How to Rewrite an Article and Make It Look Original
When rewriting an article, you don’t just paraphrase each sentence and run it in a copy checker to cover up any trace of plagiarism. That’s not how it should be done. Master the art of rewriting if you want to spread the word hot off the press.
Tips and tricks in rewriting an article
1. Don’t stick to just one article as the source of information. Use at least two sources of information so your rewrites won’t appear derivative. Remember that good research is the backbone of a more focused and well-written content.
2. Make yourself an outline. Read through the article(s) and get the most important information that readers would love to know about the topic. Copy-paste parts of the original article, or make notes about the details. Arrange them in a way you want to present them to readers, be it in logical or chronological order. Just make sure that every part will be tied in a cohesive way.
3. Create a catchy headline for the article. Keep it short but ‘sweet,’ and make sure that you insert the main keyword here. A headline that guides readers to what they’re about to get or find out in your article is always a good start.
4. Keep your intro interesting. This is perhaps one of the biggest challenge as most readers would give this part a quick read. If they don’t find it appealing, they move on to other sources of information. The beginning of your article shouldn’t be too long. Two to three senteces will do, as long as they command attention. You don’t have to follow the same structure of the original article. Just get the juiciest details and present it on your own creative way.
5. Make the body of the article the meatiest part. If your intro is a teaser, then the body should give readers the full view. Get straight to the facts. Make sure that they’re presented in a way readers would easily understand them. If it’s a blog, all the more that you should write in a more conversational tone. Online writing experts prefer writing in plain English, given the limited attention span of online readers. This also works well for copywriting.
6. Wrap it up with a call to action. You can summarize the most important points or leave a note to persuade readers.
Secrets to giving the article a fresh look
So your article won’t look sub-standard next to the original piece, give it a fresh look. Make it easier for your readers to understand bits of information that they need to know. Get them hooked from beginning till end, the way an essay does when it’s written persuasively. There are more than a few ways to do this.
* Use subheadings as warning posts to readers. Divide the article into different sections to make it look original and more focused, and not another derivative content.
* Make your own list, and use bullet points for this. If the original article has the same list, make sure that the ideas come in a different order.
* Create steps to serve as your readers’ guide.
* Use the active voice as much as you could.
* Consult a thesaurus for synonyms, alternative words and expressions.
* Adopt a reader-friendly tone.
* Use analogies and examples for descriptions and definitions.
Edit your article for similarity in content, grammar and syntax errors, and reader friendliness.
Related questions:
1. How can you avoid derivative writing?
2. How do you edit for content similarity?
3. When is the passive voice more preferable?