What Should I Write?
Article Types for 2022
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For contributors to The Pragmatic Programmers on Medium — and writers everywhere — I’ve come up with a few suggestions for article types. We’ll look at the types in alphabetical order because, why not? That order feels democratic. The number of words given is a recommendation for The Pragmatic Programmers publication.
A Look Back or History
Articles that look back at what happened in a period (say the ’80s) can be fun. Like predictions, “a look back” articles are popular around threshold dates. History articles are a form of a look back, but typically offer analysis of the past event in the context of what was happening at the time and what it meant for the future.
Number of words. 500 to 1,200
Example. Bill Gates, Hacker by Michael Swaine
Case Studies
A case-study article describes in detail (supported by data) a specific implementation of an application or the solution to a practical problem. Case studies can run long, so a good option is to break the case study into a series of articles to keep each part under 1,500 words.
Number of words. 1,000 to 1,500
Example. Modeling UEFA Euro 2020 by Dmitry Zinoviev
Definitions
Definition articles provide a list of terms and define each toward a goal of understanding a particular area (domain) of knowledge. Examples help.
Number of words. 250 to 500
Example. This article is an example of a definition article (and is too long 😏).
How-Tos
A how-to article provides just-in-time steps for a particular task. Give readers just enough information to complete the task. Consider naming the headings by the stage in the process and numbering steps.
Number of words. 250 to 500
Example. Git-Config Essentials by Karl Stolley
Listicles
“Listicle” is a portmanteau combining “list” and “article.” A listicle presents items in list format, usually with a number in the title. A form of clickbait, listicles are nonetheless very popular on Medium. My example isn’t a typical listicle— Dave’s article is pretty substantive.
Number of words. 250 to 500
Example. SYWTWAB 6: Wrandom Writing Wrules by Dave Thomas
Predictions
Articles that predict what will happen or what will be a topic of interest for the future are popular around threshold dates, like the end or beginning of the year.
Number of words. 250 to 500
Example. Predictions for 2022 by Mike Riley
Quizzes and Puzzles
Quiz and puzzle articles are short content that tests a reader’s knowledge of a subject. Often they cover topics that may be challenging or confusing, such as floating-point numbers or regular expressions.
Number of words. 250 to 500
Example. Python’s Attribute Lookup by Miki Tebeka
Stories
A story article can be a personal story or anecdote about how someone handled a particular situation. Often, the purpose of story articles is to teach a lesson based on the author’s or another person’s experience. The word count is flexible since some stories are short and some are longer.
Number of words. 500 to 1,500
Example. Never Postpone a Meeting by Ken Kousen
Tips
Short bits of advice for improving some process or outcome. Examples might be “Leadership Tips for 2022” or “Tips to Secure Your Website.” Tip articles often include numbers in the title, which makes them a form of listicle. The example is a bit longer than the recommended word count — we just don’t have a shorter one to share yet.
Number of words. 250 to 500
Example. Practical Ways to Conduct One-on-Ones by Johanna Rothman
Tutorials
In addition to providing the steps, a tutorial gives you context for the task — why you should do it a particular way, the benefits, pitfalls, and insights about the process. Tutorials will often provide definitions and background information, explaining the task in small, bite-sized chunks as you go along. Tutorials should include more than text. Think code, notebooks, video, and images.
Number of words. 1,000 to 1,500
Example. Google Colab Notebooks by Paolo Perrotta
Parting Thoughts
This list of article types is not exhaustive. I encourage you to add to my list by leaving a comment. Not every article will fit perfectly into one of these types. As you can see, you have several options for very short articles that you could write in an hour (maybe less). Within these types, choose a topic that interests you. Topics that are in the domain of your expertise tend to be fast and easy to write. In contrast, writing about a topic you are just learning can be a fun challenge.
