Studio Blog
As 2009 comes to a close, we asked the editorial team to tell us which of your articles and videos from the past year inspired them.
Whenever I need to research a particular topic, I always turn to DS content first. Why? Because I know I’ll find well-researched, evergreen information that I can use. To me, the definition of great content is changing the way your reader lives or thinks about a particular subject. That's why my favorite articles of 2009 are articles that influenced my life in some way, no matter how small.
Who Wrote It: Shelly McRae
What I Like About It: As I watered my humble herb garden last week, I noticed my Italian parsley wilting. A recent cold front had swept through southern California, so I assumed that could be the problem. But what if my parsely’s getting too much sun? Too little fertilizer? I felt my thumb turning black at a rapid pace.
That’s when I happened across this article. Shelly told me exactly how much sun, water and fertilizer my Italian parsley needs. Not only that, she did it with seamless transitions and clean organization. But the most brilliant thing about this article? I learned facts I wasn’t looking for. Shelly explained how I should harvest my parsley, a process that hadn’t even crossed my mind.
How You Can Copy It: The little nuggets of information in Shelly’s article fall under what people in my home state call “lagniappe” – a little something extra. When you write an article, think about small bits of information that make your reader say, “Huh, well I didn’t know that.” No matter how minor it may seem, that little extra bit of info readers can’t find anywhere else makes your article stand out over any others. It also earns your audience’s trust.
Who Wrote It: Jan DeVille
What I Like About It: This is another perfect example of learning information I didn’t know I needed. I actually found this article while searching for a good marinade. It immediately grabbed my attention and stopped my wandering Google search in its tracks. Just check out this lede:
“Anyone can cook a steak, but not everyone can cook a steak well.”
Now I know I can cook a steak. But am I cooking the best possible steak? Not only did Jan lead me through all possible steps, she made me want to try all the cooking methods I’d never tried before.
How You Can Copy It: Foster curiosity. Just like Shelly did in her article, Jan grabbed my attention and showed me multiple “Aha!” moments. Always look underneath the surface of a seemingly simple step and think hard about what can make this bit of information unique. Jan didn’t just say, “Searing is done in a pan.” Jan wrote things like, “Searing is done in a pan, and the best type of pan to use is a cast-iron skillet. However, aluminum or stainless steel can be used in a pinch.”
