SUGGESTIONS
ON HOW TO WRITE AN ARTICLE
LEARN HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR ARTICLE AND SUCCESSFULLY SHARE YOUR STORIES OR EVENTS WITH OTHERS
INTRODUCTION WHAT IS AN ARTICLE? An article is a piece of writing usually intended for publications in a newspaper, magazine, or journal. In the Eastern Canada District of Key Club, articles are commonly written for our district magazine, the Eastern Canada Key (EC Key). With such a wide audience, ranging from Key Clubbers to Kiwanians and other adults, it is essential to attract their attention and engage them in the content. Read through this guide to find out how to write a proper article and what is necessary for submission to the District Editor or Lieutenant Governors for their publications!
KEY CLUB PUBLICATIONS Whether they be on a divisional, district, or even international level, Key Club publications serve to share important information with members of the organization, as well as share their events with others. They provide the opportunity for clubs to describe a successful service project or fundraiser, which in turn inspire new ideas to serve communities across the world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Before you begin • Where • Who • What • Important information Stylistic elements • Hook • Quotations • Relevance • Third person • Acronyms • Numbers • Dates Before submission
BEFORE YOU BEGIN WHERE Where is the article going to appear? The type of media indicates the style of the article or message. Regardless, there are stylistic elements that are important to include, whether it be a newspaper, magazine, or a post on social media.
WHO Who are the intended readers? This dictates the tone that you use; for publications in our district, it is generally safe to use a semi-formal, without slang or colloquial terms that may be inappropriate with an adult audience. However, if you are writing to your Kiwanis Club or addressing companies for sponsorship for example, please use a more formal tone that conveys professionalism and best represents our organization.
WHAT What is the aim of the article – to inform, suggest, describe, etc.? Make sure that you develop your intent through the information that you share.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION Before writing, collect the following information that is critical to include! • Date and time when the event took place; might indicate to other clubs what time is ideal for the project. If you are writing for the EC Key, please include the date in the first two lines. • Name of writer; give yourself credit! Otherwise, a question mark will be placed beside “Written by:” in the district magazine. • Photographs; extremely important to collect pictures of the event, as it enhances your article. Aim to send at least 2 pictures for the EC Key that include people in action, rather than just posing. • “Key players”; include the names of those who helped make the event possible! Other members that are interested by your project may contact them in turn to inquire about the planning process.
STYLISTIC ELEMENTS HOOK “Hook” your audience right from the start of the article, that will grab their attention and keep them reading! Examples of hooks include a general statement of the event, a quotation, or a dramatic statement. General statement: On Thursday, October 30th, Key Clubbers at Service Key Club […] Quotation: “Music, friends, and a great cause – what more could you ask for?” commented John Smith on the coffeehouse that the Service Key Club […] Dramatic statement: It was a night to remember, as local talents took to the stage.
QUOTATIONS Include quotations from attendees, team members, or even project organizers! Quotes add a personal element to your article and allow you to share the opinions of others. Remember to surround it by quotation marks and place the punctuation within them.
RELEVANCE Any articles submitted to the EC Key must be related to the organization, and not about events that the school organized, without involvement of the Key Club. Also, as the district magazine is quarterly, make sure that your article describes an event that occurred in the appropriate quarter!
THIRD PERSON Do not talk about yourself! As you are writing for a large public audience, your opinions must be separated from the content of the article itself. This way, any bias is filtered out to present the material in an objective manner.
ACRONYMS Write out the full name of the acronym, as it allows the readers to identify the term. If you will refer to it throughout the article, put the acronym in brackets after the first reference. Example: […] maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) […]
STYLISTIC ELEMENTS NUMBERS If you include numbers in your article, write them out unless they are above 1,000. Dates are exceptions to this rule and can be written numerically.
DATES Include the date(s) of the event at the beginning of the article and refrain from using words such as “yesterday”, or “today”, as they become irrelevant when the publication gets published.
BEFORE SUBMISSION PROOFREAD Follow these steps to ensure that your article is grammatically correct and accurate in content! Keep in mind that the District Editor makes the final edits to the articles submitted for the EC Key. 1. After you have finished writing, look over your work and proofread it for grammar mistakes and syntax, allowing your story to flow better. 2. If possible, send it to a friend (preferably a fellow Key Clubber of your home club) to read your article and provide feedback. You might have missed some important information or just a few spelling mistakes. 3. Submit and share the publication with your club once it is released!
EXAMPLES OF ARTICLES To get an idea of what articles are submitted to the district, take a look at our issuu.com account! Search up “ECD Key Club” and view all of the issues of the EC Key to date.
Brought to you by the
COMMUNICATION – AND –
PUBLIC RELATIONS Committee of the Eastern Canada District of Key Club
Don’t forget to send your pictures in!
canadiansofkc@gmail.com
For more information, feel free to contact: CHRISTINA MOICA District Editor editor@keyclub.ca