Once you have all your research done and are mentally and emotionally prepared to have your work (and very existence) attacked by an angry readership, it's time to put pen to paper, so to speak (protip: don't actually use a pen and paper to write your video game list).
Lay out your examples in an order pleasing to your own tastes, or get a little crafty to spark controversy: Include an oddball in the mix, or purposely rank the obvious favorite worse than even you believe it deserves. If you're feeling especially daring, bar the favorite from the list altogether. It's also fun to see what happens when a Nintendo game isn't #1 on a "Top 25 Best Video Games of All Time" list.
Once you've compiled the list, your work is essentially finished. After your editor does a little nip and tuck (and potentially cuts some racy comments because they might offend women -- as if women read video game articles, or can even read!), it's just a matter of waiting for the list to get published and preparing for the inevitable backlash.
Step #7: Dealing With the Peanut Gallery
You might assume that a harmless little list on the best looking grass in video games would entertain and spark a friendly debate among readers eager to share their own favorites. You will learn hard and you will learn fast how wrong you are: Expect long, rambling, insult-laden diatribes, no matter the subject. Just like Rule 34, this is guaranteed.
Don't be surprised to read something alone the lines of: "The author clearly doesn't know what he's talking about, since he put the grass from Far Cry 2 before Enslaved. I sincerely hope the site fires this hack and that he catches an STD from all the fatties he no doubt bangs. I also have it on good authority he's adopted." You need to learn how to deal with that jackass who calls you out by your name while hiding behind the pseudonym AndrewRyansMustacheRide.
One way is to kill them with kindness. Instead of countering playground name-calling with the same, simply post: "Thanks for reading, and I appreciate the feedback. I will definitely keep in mind how I'm a 'clueless moron who deserves to be kicked in the groin repeatedly' the next time I work on an article."
Or, you could just fight fire with fire and get into a lengthy flame war. But no one wins those, especially you: Pay-by-the-word rates don't include post-article comments.
Lastly, a nice bit of self-denigration is perhaps the most risky reply style. When MarioMan87 calls your list "garbage," quip that you did come up with it while taking out the trash. This could backfire, since you run the risk of sounding snobby -- so keep it short and sweet. Get too passive aggressive or defensive, and you're a bloody limb in shark-infested waters.
Step #8: Doing It All Over Again
Your article is live, it's getting a fair deal of traffic, and the comments are abuzz with baseless claims about your sexuality. Success! But don't get comfortable; there's always another list to write, and always another previously tackled topic to recycle. Get cracking!
When he's not experiencing terrifying retail flashbacks or attending Gamblers Anonymous for an addiction to Call of Duty: Black Ops Wager Matches, Justin Massoud also writes for Asylum.