How to Write a How-to Article
Easy Guidelines for Writing Instructional Copy Effectively
Writing a how-to article is one of the most challenging assignments many freelance writers face. Follow these simple guidelines to increase your chances for success.
Being able to explain a process in such a way that it can be followed easily and duplicated by the reader may seem to be one of the simplest forms of nonfiction writing. Yet, it can also be one of the hardest to master in freelance writing.
Whether you're writing a nonfiction article on how to cook, how to lose weight, how to develop a flat stomach, how to water ski, how to do yoga, how to get your baby to sleep through the night, how to save for retirement, how to tie your shoes, or any other kind of how-to story, the same basic principles of effective instructional copy apply. Keep the following points in mind:
- Know your audience. Consider its level of expertise so you’ll know how high or low to pitch your level of instructions. Better to underestimate the reader's level of skill and understanding than to overestimate it.
- Go back to square one. Take pains to reexamine your own understanding of the subject. You may find you don’t know it as well as you think you do. Or your level of expertise may distance you from what beginners need to know.
- Define your terms. Make yourself a list of the terminology specific to the process you’re explaining. Be sure you use those terms correctly. If you can, employ them in such a way that their meaning is clear through context; if you can’t, perhaps provide a glossary of terms as a sidebar to the main article.
- Think of your how-to as a movie or video. Describe actions, in sequence. Remember that you cannot use or refer to something you haven’t already introduced. Observe chronological order, telegraphing it when necessary with words like “first,” “next,” “after,” etc. Give stage directions when they’ll help orient the reader (facing you, away from you, above, below, left, right, right side up, upside down, etc.).
- Break it down into steps. Whether you’re writing the how-to in narrative form or as step-by-step instructions, clearly block out the major steps of the process. To help the reader follow the sequence, consider labeling each step with a tag that sums up what happens at each particular stage. Keep photo or illustration possibilities in mind.
- Pick your words carefully. Pay special attention to verbs, choosing those that most specifically describe the desired actions.
- Don’t forget to make it fun. Remember that teaching and learning don’t have to be dry. Reassure your reader and make the process enjoyable by keeping the tone light, helpful, reassuring, and sometimes humorous when appropriate.
Follow the above pointers, and make yourself an expert on the process before you start writing, and your how-to article will be effective and gain the appreciation of your reader.
Want some examples of how-to articles? Check out “How to Write Reviews,” “How to Write a Cookbook,” “Brewing the Perfect Cup of Coffee,” and “Opening Jars with Arthritic Hands,” right here on Suite 101.
