How to Write the First Paragraph
Although I have included this first, because it occurs next in the article, if you are just getting started, it might be easier to write the body of your article first, and then write the first paragraph afterwards. This allows you to 'cheat' by alluding to the points in the body of your article. Then you can add an introductory sentence, create a transition line into the main points, and you are done.
But if you write it first, you can write it like this:
Recent sources:
Write 1-3 sentences introducing your idea.
For example, in keeping with the deep sea fishing equipment topic, my introduction sentences might look like this:
Deep sea fishing, although lots of fun, and generally safe when done correctly, can be fraught with danger when the equipment used is not correctly inspected. It is important to have your deep sea fishing equipment inspected regularly.
Next, I might list the things that the equipment needs to be checked for. After that, I will include something like this:
Here are the steps you need to take to make sure that your deep sea fishing equipment is in safe condition before you leave the dock:
How to Write the Body of the Article
In the body of my article, I am going to address each of the main points that I alluded to in the introduction. If you are writing the body first, pick 3-4 main ideas that the reader can benefit from knowing, that are directly related to your chosen article title or topic.
You can either write a paragraph for each one, or list each idea in a bulleted or 1,2,3 fashion.
One note on making your article keyword rich: Although I am not a big proponent of spending a lot of time keyword optimizing articles, one thing that is easy and helps with keyword density without making the article stiff is to begin each point with the keyword or keyword phrase.
For example,
1) To keep deep sea fishing equipment safe,.....
2) To inspect deep sea fishing equipment....
3) To maintain deep sea fishing equipment....
In this way you are using the keyword phrase without making the article unwieldy or unnatural.