Current Issue

After doing my research, I gather all the facts and details I want to include in an outline. Next, I decide the most exciting or interesting fact I want readers to know. If that fact will also be new news to readers, it usually ends up being the main idea. If I’m stuck, I ask myself: What is the main reason I am writing the article? For me, the answer to that question is always the main idea.

It's easy to get distracted by a new or interesting idea as you write. Create an outline, which is one way to organize facts and details that you want to include in your story. An outline will force you to think about the main points you're going to be making. Then you can check your writing against your outline to make sure each sentence or paragraph you write relates to or supports your main idea.

It is difficult to find the right facts to support a topic. For example, if I was writing about Laura Bush and how she supports literacy in America, I would want to find facts about her life that have to do with literacy. So I would tell about how Laura Bush sponsored fundraisers to get more money for libraries. I wouldn’t include facts about how she supports women’s health issues.