Six Rules for Writing Good Articles

Writing a good article requires two things: good content and good technique.

There’s a lot of noise to compete against when writing on the internet. Anyone can write something, post it, and call it an article — in the information age, the definition of an article has become a very blurred line. The line between good and bad, however, is much more defined — and arguably, more important.

Good content is relatively easy to create. Most people don’t realize it, but everybody has interesting things to say. Good technique is harder — it can seem abstract and nuanced, and it’s often the thing that makes or breaks an article.

A weak article falls flat. A strong article changes minds, gains followers, carries weight, demands respect. It’s a worthy and valuable pursuit.

My top rules for writing a good article:

Rule #1 for writing a good article: minimize your barrier to entry. Make it easy for your reader to be drawn in.

A large opening paragraph at the start of an article is a huge barrier to entry. Your reader has to wade through a large wall of text before determining if the article is really interesting and worth reading. This requires a large expenditure of effort. Most people won’t bother.