You’ve researched, you’ve interviewed, you’ve gathered all the material you need for your story; now where to begin?  Dump out your bushel barrel of material and start sorting.  If you have adequately researched, you will have far more material than you will use.  Reduce the bulk as much as possible; weed out duplicates.  Make a rough sorting of what remains.

It is best to work with a skeleton outline for your article.  Professional writers have devised little tricks of organization from the so-called train of cars outline to the so-called hey, you, see, so method.  They all work out about the same so use whatever  structure works best to you.

Hey—This is the hook to attract reader attention.

You—Snares the reader—why it’s important to him.

See—This is the main body of the article.  You may use statistics, opinions, arguments, or case histories to prove whatever point you are trying to make.

So—Is the conclusion, the final paragraph that urges the reader to action.

This is the plan I like to use for outlining my articles.  First I anchor my theme.

            Theme:  This is the thought or problem behind your story.  It is the essence, the heart of the piece.  It is what you are saying, what you are going to prove.  It is the red line that runs clear through it and everything in the story should relate to it.

1.      Lead.  The hooker to catch the interest of the reader.

2.      Explanation and transition.  Clues reader to what he will learn.  It clinches the theme and moves into the body.

3.      Body.  The major portion’ facts, information, history.

4.      Conclusion.  Visual halt, ties in loose ends, impact.

Now to start actual work on your article.  Put down all the points that you want to use.

            Example:

            Candle making is a popular hobby.  Let’s write one on how to make a sandcasted candle.  These are the points we might want to include.

1.      Where to buy material

2.      How to color the wax

3.      How to make the sand molds

4.      History of candle making

5.      Who uses candles?

6.      How to heat the wax

7.      Safety factors

8.      Putting in the wick

9.      What to use for the wick

10.  Why make your own?

11.  What materials to use

12.  What equipment you need

13.  What is the result?

Combine all similar items, and cross out those that don’t seem important.  You want to end up with 4 to 7 points.  The above can be combined this way:

1.      Material needed and where obtained

2.      Process

3.      Equipment needed

4.      Who uses candles

5.      Safety factor

6.      What is the result

The six points above are the major points that should be included after crossing out and combining, however, it wouldn’t read well if they were used in the present order.  Now arrange them in a logical order like this:

1.      Who uses candles

2.      Material needed and where obtained

3.      Equipment needed

4.      Safety factor

5.      The process

6.      What is the result

We’ve organized what we want to put in our article.  Now lets set up the basic structure for writing the piece.

Theme—How to sand cast candles

Lead:  Do you feel a magnetic pull into boutique shops to look at their candle display?  You’re ecstatic over the shapes and colors.  But…oh, the price.

Explanation and transition:  However, you can make your own for just a few pennies.  Give your imagination creations.  It’s easy enough.  This is the way you do it.

Body:  then you go into the main portion.  Here you tell what materials you need and where obtained.  You list the equipment needed.  As wax is an inflammable substance have a paragraph telling what precautions should be taken.  Then you go into the process of making the candle.

Conclusion:  When hardened lift the candle out and brush off the loose sand.  A jewel to behold.  A sand casted candle has a beauty all its own.