Writing is a difficult skill and something that requires a lot of patience and dedication. Every writer has their own unique article writing process, a routine that they have developed over years of writing content and SEO copywriting. Anyone can type up a few words, but it takes a special talent to tie them together into a piece that is engaging and informative. No two article writing processes are the same. There are several things that all writers should consider when they are approaching a project.

In short, all articles should include the following:

  1. Brainstorming of ideas and the formation of a general theme for the article.
  2. Concise research on the topic, gathering links to help you drive your points home, and deciding on what keywords to use.
  3. Produce an outline tying in your research.
  4. Creating the article and following through with a first and final draft.
  5. Proofreading and editing.

1. Brainstorming

A new email pops into your inbox. You are excited, after all, this is your work email and this means that you have likely landed a new client. Endless possibilities are flowing through your brain, a general sense of excitement fills the air, and then you are hit with a wave of dread as you realize that your new client is a corrugated box manufacturer. This hypothetical situation actually happened to me. In my case, the new client required four posts a month on corrugated boxes, or in layman terms, everyday cardboard boxes.

How do you approach this subject? You need to think about general content writing and the best way to present your content. Numbered lists are popular, how to guides, and informative pieces that companies can use as reference. Using the corrugated boxes example, you could write about the history of boxes, popular boxes used in shipping, how the shipping industry relies on the corrugated box industry, a numbered list breaking down the toughest boxes, and so on. In the early stages of the article writing process, you are focusing on coming up with ideas and finding a way to justify them with relevant supporting arguments. Keep in mind, if this is a long-term, monthly client, you need to find a way to produce original content every month. This requires you to tap into your creative juices and to find a way to make corrugated boxes as interesting as possible over an elongated period of time.

2. Research

Researching for your articles will usually take longer than the writing itself. Having a well researched article will make it a valuable resource, increase your chance of generating backlinks, and will help you get recognized by Google, thereby boosting your page rank and domain authority. In addition, clients in the technology sector will want you to tap into relevant market statistics, developments in their industry, and other information that will make your content standout from the crowd. Take the time to research properly, make a list of sources that you will reference, and ensure that they are worth using in your piece. At least half of the time you spend writing an article should be spent on research.

3. Create an Outline

This may remind you of your dreaded college essays. However, an outline helps you stay organized, pinpoint where you will link sources, and ensure that your article flows well. By creating an outline, writing your first and final drafts will be easy as you will already have an idea of where the article is going. You don’t have to completely stick to your outline. They are recommended for writers who have a tendency to ramble or lose track of their focus. As a writer, you have artistic freedom to write the article however you want. In the end, always make sure it fits the needs of your client, no matter what.

4. Write the Drafts

Writing a first draft may seem like a lot of additional work, but no one is perfect, and even the most seasoned writers make mistakes. As you grind out that final article at 4 a.m. in the morning, your tired brain and glossy eyes lose their ability to pick up on simple errors and a thorough edit may reveal that you misused one of your “to, too, and twos,” or “they’re, their, and there’s.” The first draft is used to hammer out your content and to construct the article, while the final draft is a fine toothed comb that purges your article of all errors.

5. Final Edit

Your final draft may be perfect, but a final edit is always a must have for any article writing process. The final edit shores up the flow of your article and focuses on making it as readable as possible for consumers. If someone is going to take the time to read an article on corrugated boxes, it better be flawless, and they better feel rewarded for investing their time in the article. Once you’re finished editing and you are satisfied with your polished article, it is time to send it off to the client and hope that they will be happy with it. Remember, the more time you spend researching, writing, and polishing your article, the less likely it is that they will send it back for revisions.


Do you have any additional questions? Write On works hard to help aspiring writers find work in the competitive freelance writing industry. We are located in Toronto, Ontario, but we service clients throughout North America. Finding an article writing process that works for you will take time. It isn’t something that happens overnight and you must be prepared to invest in your writing skills if you want to be able to produce high quality content. Maybe writing isn’t your thing, and that’s fine. If you are interested in hiring a content writing service, we are more than happy to produce compelling copy that will wow your customers and help you organically grow on the major search engines. Feel free to contact us through our website today.