Writing a First Article
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I've been a long time reader of the site, and I've been thinking about posting my first article soon. In short, I've been writing a library for basic linear algebra operations. Essentially, I've thrown in most of the applications that you'd see in a good introductory college linear algebra course (guess which class I'd just taken when I started this). Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone here had any particular suggestions to share with a first time submitter.
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I've been a long time reader of the site, and I've been thinking about posting my first article soon. In short, I've been writing a library for basic linear algebra operations. Essentially, I've thrown in most of the applications that you'd see in a good introductory college linear algebra course (guess which class I'd just taken when I started this). Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone here had any particular suggestions to share with a first time submitter.
Write the article. Put it away for a couple of days. Reread it and then make changes as appropriate. Next, choose a writing style and stick with it throughout the article. Don't jump between first and third person. Keep it friendly and accessible - and don't sweat it if you get any low votes. If your article is any good then the low votes will be balanced out by higher votes. Finally, write the article for yourself first and foremost. Write the article that YOU would like to read. Finally, read this[^] article by Marc Clifton. He pretty much wrote the rulebook on what constitutes good articles.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
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I've been a long time reader of the site, and I've been thinking about posting my first article soon. In short, I've been writing a library for basic linear algebra operations. Essentially, I've thrown in most of the applications that you'd see in a good introductory college linear algebra course (guess which class I'd just taken when I started this). Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone here had any particular suggestions to share with a first time submitter.
The tips Pete provided are all excellent for any article writer. I would also add that small beginnings can sometimes be best. I made the "mistake" of making my Implementing IDisposable and the Dispose Pattern Properly[^] article the first one I wrote. While it ended up being well received, it took a long time to write and was definately a challenge for my first article. The best advice I could give would be to make sure that the code samples in the article supplement the content, not the other way around. The articles that are mostly code with little to no explanation generally aren't well received. Also, don't be afraid to have people (even people that aren't technical) read the article as proof-readers, I usually sit on an article for a day or two after I finish it, then re-read it to make sure it still makes sense before I post it...but even then there are times that I've found (or had pointed out) formatting or grammar issues. The nice thing, is that it's pretty easy to update an article (even once it moves out of the "unedited" section).
Scott.
—In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday. [Forum Guidelines] [Articles] [Blog]
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The tips Pete provided are all excellent for any article writer. I would also add that small beginnings can sometimes be best. I made the "mistake" of making my Implementing IDisposable and the Dispose Pattern Properly[^] article the first one I wrote. While it ended up being well received, it took a long time to write and was definately a challenge for my first article. The best advice I could give would be to make sure that the code samples in the article supplement the content, not the other way around. The articles that are mostly code with little to no explanation generally aren't well received. Also, don't be afraid to have people (even people that aren't technical) read the article as proof-readers, I usually sit on an article for a day or two after I finish it, then re-read it to make sure it still makes sense before I post it...but even then there are times that I've found (or had pointed out) formatting or grammar issues. The nice thing, is that it's pretty easy to update an article (even once it moves out of the "unedited" section).
Scott.
—In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday. [Forum Guidelines] [Articles] [Blog]
After I think I've finished an article, I wait a couple days, then print it out, get away from the computer, and read over the print version. For some reason, the change from screen to paper helps me see things like awkward wording.
--Mike-- Visual C++ MVP :cool: LINKS~! Ericahist | PimpFish | CP SearchBar v3.0 | C++ Forum FAQ "That's what's great about doing user interface work. No matter what you do, people will say that what you did was idiotic." -- Raymond Chen