12 Keys to Great Magazine Writing

1) Will the story's opening (lead) capture readers' interest, lure them in? Does it connect to the theme? Whatever it's form—anecdote or scene-setting description—the lead should not simple grab attention, it should set up the rest of the piece.

2) Is there a clear statement of what the story is about, that anticipates where it's going? Well-selected and well-organized information in the first paragraphs of any story should clearly indicate the writer's position and the general direction.

3) Demand straightforward language. A magazine article should read like someone telling a story orally, in a conversational tone, using everyday words.

4) Does the story have a point of view? Unlike newspaper reports, magazine stories take sides.

5) Are there holes? What information is missing from the arguments? What questions go unanswered in the uninitiated reader's mind? What added facts would buttress the story's credibility?

6) Or conversely, does the story bog down in ideas or factual details that do not further its theme and that may bore or confuse the reader?

7) Does the story fully exploit all the available human interest and other colour? Are there anecdotes, examples and amusing details to keep it lively?

8) What about logic, clarity, flow? Is the structure easy to follow and understand? Are ideas well set up and well linked? Typically, a story should move smoothly from general principles to particular proofs (anecdotes, statistics, etc.) and back.

9) Does the story proceed at a comfortable pace? It should build to a climax before subsiding (in a longer piece, perhaps repeating that pattern more than once). Does the story propel the reader forward, with active verbs, graceful transitions, teases about what's to come?

10) Paragraphs should focus on a single idea. Introductions of new ideas or changes in direction need strong sentences. Transitions should be clear.

11) Except in profiles, quotes should be brief and to the point. Resist the use of strung-together quotes to tell a story; it most cases it's a lazy, clumsy and boring alternative to the work of actual writing.

12) Does it reach a satisfactory resolution, or does it need a "kicker"—a quote, anecdote, observation—to round things off by revisiting the theme? Or should it look ahead, or end with an ironic twist?