Lorraine Mace shows you how to write a how-to article
How-to articles open up a wide range of freelance
opportunities. Trade, craft, cooking, children’s, gardening, arts and many
other markets are crying out for well-written articles which teach their
readers new skills, or fresh ways of making use of existing ones.
At first glance it might seem the easiest thing in the world
to write a how-to, but unless you prepare well, you could find yourself writing
in circles. You need to be able to explain the process in such a way that it is
easy to duplicate, the instructions must follow a logical sequence and the
right terminology be used for the readership. Above all, make sure that both
you and your readers have fun. How-to doesn’t have to be boring.
What to write about
The beauty of a how-to article is that you get to write
about topics that really interest you. Start by looking at your own hobbies and
activities.
Have you …
- Found an easier way to
accomplish something that other enthusiasts could use?
- Adapted a recipe?
- Discovered a new way of
dealing with plant cuttings?
- Built a scale model?
- Learned how to sole your
own shoes?
- Made clothes from scratch
– or found an easy way to cut out patterns?
As you can see, the range of possible topics is wide. It’s
simply a case of writing about what you know – and that is something that is
hammered into all of us from the moment we decide to become writers.
Credentials
This style of article, more than any other, requires you to
let the editor know at query stage exactly why you feel qualified to write it.
This doesn’t mean trotting out a long list of academic achievements (unless
they are relevant) but if every room in your home is littered with matchstick
versions of the Eiffel Tower, and your spouse threatens to leave unless you
start destroying some of them, then you are most likely an expert on the
building of these models and should tell the editor this (but don’t mention the
spouse).
If illustrations are to be included (see section entitled: Picture this) you should mention this
in your query letter.
Step by careful step
You need to tell your readers how to achieve their goal.
Break the task down into steps. Make sure each step is easy to follow and that
the instructions are not given out of order. Remember, you cannot mention
anything that has not yet been covered – your reader could wind up with his corner
piece glued to his widget. Choose your words carefully. Don’t suggest things; tell
your readers what to do and when to do it. Important words to use are: now,
next, when, then and after.
Sticky-back plastic
and a toilet roll holder
Anyone who has ever watched Blue Peter will know about sticky-back plastic and toilet roll
holders – for those who don’t know, think of clear adhesive tape and the
cardboard inner tubes of toilet rolls, from which the clever people on Blue Peter can make anything from a
jumbo jet to the houses of parliament.
The reason for mentioning it here is to remind you to make a
list of the tools and materials your reader will need. Make sure these are mentioned ahead of step one in your instructions.
Do it yourself
The best way to write a set of how-to instructions is to
carry out the task yourself and make notes as you go along. This way you will
not forget to mention the size and number of various screws, nor will you omit
an important detail such as needing a number nine doodi-wotsit to put on the
end terminal thingy.
Which brings me neatly to terminology. If unfamiliar terms
need to be explained, include a glossary, or make sure the explanation is
covered in the text. For example, describing exactly what a number nine
doodi-wotsit is (good luck with that one.) By the way, if a required item is
only available through specialist shops, don’t forget to mention this important
point next to the item on your tools and materials list.
From your notes, write up a full and complete set of
instructions.
Occasionally, you might need to tell your reader what they
should have achieved at that point. If a page of html code is supposed to bring
up a row of singing daffodils, but either the flowers don’t sing, or they are
upside down, it is better for your reader to realise his error and put it right
before moving on to the next stage.
Additionally, from time to time, you will need to explain why something has to be done. Don’t
assume that because it is commonsense, or obvious to you, that a beginner will
know. If all the matchsticks need to be beheaded because, with the sulphur left
in place, the Eiffel Tower would be a fire hazard – say so. You don’t want
someone’s house to burn down because they were too lazy to cut the matches and
hadn’t realised why the instruction had been given.
Picture this
Some things are too complex to explain easily in words and
would benefit from diagrams, or illustrations of what an item should look like
at different stages. When you write your article make side notes of everywhere
you battled to find the right words for clarity. Then, when you complete the
next part entitled Do it again (see,
I’m following my own instructions here) you can take photographs or draw the
diagrams required.
Your illustrations will need captions. These should be short
and to the point. The information may be contained in the main body of the
article, but a caption has a two-fold purpose. It saves the reader from the
irritation of having to find the place in the article relating to the
illustration and it can also include additional information – such as: hold
grenade firmly before removing pin.
As already stated (but I’m saying it again for emphasis) if
you are going to include graphics of any kind, make sure to mention that point
in your query letter.
Do it again
The next step is possibly the most important of all. Follow
your own instructions as if you have never carried out the task before. Don’t
cut corners, even though you’ve done it a million times and could do it in your
sleep – this is to make certain that a complete beginner can achieve a result
without blowing up their computer, home or spouse. So, no matter how ridiculous
it might feel, follow your own instructions to the letter.
What’s the point of a
how-to?
At the end of a how-to article your reader should be able to
do something new, or something familiar in an innovative way. It doesn’t have
to be anything radical, or awe-inspiring, but it does have to bring a sense of
accomplishment to the person who has acted on your article. If, after following
instructions, a reader is able to sit back and say, wow, I did that, then you,
as author, can pat yourself on the back and say, well done, me!
Not only that, the editor might say: well done! Please send
more ideas.
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Lorraine Mace is the humour columnist for Writing Magazine
and a competition judge for Writers’ Forum. She is a tutor for the
Writers Bureau, and is the author of the Writers Bureau course, Marketing
Your Book. She is also co-author, with Maureen Vincent-Northam of The Writer's ABC Checklist (Accent Press).
Lorraine runs a private critique service for writers (details on her website).
She is the founder of the Flash 500 competitions covering flash fiction, humour
verse and novel openings.
Writing as Frances di Plino, she is the author of
crime/thriller, Bad Moon Rising.
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