User:Bucs/Tips on writing feature content

The main thing I do one here is try to get articles and lists to featured status. I think I'm fairly experienced in doing this so here are a few tips. Understand these are tips not rules.

Do your research

You may think you know everything about the subject, because you have been a fan of it for many years, or because you remember when it was first popular. But there are many less well known things that even the most die hard fan or follower may not know. If the article is about a singer, for example, do you know what they did before they started singing? How did they get into music? what there inspiration was. On top of that, why should people take you word for it?

Research and finding references are two of the most basic things when it comes to writing on here. Pretty much everything you write will need a reference, even if you think it's really obvious. But don't write and then look for the reference, because the reference might not say exactly what you have written. Copy and paste what you find and then re-writing it in your own words is a good method to use, or even find multiple references on the same thing and combine what they to give a more well rounded view to help keep the tone neutral. In doing this you might even find out something you didn't know about your subject.

Think like an idiot

Someone who knows nothing about the subject, and will therefore need everything explaining to them. Wikilinks can help with this but it's also best to provide a brief description at times, of the significants of certain things. Don't use figures of speech, jargon or lingo, even if you think most would understand it. For example "10 years on the throne" might seem obvious to you to mean, they have been king or queen for 10 years, but it could be interpreted to mean that they have literally been sitting on a throne for 10 years. A better phase is "ruled for 10 years".

Don't rush things

The article isn't going to go away. Nor is the chance to get it to featured status. Don't set a date to nominate it no mater what as it might not be ready. If your lazy like me you might want to take a break or even take take a few days off. This is fine, looking at the same article over and over can get to you a stress you out at time so don't force yourself to do anything. It's not like this is your job (unless it is!). Be patient when it come to nominating and don't make it you aim to get it on the main page by a certain time.

Get feedback

The only way to get an article to featured status is for it to have the approval of other users. So the best way to find out how to do this is to see what they want. Leave notes on the talk page of the appropriate wikiprojects and of users that you know have experience in write similar types of articles. Be like I said before be patient when waiting for a reply.

Give it a peer review

Often you will see featured article nominations turn into peer reviews with people giving long lists of problems with the article, this shouldn't happen. If you ask me peer reviews should be mandatory right before you nominate it for featured status. Even if you think the article is ready, there could be problem that you may have missed. Your feeling on what makes a good article may not be the same as the general consensuses.

Do not treat it like one of your children

Have faith in your own writing but be prepared to change things too. Even if you don't agree with what someone else is suggesting, the important thing is not what you think, it's what most people think. However much work you do on an article, it's not your's to keep. This is like wring a book. Another thing people sometimes do it work to make it "look cool" by adding a lot of images, captions or unnecessary information. When it come to images, free use images (ones that have the position of the person who captured it) are fine but fair use images (everything else) should only be used if there is no free use alternative and there use in the article is absolutely necessary. All text should also be absolutely necessary, if it's not get rid of it.

Proof read it

Does it flow? does it sound odd in some places? do you find yourself stopping every now and then and reading some bits again. The order in which information is given is also something to look at, Put the most notable things first. Make sure everything in the lead is mentioned later. Make all the references are entered correctly and embedded in the right place.

Get help

I've already talked about getting feedback but if you can get someone to help you edit the article that's a lot better. It's very hard to get an article to featured status on your own so you will almost certainly need to find another user willing devote some time to the article. Look in the wikiprojects and the articles history for possible users to help you but of course it's no guarantee you will find someone. If the two of you disagree on something discuss it on the talk page rather than getting into an edit war. Once it's nominated the other user can help to address feedback as quickly as possible which will help it to pass because even though I said "don't rush" before, time can be an issue once an article is nominated.

Don't be despondent if it fails

You can nominated it as many times as you like so you should never give up. Look at why it failed, contacted the users who opposed it and ask what they think need to be done, then once you've addressed this go back and ask what they think. As I said before, don't rush into a re-nomination, in fact you should really give it a peer review straight away. Only when you are sure everything from the previous nomination has been addressed should you renominate. Above all don't go crying to Raul if you don't understand why it failed, he's got enough on his plate as it is.

Model it on current featured content

Many featured articles have been written in this way. But this only works if there happens to be already be a featured article or list with a very similar subject to your article. The best way to go about doing this is using a sandbox which can create by typing "User:(your user name)/sandbox" into the search box. Once you've done this copy and paste the article you which to model it on into the sandbox and simply change the info accordingly. This helps to give you an idea of what the basic layout and wording should be, it's also worth looking at the reference list to see this there is anything you can use in your article.