents and discuss with them the difficulties they faced or lessons they learnt. If you are writing on ‘Arranged Marriages’ conversing with such couples may throw fresh insights. An article can have a song or story inside. A quote from Shakespeare or Thirukural will add beauty to your write up. There should be life in your writing. An ugly baby is any day better than a beautiful doll. End your article with some punching suggestions for practical application. What is the reader expected to do after reading your article? If you write about Bitterness he should be shown the way to come clear of it. Otherwise your article will become paan—fit for chewing and spitting.
Any writer must be a voracious reader. Read any good material. Read some secular magazines too, so that you will not be out of touch with the current world. Try to read prize winning books like the Booker. As you read, underline beautiful words, phrases, expressions and quotes and write them down in a diary. It is a treasure. Once you conclude the article, go through this diary, pick out suitable stuff to embellish your material. It will give a face lift to your workmanship. I have three such diaries now full of material collected over 30 years. You can jot down in it your own thoughts. Improving your language is very important. Langauge must be grammatically correct and aesthetically engaging. It should capture the heart of the reader. Hi fi language puts off readers. Language should be simple, readable but beautiful. Such attention to detail will lift your article way above the run-of-the-mill amateur writings. It is not wrong to give the final product to a seasoned writer or a professor or a journalist for betterment and suggestions. Never tire to write, rewrite or re-rewrite.
If you are serious about writing do not miss a Writers’ Workshop if it floats your way. If you are sending your article to a contest write legibly or better, get it typed. Correct it and send it without mistakes. Unless specifically mentioned you can use both sides of the paper. Keep a copy of all your writings. Some, which may not be appealing today may come in handy tomorrow. My article, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ was written some twenty or Twenty-five years ago. It came up while I was digging up a suitcase, dog-eared, brittle and faded. I found it interesting and gave it to my daughter. Her throat choked and she could not proceed to read as she had difficulty seeing through her full eyes. So I included it in my latest book Nearer My God! and it became an instant hit.
Your writing need not always be in article form. Try your hand in various types of writings like story, biography, poems, songs, Bible Studies, a complete book, questionnaire, etc.
Your motive for writing should be pure. It is a way of serving God. God asked a question and answered it too to the writer Baruch, “Do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not” (Jer 45:5). Put the emphasis on ‘yourself’ and read it again. To acquire fame or fortune through the ministry of writing should not be your aim. You may not become an international literary sensation but you will be queitly influencing your God-given readership. Lay yourself down on the altar of God as a sacrifice. As rose essence is taken out by crushing the rose, God may have to take you through crushing and pulverizing experiences before He can put the matter in your hands. ‘I don’t write with ink, I write with my sweat and blood and tears’ will be your testimony. It is these life transforming experiences that sharpen your skill and polish your writings.
Never mind the vitriolic remarks of your readers. They are wind to your sail. Have the magnanimity to accept and acknowledge them. When you have finished, give your work to your friend or someone for an honest evaluation and if necessary re-do it. Spread it out before the Lord and pray for each point that it may reach the hearts of readers to have the desired effect.
Those who are proficient in English should write in that international language so that you can minister to a wider audience. Reading THE MESSAGE (the Bible in contemporary language) by Eugene H. Peterson will update your language.
Write your name, address, telephone number, email id clearly on the first page of the article and pin-up all the papers if you are sending it for a contest. If you enclose a photograph do not put it loosely inside the envelope. Fix it in the first page or covering letter and write your name at the back. Never forget to write the pincode in your mailing address.
Best wishes!
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
