How I Write About Anything — And I Get Paid For It
My 7 step guide on becoming a prolific writer in subjects you’re totally clueless
One of my best-received articles ever was about cigars, written for a highly specialized magazine. I knew nothing about cigars, I’d never smoked one, and I was utterly clueless about them right until the day I took on the assignment.
Five days later, I delivered a story so well-crafted, informative, and inspiring, that they accepted the article and hired me on the spot. I never told them that five days ago, I could not tell the one end of the cigar from the other. They congratulated me, and I got paid.
Over the years, I’ve written hundreds of articles for printed magazines and online publications about:
- Technology and gadgets
- Economy and commerce
- Startups and business
- Self-help
- US politics and international relations
- Health and fitness
- Environment
- Sex advice
- History
- I’ve also worked for a TV documentary series.
I’m not an expert by profession in any of these fields. I hold no college degree. All I have is my curiosity, and the ability to turn large pieces of information into easily consumed chunks of every-day wisdom.
Let’s see how it works.
Step 1: Find a subject that appeals to you
It’s much easier to write about something that inspires you. Only your interests can boost your curiosity. I once wrote a how-to story about scuba diving in the Greek islands. I knew nothing about scuba, but I love snorkeling and marine life. The connection was already there.
Step 2: Research
It’s the Internet age; everything is one click away. Start reading articles, essays, and book summaries. Watch TED talks, keep notes, highlight content. Put an asterisk on terms or ideas you don’t understand.
For my cigar story, I read several magazines and online articles. I made a list of applicable terms that would make me appear as an expert. I interviewed the owner of a cigar shop with carefully crafted questions. And I googled everything to death.
Step 3: Ask an expert
Most people love to share their wisdom. Find an expert in the subject and pick her brain. But do your homework. You don’t want to appear silly or clueless. They will appreciate it if you arrive prepared.
Take notes, highlight terms, use whole sentences, and attribute them to the expert. Your information needs to be valid and verifiable. Your audience needs facts, not just your opinion.
Step 4: Connect the dots
With all the information in hand, start making connections. For me, it’s all about comprehension and interpretation. A successful columnist is the one who can find hidden relationships between seemingly unconnected items.
Your readers will be delighted to discover unexpected connections that, in hindsight, look perfectly explainable. Where everyone sees a cooking pot, you will show them the Ursa Major.
Step 5: Explain it to a child
Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” The online audience has the attention span of a six-year-old, and you need to keep their attention long enough to continue reading.
You don’t want to delve deep, because they may realize that you’re trying to explain what you don’t understand, and they won’t follow you anyway. Keep it simple, short, and exciting, and they’ll think you’re Einstein.
Step 6: Wrap it like a present
Everybody loves gifts. Your readers will be delighted to find hard-collected information with profound meaning, in easily consumed paragraphs and a scannable format.
Don’t just make it look like a giveaway; Make it a real giveaway. Share the knowledge and people will return to you for more.
Step 7: Inspire your readers
Your audience doesn’t need a lecture. Your readers need information they can use. They need the knowledge they can share with their friends and family. Some of them will use your article to appear as experts themselves.
People may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel. The best stories are those who inspire you to change, even a little. And that’s what writing is all about.
