You can write a how-to article!

After reading my previous blog about how-to articles, in which I lamented that I had no skills or knowledge to pass along to other people, my husband encouraged me to write a how-to article anyway. He said there are probably lots of people out there who know even less than I do. No, actually what he said was "You know how to do lots of things," although when pressed for specifics, he merely said, "You'll think of something." My husband has great faith in me, but he never says why.

But luckily for me, it turns out that you really don't need to know much of anything about a subject to write a how-to article about it. This startling news comes from something I read on the Web that tells you -- step by step, just like a real how-to article -- how to write a how-to. According to this source, which I am not at liberty to reveal, with the proliferation of the Internet one can learn about anything one does not have actual knowledge of, and become an instant expert.

So, bolstered by that encouragement, I did some more research on writing a how-to article and have now become an expert on it. The fact that this is my very first one in no way diminishes my expertness. So I am now going to lay out the process of writing such an article and, in keeping with good instructional techniques, illustrate the process with some actual how-to knowledge. Please keep in mind, however, that results may vary, and I am not liable for any mishaps that may occur as a result of readers following my advice.

Step 1 in writing a how-to article is to choose a topic and then write a title that will "hook" readers. Though this sounds painful, it is really nothing to worry about, unless you are a fish. As I mentioned, you don't necessarily have to have firsthand knowledge about the topic you choose. (The article I mentioned above assured would-be how-to writers that "If you don't know how to do it, don't despair.") Despite these instructions, I did despair when I considered writing about something I know nothing about, because it would take too much work to learn about it and write about how to do it. Therefore, I have chosen a topic with which I am very familiar, having practiced this particular skill since early childhood. My topic, for the purpose of illustrating how to write a how-to article, is:

HOW TO PROCRASTINATE

Now, a word about the title of your article. The writing guidelines suggest, surprisingly enough, starting your title with "How to." Though this might seem obvious, you do not want to mislead your readers into thinking, for instance, that you are going to tell them how great Tahiti is. Be clear that this article is going to tell them how to do something. If they are not in the mood for being told how to do something, they can quickly pass over your article to something more interesting, such as what to wear in Tahiti.

But wait! You do not want your readers to pass over your article. This is why constructing a "killer title" is so important. And tomorrow, or as soon as I feel in the mood to continue this lesson, we will learn how to do this.