10 Rules For Writing Thought-Provoking Articles

If you try to appeal to everyone, you’ll end up appealing to no one

Over the past five years, I’ve written nearly 400 articles and reached millions of readers. While some articles got more views than others, that’s not the way I measure myself.

I look at engagement: How many readers take the time to share, comment, or even email you their thoughts about the article? That’s how I know my article and topic made a real impact.

Here are 10 writing rules I always apply to do that.

Have something to say

There’s a difference between an article that has something to say, versus a piece written for superficial reasons like money or ego. F. Scott Fitzgerald puts it best:

“You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.”

We read because we want to be informed, to expand our views, and sometimes, to be entertained. Having something to say gives your article a genuine perspective. That’s something we can never get enough of.

Contrary to what people think, writing articles is not all about grammar. I intentionally ignore a lot of…