How To: Write an Article About Your Cause

Spread the word about your cause by channeling your inner journalist and writing an article.

1. You can use the internet for research, but make sure to use reliable sources. 
2. You can get great insight by going out and interviewing people who already know about your cause. If you want to write about homelessness, visit a homeless shelter.
3. Go to the library and ask questions about books, old news article archives, film archives, etc. There is a lot of information out there about different issues; you just have to find it.
4. Decide who your audience is. Are you writing for people older, younger, your own age? Choose your words and facts based on your audience.
5. Once you’ve done your research, start writing. Include the facts you’ve gathered. Don’t be shy to mention the scary ones because they tend to be the most effective.
6. Add in the horror stories you heard and your own personal description of what you encountered in your travels. This too makes for catchy writing. And a picture is a great way to engage your reader.
7. Always use spell-check. Spelling mistakes will distract your reader and take away from your point.
8. Make sure that you hook 'em with your first paragraph. People decide whether they're going to pay attention with the first few lines, so make them interesting.
9. A title can sell a book and the same goes for an article so make it something catchy and informative.
10. End your article with a “More Resources” section or a “What you can do to help” paragraph. You want to encourage people to keep investigating and to do something about the problem.
11. When you’re done, think about where you might want to submit your article for publication. Need some ideas? Here’s some:

• Contact your local or school paper
• Look for some magazines or newsletters focused on these issues. Send your article in.
• Better yet, find a website or blog that focuses on the cause and try to post your article here.
• Self publish—i.e., hand out your article around school or at a local sporting event.

Don't have a cause? Check out our 11 Causes section. GO