What advice or opinions can a first-time article writer give?

This is an interesting question because trends are changing all the time. Articles are getting shorter and more to the point. The average person no longer has the time or patience to read long articles. What did we just say?

Simple

Essentially, we no longer write papers for public consumption. We write relatively short paragraphs that are easy to digest and pleasing to the eye. As a rule, I avoid paragraphs longer than 2-5 sentences. This challenge is even more acute when reading on a small device, where you’re dealing with endless amounts of text.

Style

The world can no longer seem to read large print - they are distractions, not like contractions. I still insist on pontificating and embellishing my sentences with migraine-inducing anecdote-like alliteration, but that's why I have a 3.75 readership. One of my readers commented on a boring comma and explained 0.75. Jokes aside, most young readers enjoy reading books that are tongue-in-cheek. You shouldn’t put up with people who are easily distracted. I tend to write random stuff on Quora because I'm afraid angry people will come knocking on my desk!

Main Question

Have you ever noticed that people are more likely Answering a question? Often it works better than straight facts. What do you think? I prefer to leave readers with questions because it improves retention.

Of course, you have to provide the reader with facts, but it's more graceful to ask for his or her opinion. Most people won't even notice the problem, but they will notice the content.

Structure

Do you break information into neat chunks? It sounds scary, but we have gotten lazy and read faster. Some might say poor readers, short attention spans, and just looking for something engaging. Let’s take a quick look at the content.

A neat title gives readers an intuitive understanding of the topic. One, interminable, or page-long paragraph would make most people say, "Oh no! That boring material is too much to read. Oh, look! Facebook beeping."

Graphic Elements

Add an eye-catching element or two. Make it relevant, but make sure you have the rights to use the images. If images require attribution, you can attribute them. They don't have to be big, they can be header types or inserted images to break up larger bits of text. Well, look! Beautiful pictures. I think I'll keep reading.

Facts

How much to include depends on the length of the article and the nature of the content. Too much information can make most impatient people’s eyes glaze over. We have become a "less facts are better" society. If you have a lot of boring facts, try listing the worst ones in point style and then focus on the more interesting aspects.

On closing...

I loved my last comment. It's always nice to get one last piece of advice or humor before sending your happy readers off to change the world and save lesser-known pigeon rodents from junk food obesity. What are you going to write today?