My high school journalism teacher stressed the importance of reading between the lines. “Always jump to conclusions.” he told the class. “To do so means you’re thinking beyond the obvious.” I often remember his words when I’m researching for an article or blog post, or when I read something that doesn’t sit right with me.  It’s a reminder not to take things a face value. This doesn’t mean nothing is ever as it seems, but if your gut tells you something warrants further investigation, go with it.

Jump to conclusions and then back up your feelings with facts.

Just because it’s written, doesn’t make it so

May I be blunt? The Internet is cluttered with garbage, mostly because so many writers don’t want or know how to conduct proper research. However, the web isn’t the only problem. Newspapers and magazine feature columns with a one-sided point of view and even supposed journalistic pieces can slant too far to one side. Still, we think because it’s published, it’s Gospel.

Always consider whether the writer has an agenda, and if so, what those motives might be. Does the author have something to sell or something to hide? If you’re thinking there might be more to a subject or situation, dig a little deeper. You never know what you might find.

Go beyond the first couple of Google pages

You know why content is on the first page of Google? Because the authors use the right keywords. A search engine can’t read a blog post and say, “Whoa, doggy…this is one awesome piece of writing! I’m going to stick it right here on the front page so everyone can see it.” Many factors land content on the front page, stellar research isn’t one of them.

Train yourself to move beyond page one. Start from the end and work your way forward. You may not find the most keyword-laded articles, but you might find intriguing content different from the rehashed and rewritten stuff on Google’s top pages.

Ask questions even if it makes people uncomfortable

Googling a topic is only a small way to research a subject. Get on the horn. Fire off an email. Read. Ask questions. If you suspect something isn’t as it seems, rock an interview. If your questions make people squirm, you might be on to something. Remember, people with nothing to hide don’t mind answering questions.

Go ahead, jump to conclusions. It’s essential for writers to be judgemental. Use your instinct as basis for your writing. You may be on to something.

Credit where it’s due: Just got done reading Laura Spencer’s “Writing Thoughts vs. The Five Minute Article Writer.” It has me thinking a lot about article writing and what goes into writing a good article.

Can you write an article in five minutes? Me either. How about 30 minutes? Yes, sometimes. You see, I used to be a wedding writer. I worked for a wedding publication and wrote over 500 articles (over the course of a few years) for a wedding website. Though I know a little about weddings, I’m not an expert. There have been times when I wrote an “off the top of my head 300 word article” in about thirty minutes.

When people ask me if it’s true someone can really write two articles per hour, I say “yes, but it depends.”

It depends on:

• The topic
• The writer’s area of expertise
• The writer’s experience
• The amount of research
• The word count
• If interviews are needed

I can do a quick “how to choose a wedding veil” piece of web content in about 30 minutes. If I was to write about the wedding veil industry or changes in wedding veil trends including prices and designs, as well as interviews with wedding shop owners and wedding veil designers, this would take more of my time.  Writing an in depth piece would most likely take several days to produce.

As I don’t agree with the “Google and rewrite” method of writing, I might take longer than some people to write a good article. If I’m writing a blog post off the top of my head requiring no research, I can get it done in less than 30 minutes.

Talk to me, writers. How long does it REALLY take you to write an article?