Social media, SEO, marketing and writingThe Five W’s and Other Article Writing Techniques
Whenever you are stumped as to how to start an article, you need not dispair. All you have to do is think of this magic phrase—the five W’s. Immediately your mind will be set into motion, asking who, what, when, where and why.
Nobody has ever counted them, but thousands upon thousands of articles have been started and completed via the help and use of the five W’s. Bloggers and journalists live by them. Newspaper stories and blog posts, Tweets and emails must get to the point fast, report the key facts or newsworthy angle, and entertain, educate and/or inform.
The five W’s are basic, but effective, rules of writing engagement. Let’s take a look at each one.
WHO?
Leave the who of your article out, and your article is dead in the water. Readers want to know who it’s about, or who did what, or who said what. A great many articles obviously hit the who question fast.
Take the published article, “Money Making Entrepreneurs,” for example. No doubt at all is left in the reader’s mind as to the who of the article. It is clearly meant for entrepreneurs:
“Are you willing to take risks? If so, then you have the major characteristics of an entrepreneur, and possibly a money—making one.”
The opening of the article continues to define and explain what it is to be an entrepreneur, making it even more clear that anyone who has ever thought of launching his or her own business will find the article stimulating and helpful:
“By its very nature, entrepreneurship means being willing to think, originate, and then execute your objectives and conclusions. Risk is involved throughout the process.”
In another published article, I tried to make it very clear in the opening paragraphs that the who of the article was the founder of Coca Cola. Actually, there were three founder-leaders that made up the WHO in this case:
“Countless millions the world over would never think of letting a day go by without a nice cold bottle, can or fountain drink of Coca-Cola. Three founder-leaders were behind the launching, early growth, and development of the legendary soft drink: Dr. John S. Pemberton, Asa G. Chander, and Robert W. Woodruff.”
WHAT?
Remember the old film, with Michael Caine in the lead, titled “What’s It All About, Alfie?” That same question is in the readers’s mind; they want to know what your subject and article are all about. Don’t make them wait several pages or half-way through the article before it’s clear what it’s about. Tell them fast in the early paragraphs.
In the published article, “Coping with Customer Skepticism,” notice how the very first sentence spotlights the “what’s it all about” question, making the subject clear to the reader:
“A problem that most sales professionals face continually with certain prospects, customers, and clients is that of skepticism. This problem is in effect a thief because it can rob your chances for many sales. By knowing how to handle it, you are certain to sell more in the years ahead.”
Here is another example, from the published article titled “How Do You Face Crucial Moments?” Again, the very first sentence reveals the WHAT instantly, and then the second paragraph poses a question and proceeds to analyze the what more:
“What do you do when the unexpected strikes? Do you blow with the wind or stand firm?
Ever watch a racing car come off the track in apparent sudden trouble? Up till then, the driver may have had the race in the bag.”
In the third and next paragraph, an effective analogy is made:
“Isn’t life a lot like a race track? As babies we’re cared for much like a new racing car. We take to the track in our teens, and really begin to hit the laps on the “young adult stretch.” Then, as mature adults, we become “freeway flyers.” From the start, we never know when we’ll have to face a crucial moment, or how we will react to it.”
WHEN?
When something happened, took place, or somebody did or said something are all important. It’s part of the team members that build the article. Again, a film is a good example here. Remember Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve in the classic love story, “Somewhere in Time?” The viewer or film-goer needed to know when, how far back in time, Richard Collier (Reeve) was trying to get to, which was made clear, soon in the story, to be 1912. By the same token, article readers want to know when an event took place, when someone’s life changed, when the family moved, when so-and-so hit the lottery. Let them in on the when question, and you will keep them reading.
Here is a WHEN example from a published article titled “Reward Yourself Now and Then.” Notice how clear the when is in the opening paragraph:
“A few months ago, an elderly millionaire killed himself by weighting his body then shooting himself.. .just before jumping into the cold waters of Long Island Sound. He jumped from his own $200,000 three-bedroom yacht.”
Even illustrations and examples from the middle of an article should make the when clear for the reader. Look at the following example from a published article on the life and times of Walt Disney:
“From the day he arrived in Hollywood in the early 1920s, Disney’s career covered a 43 year period. Disney could not have picked a better time to make his move. During these golden years, the motion picture grew into an established and widely popular American art form. Walt Disney did much to help it attain this growth.”
WHERE?
This one is like a close friend to WHEN. Readers also need to know where the monument stands, where a war ended, where an accident took lives, where the number one vacation spot (currently) is, and answers to other WHERE questions. Remember the novel and film titled “The Bridges of Madison County?” When you think about it, that title is the WHERE being answered. The entire novel is centered in the WHERE question.
Here is a WHERE example from the published article titled “57 Ways to Sell a Pickle:”
“Success was no quick arrival in the life of Henry John Heinz. He started a vegetable garden in the 1860s outside his family’s home, in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, and showed a talent and sense of soil and seed, which led to a surplus.”
Notice how the second sentence of the opening paragraph states exactly where the subject of the article launched his career and revealed his talent.
WHY?
Last but not least is the Why. Why did the teenager leave town? Why has the weather gone berserk in recent months and years? Why are Labrador Retrievers so much sweeter and friendlier dogs than others? There are hundreds of why questions waiting to be answered. Your reader wants to know the why answers that relate to your article subjects.
In the published article, “Counseling the Bereaved,” directed at ministers and clergy, you can see how clear the when is communicated:
“When those in your congregation lose a loved one, and are devastated by grief, the way you can help them most is simply to get to their side as soon as possible. Just your presence, your being there, will help them more than any words of comfort you may wish to offer.”
