| Writing several articles at once might seem pretty | | | | doggy vitamins. Instead of popping the idea into |
| much impossible to do if you are just starting to | | | | one of your puppy training articles as an aside, |
| write Ezine articles and find producing them one at | | | | put it into another new document which you can |
| a time hard enough. However, writing articles in | | | | later use as part of a new cluster about dog |
| clusters is not difficult and, once you understand | | | | nutrition. With one quick "cut and paste" you have |
| how it's done, you will enjoy the benefits. A group | | | | kept one article focussed on the main topic and |
| of articles written as a cluster can easily be | | | | saved an idea, which might otherwise have been |
| turned into a series but for now we are looking at | | | | wasted, for a new project. |
| the how to produce a group of unique articles | | | | If you are writing an article on an unfamiliar topic, |
| written at the same time around a central topic. | | | | you might think you won't have the problem of |
| Some of the main benefits are as follows: | | | | needing to cut down your article and will have |
| 1. Writing articles in groups saves time when you | | | | trouble finding enough to say. However, if you |
| are researching your subject; | | | | undertake proper research about the subject |
| 2. It gives you space to fully develop a theme; | | | | matter (as you should if you want your article to |
| 3. It gives you more unique content for your blog | | | | be taken seriously), you are bound to come |
| or website; | | | | across material which relates to the article you |
| 4. It gives you extra articles to submit to ezines | | | | have planned but does not quite fit it. Make notes |
| or to sell. | | | | of all this related material. If you get ideas for |
| When you write an article for publication in ezines, | | | | further articles as you are researching, make a |
| you have to keep the word count within certain | | | | note of these ideas. Research for article writing |
| guidelines (about 500-800 words is usually most | | | | takes time, so make the most of it. Even if you |
| acceptable). If your article is too long, ezines might | | | | can only manage two articles on an unfamiliar |
| not be prepared to give up the space required to | | | | subject, it is two for the price of one. |
| reproduce it. If the article is too short, there is a | | | | Let's look at how to use just one passing idea as |
| danger Ezine publishers won't take it seriously. | | | | the basis for a group of articles. Take the thought |
| Cluster writing is definitely not about turning out a | | | | "my first home business venture reminds me of |
| number of truncated Ezine articles instead of one | | | | Apollo 13". To make this idea into an article, we |
| full length one. Neither is it about stretching or | | | | have to say what is behind the initial thought. |
| padding your material (you'll only ever get a poor | | | | Otherwise, the reader will be left thinking "What, it |
| fit if you try that). It is about making full use of | | | | nearly got lost in space?" or "You were trying to |
| ideas and not wasting time or words. | | | | land on the moon?". With no explanation or |
| If you are writing about a topic you know well, | | | | clarification, the idea is meaningless to anyone but |
| you will find yourself constantly having to edit | | | | you. |
| your articles to keep the word count down. | | | | The thoughts behind the idea could be about a |
| Instead of throwing away the excess material, | | | | series of numerical coincidences in regard to |
| paste it immediately into another document with a | | | | events, about surviving near-disasters, about how |
| new title. I would suggest keeping the titles similar | | | | duct tape solved a huge problem and about the |
| - eg "Puppy Training, Why To Do It" and "Puppy | | | | power of prayer. With all these four things |
| Training, When To Start", you can swiftly move | | | | encapsulated in the idea, you have the basis of a |
| on to "Puppy Training, The Best Methods" etc. | | | | four paragraph article. It does not require much of |
| Don't let the document get too big, anytime your | | | | an imagination stretch to see that you could have |
| word processor reaches page 2, it's time to think | | | | the basis for four separate articles clustered |
| about breaking it into two. | | | | around a central idea. |
| As you write, be alert to any tendency to | | | | Never let an idea or a word go to waste. For the |
| wander off topic. You might be writing about how | | | | time and effort cluster writing saves, it is worth |
| it is one thing to have a cute puppy jump on your | | | | trying to use the technique even in the early days |
| bed but quite a different experience when that | | | | of your Ezine article writing career. Once you try |
| pup has become a 10 stone hound with muddy | | | | it, you will realise it's even better than "buy one |
| paws. Suddenly you remember something about | | | | get one free". |