- By Earma Brown
- Published 09/1/2009
- Article Writing
Have you eaten stale crackers, recently? Not long ago, I rushed into a little neighborhood grocery store to grab a few things. One of the items I grabbed was a box of crackers. I rushed home, prepared dinner, pulled out the box of crackers and bit into one. It was stale! You know; it tasted like paper, dry, no crisp. The salt had even lost its saltiness. Speaking of stale, are you making the mistakes that stamp S.T.A.L.E. on your articles? If you’re anything like the writer when she first began writing articles, you could be making some simple mistakes that will hinder the success of your article. No worries; now you don’t have to make those same mistakes, you can put a stop to little mistakes that makes your article writing S.T.A.L.E. in a big way. Here are 5 mistakes and how to avoid them written into a S.T.A.L.E. acronym. Put them into action and receive trailer truck loads more article sales and triple times the success you were expecting. 1. Soul Mistake: Article written with no soul or passion. Write with all the professionalism you can muster but write from the heart. Write with passion; write with soul. Strategically place your statistics and famous quotes but don’t be stuffy with your language. Your readers may think you are talking down to them if you use too many technical terms and professional jargon. 2. Teachable moments. Article written without utilizing teachable moments. There are two main reasons people read. One of those reasons we read is to be educated. Take advantage of the teachable moments from your life. It will make your article more interesting. Remember, the stale cracker moment above. The author tied it in with the staleness our writing can have.
3. Amplification Mistake: Article written with no dram
atic stories or illustrations. It’s true the details are important. But in article writing the details can be boring. Make your article eventful. Focus on the events. Then amplify or turn the volume up on the events of your article. Do include the details but dramatize your stories or embellish your stories as much as you can. 4. Life lessons: Article written with no practical applications. Use your life lessons in your article. Educate your readers with the lessons you’ve learned along the way in life. Don’t get me wrong; don’t bog your reader down with your personal details. Sprinkle them in with good taste. Make sure you strategically place them so they make sense in the flow of the article. An author friend created a life lesson section with a practical application of each main principle. 5. Empathy Mistake: Article written with no personal connection with reader. Do you connect with your reader emotionally? You should express empathy with your reader and their problems. Empathy is the capability to share and understand another’s emotions and feelings. It is often characterized as the ability to “put oneself into another’s shoes.” Let them know you’ve walked where they’ve walked. Or you are in close relationship with someone who has and you understand their feelings and emotions. Without writing a compelling article filled with: passion and soul, teachable moments, dramatic stories, life lessons and an emotional connection your message may never reach the audience it’s destined to reach. Avoid writing a S.T.A.L.E. article filled with the mistakes above; capture the interest of your audience and get your article read. Best wishes for your success!
Don’t wait any longer! Remember, there’s an audience waiting to read what you have written. Why not get started writing your articles today? Do you need additional help to write a compelling article that avoids any S.T.A.L.E. writing mistakes?
