You have made it to the final stage of your Creative Writing degree and are now faced with the monumental task of creating a professional journal article for your final project. You have been diligently taking notes in your Creative Writing notebook and finally, it’s time to put all those words to paper and turn them into something remarkable. You want to write a professional, polished and engaging journal article that will engage your audience and compel them to continue reading. Let’s get started.
Plan Out The Structure Of Your Article
Before you start writing, it’s essential that you set up the structure of your article. This will guide you in deciding what to include and in how you want to present it. Setting up an effective writing structure is vital in ensuring that your article is presented in a logical manner and easy to follow. You want your reader to be easily engaged and transported to the end product. That way, you can be certain that they will get the full effect of what you have to say. When planning your article structure, you should consider the following:
The Introductory Paragraph
The introductory paragraph is a brief summary of the article that will hook the reader and make them want to continue. The goal is to immediately engage the reader and get them interested in what you have to say. This is usually achieved through strong language and vivid, compelling details. The introductory paragraph should be a concise summary of the whole article. The summary should be no longer than two or three sentences.
You may want to start with a hook, something that will make the reader want to keep reading. For example, perhaps you will state that this article will discuss the advantages of being a vegetarian. This will draw the reader in and help them to follow the article content.
The Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs will contain the meat of your article. These are the paragraphs that you have been carefully crafting and they will form the backbone of your article. The body paragraphs should be a series of short, yet informative and engaging sentences. Your article is more than likely to be rejected if it contains many spelling errors or is full of grammatical errors. This is because academic journals are highly regarded for their impeccable English standards and you cannot get away with serious errors. Your article body should be broken down into two or three distinct sections (known as paragraphs) and should be no longer than six or seven sentences. Ensure that you have a clear idea of how each part of the article will flow and engage the reader. If necessary, you should also re-work the structure of your article to make it more logically presented
- Clarity of Ideas
- Detail
- Comparisons
The Conclusion
Like any good piece of writing, your article should have a conclusion. The conclusion serves as a concise summary of your article and is used to wrap up the whole article. The conclusion should be a fitting summary of the article, incorporating all its key points. If you have followed the guidelines laid out in this article so far, then your conclusion should simply serve as a reminder of what you have achieved. Remember, your article is long overdue so make sure that you have saved the best for last. The conclusion should be no longer than two or three sentences.
Use Active Voice
One of the most effective writing tips is to write in active voice. To put it simply, active voice is the use of ‘I’ to describe what a specific person or thing is doing. For example, ‘I swam across the ocean’, ‘He gave the presentation to the delight of the audience’, or ‘She won the contest’ instead of ‘The ocean swam across her’, ‘He presented his research to the audience’, or ‘She won the contest’. When you use active voice, it not only makes your writing more engaging, but it also allows you to place the event in context. Context is essential in order to make a believable argument, otherwise, your reader will find it hard to follow and believe your content. Using ‘I’ in your writing allows the reader to feel as if they are actually there. This kind of active voicing is easy to achieve and will make your writing much more compelling.
In addition to using active voice, you should also take the time to establish a logical order. This is the order in which you will present your ideas which should be followed, regardless of how many paragraphs or sections you have. You can use a writing guide to help you establish your logical order and ensure that your article flows smoothly and makes sense. Your article should be presented in a logical manner, with no major jumps in logic or content. For example, if you start out describing the advantages of vegetarianism and then suddenly switch to the disadvantages of veganism, your reader will become confused and may even lose interest in what you are saying. Your article is more likely to be accepted if it makes sense and is presented in the correct order. Once you have set up the structure of your article, you can then begin to write. Make sure to include appropriate references and citations, as required.