Come on, admit it: Whether you’re a professional writer or not we all draw a blank when we want to write an article.

I’ve found an answer to that dilemma that will get you writing in no time so that you can publish your article and begin to receive that new wave of subscribers you’ve been hoping for. Here’s how to get the lead out if you draw a blank:

1. Write your action steps first.
Forget about the catchy headline and attractive lead paragraph for now. There’s no use in cleverly leading a reader into an article that has no real value to them. So start where you build your credibility, right in the action steps. Of course, you want to identify your subject and then tell them how to make their lives easier. For instance, plumbers are always going to have to fix pipes, it’s the nature of their business. If you have an ezine to others in the plumbing industry, write about a new technique in the industry on sealing pipes or preparing them for the winter, etc.

2. Save the best for last.
There’s something called takeaway or take-home that should be in every one of your articles. It’s your last chance to tell your audience, “I know my stuff.” Try to put that key piece of information in the last paragraph of your article and you’ll want it to be something your reader can do as soon as he or she finishes reading your article. If you’re writing to accounts payable clerks, you’d tell them ways to get each department to get approvals on all purchase orders before submitting them. A/P clerks would just eat that up. It’s their number one gripe. Bottom line: Give your audience something they can do immediately at the very end of your article. They’ll remember your name and become devotees for life hanging on your every word.

3. Get excited about the benefits.
After you’ve taken care of the credibility building portion of your article, you have to draw the reader in and whet their appetite for all this great information. By the way, if you write the action steps and take-home first, this part will be easier because you’ll be so excited about the information you’ll see the benefits of it. And that’s what writing lead paragraphs and headlines are all about: benefits to your readers.

Your final take-home advice
No matter what you do, when you’re writing to an audience, always include an “About the Author” blurb (some call this a sig file, short for the signature file) and a plug for anything new you’re into. To do this, determine what you want the reader to do after he or she is finished reading. Do you want to subscribe to your page? Buy your new e-book? Whatever the benefit to you is, identify it before you write your “About the Author” section. And you can write this at any time because it’s separate from the article and you can use the same “About the Author” blurb for multiple articles. As a matter of fact, you could write one right now.

About the Author

Elena is a small town girl with a big heart, big dreams, and loving life. Military veteran and a professional driver, she loves to give time to others and present information to help everyone to have a different perspective and to be able to make an informed decision for business and life. She loves to empower and encourage others to achieve the impossible. It can be done.