Writing an article for VMR Journal (VMRJ) is not as difficult or as much of a chore as you might think. Here are some guidelines and suggestions.

Get started

Pick a topic you are familiar with and enjoy telling your friends and fellow enthusiasts about. Keep the scope limited. You’ll find you have more to say than you first thought.

Think about the topic. What is it that you find interesting? In what way are you involved?

Think inwards. Think about the way you are involved, what exactly you do, how you do it, where you have found help or inspiration, what tricks you have learned, what tips you can pass on, and so forth. This is a very important part of preparing to write an article because it is so much about your personal involvement. This is where your article becomes unique. Don’t be too quick to dismiss something as “common knowledge” or “obvious.”

Think outwards. Think about related topics and what connection they have to your topic. Do you see future changes in store or the need for future changes related to your topic?

Make an outline

As you think about your topic you will find it difficult too keep everything in your head. Jot down the points you want to cover. Keep a pad of paper, or a notebook, and a pen or pencil handy so you can add to the list.

Gradually you will see some topics are naturally subsets of other topics. Begin to gather your topics into groups. From there, develop an outline.

Fill in the outline

Once you have an outline, all you need to do is flesh it out with sentences and paragraphs.

If you have difficulty working from an outline –- I’ve been there –- just keep the outline handy as a reminder of what you want to cover. Then write your article as though you were explaining your topic to a friend or fellow enthusiast. When you are finished, go back and check your article against the outline to make sure you have covered the points you had intended to cover. Make any changes you think are necessary.

Other considerations

While you’re writing, consider your audience. Some readers will be beginners; others will be experienced. If your topic assumes prior knowledge, note that near the start of the article and mention sources the reader may wish to consult in order to get up to speed.

Think also about clarity. Test your explanation on a friend. If you write a procedure, check it carefully, verifying each step as you go. If a diagram or illustration would help, and you don’t feel comfortable creating one, let us know. We can help.

The role of the editor

We edit all articles before publishing them. Editing is a part of the writing/publishing process. Every writer should expect to be edited. A good editor is a writer’s best friend. Take it from me. I value the second set of eyes and critical review that an editor affords. I can always object if I disagree.

Submit you're article

Submit your article in Word or RTF or ASCII format. Submit pictures (photos, screenshots, etc.) in JPEG format. Submit diagrams and line art in GIF format. If possible, put all your files into a single zip file and email it abart@vmrj.com.

Compensation

VMRJ publishes to the Internet free of charge. As such, VMRJ cannot at the present time offer compensation other than free exposure for your work. You retain all rights to your work and are free to republish it elsewhere.

Suggested topics

• A project you are working on or have completed
• Why VMR is interesting to you
• What you like to do with VMR
• Review a model or route or software utility

If you are uncertain about whether or not a topic is useful to us, email us.

Al

©2004 Alfred Barten. All rights reserved.