Writing For RaeMag
Since I began editing articles for RaeMag, I’ve had a few of our columnists ask “Hey Liz, what makes a good guitar instruction article?” Well…not in those exact words, but I believe “Hey You! How in the heck am I suppose to write about that?!” carries the same sentiment.
In light of this, I’ve decided to fire them. To those that I haven’t fired… yet, I gave to them a nugget of wisdom, which I will now share with you. An instructional article on how to write an instructional article. One that if followed, will most certainly garner adulation, praise and virtual high-fives from the RaeMag community and the pedantic RaeMag editor whose sole purpose in life is to crush your dreams and remind of you of just how little you retained from high school grammar.
Firstly, lets start with a little refresher. I’d prefer to start with a little refreshment, but that will have to wait until I’ve finished writing this article. If you’d like, you can pause from reading this article to get one for yourself, however I would hope that you wouldn’t get off topic this early on. As you can see my ability to stay focused and relevant is a true testament to my genius. Which brings me to my next pun, the appetizer…
The Appetizer
Brainstorming and Research
Article With a Side of Accuracy - We’d prefer not to lie to our readers, so if you could, make sure that you know what you’re talking about. If you’re going to explain the origin of the electric guitar, don’t say it all started with Jimi Hendrix. Or did it? I don’t know, look it up!
Hold The Plagiarism - While you’re looking it up, please remove your fingers from the ctrl/command c and ctrl/command v keys. We greatly appreciate your originality.
Sans Redundancy - Take a minute to check out the RaeMag lesson plan before writing your article, you may just save yourself some time writing about Scales if you notice that we’ve already covered Key Signatures in a previous article. You can also link to said article if it offers support to your content.
Super-size the Personality - Be personable, feel free to share personal anecdotes or experiences you’ve had, it helps the reader feel that they are not alone in the struggle, which is always nice.
A La Carte - Our readers are mainly young adults - older adults who are either just learning to play or rekindling the magic and sharpening up their skills. Don’t assume that the reader is a novice or a pro, just be thorough and plain in your delivery.
The Main Course
Structure
A good approach to article writing harkens back to the good ol’ days of the essay:
1. Title - Explore different interpretations of the topic before commencing.
2. Introductory Paragraph - Introduce to the reader what it is you plan to address, humor or personal anecdotes work well here.
a. Thesis Statement - Within the intro paragraph, sum up the main points of your article in a sentence or two.
3. Body - write a couple of paragraphs here and make sure to refer back and explain the main points you mentioned in your thesis statement.
a. Subheading - Subheadings in the body are a nice touch to an instructional article. For instance, if you are talking about reading chord diagrams, break it down into digestible chunks by labeling your main points (The Dots, The Numbers, The Symbols etc).
4. Conclusion - Briefly summarize what you’ve just gone over and give merit to your premise.
Dessert
Draft and Edit
The thrill of penning the final punctuation mark can be intoxicating, but please, refrain from hitting the submit button until you’ve asked yourself a few things:
1. Have I been true to the topic?
2. Have I laid out my case?
3. Is my information accurate and relevant to that case?
4. Have I engaged or otherwise taught the reader something in a way that is easy to understand yet not sleep inducing?
5. Will this look better in the morning or after I’ve had another refreshment?
6. Could my article benefit from supplementary images, audio clips or diagrams?
7. Do I enjoy reading my own article?
8. Would I be proud to have my name and profile photo associated with this work for all eternity?
9. How’s my grammar?
10. Did I use spell check?
If once you’ve had this conversation with yourself and the men in white jackets have not yet come for you then congratulations! You are ready to submit your article. BUT HEY WAIT! Not so fast, “What if I’m not that kind of a writer?” “What if I’m a more free-spirited freelancer, one that likes to throw caution and grammar to the wind? ”Well, then perhaps you want to start a dialog, with my fist! No, no no with your readers!
Another wonderful and completely legitimate option is to start a conversation. Present your writing as a series of anticipated questions followed by answers or ask your readers questions directly, but keep in mind if you do so, you must be prepared to receive answers to said questions that may require you to interact with the reader in the comments section of your article.
Overall, you want to remember that the goal here is to teach your readers things. Things that will help them excel at whatever it is they are trying to do. There is no room for drivel or empty musings that don’t enhance the reader’s way thinking or understanding. Don’t talk down, but break down. Present interesting things in their most basic form without leaving anything out and you’ll have a substantial impact on the way people learn.
And, that’s what being a RaeMag writer is all about (minus the insufferable 3 course meal analogy).
