Tell a story with your magazine article. Have a beginning, a middle and an end. Think about where you are taking your reader and create a logical path to that end point.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Have an arresting beginning. The first thing you need to do is get people to read your article. Find a way to grab them.
Find your angle. Get acquainted with a comfortable angle by trying lots of different types of writing on your chosen subject. The more relaxed you are, the better your quality of work will be, because it will flow more naturally.Research your subject. Once you have a focus, look into that field in great depth. See what is available and topical at the moment, on paper and on the Internet. It will help to know what people are reading and interested in, before you put pen to paper.
Research the paying markets. Have a look at http://www.writersweekly.com I have been a fan of this site for a long time. You will find invaluable, practical advice here and perhaps catch your first glimpse of paying markets.
Also, keep at it! It might take months of hard work before you start to see positive results. Remember, a writer must write something every single day, without fail! It keeps your hand in and makes you look at new angles and ways of self-expression.