writersedit.com
Belle Savage
Like other articles, the feature has a basic structure. The shape depends on the style of your magazine varies but most feature articles have three acts, just like a story or an essay. It has a headline, an introduction; forming as one, then a main body and a conclusion.
Structure is very important when telling a story, especially for a feature article, it is what holds the piece together clearly. Without structure, the article will fall apart and the readers will become confused and disinterested. As writer, Robert Frost said, “if there is no tears in the writer, no tears in the reader; there is no surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
To clarify the structure, we'll break it down in more detail.
Probably one of the important tasks of writing a feature article for a magazine is coming up with an effective headline. This is a short and simple line that grabs the reader’s attention and convinces them to read the piece. A headline means to highlight the central idea of the article in a catchy, clever way.
The editor of the magazine always has the final say in what the headline says, though the writer comes up with a number of options for the editor to choose from.
Think of this as a preview to the rest of your feature article. It 'introduces' the ideas you're about to explore and as a general rule, is about 10% of the overall word count. The introduction draws the reader in from the headline and provokes their interest by injecting a good dose of intrigue and speculation.
With the introduction the reader makes a conscious decision on what side of the story they believe in or whether it’s interesting enough to keep reading. The introduction needs to be compelling enough that it is seen at a publishable standard. Make the editor think it's worthy; sell it to them so they can sell it to the reader. Not only does it create the article’s tone it also establishes a relationship between the reader and the writer.
This is where all the details of who, what, why and how are revealed. It is the explanation and the proof. Include all your facts, statistics, and quotes to support your argument. This is where all your hard-earned work pays off by resulting in a compelling and accurate piece. Depending on the publication, some magazines require their writers to supply original images or photographs as well.
A conclusion is the final statement that brings together all your ideas and evidence. Conclusions need to be strong, concise and thought-provoking, inviting the reader’s opinion. The writer, the editor and the publisher don't want the conversation to end at the full-stop of the feature article. The best feature articles encourage the continuation of debate on social media platforms, comment pages and discussion forums.
Belle Savage
The Mean Old Structure:
Like other articles, the feature has a basic structure. The shape depends on the style of your magazine varies but most feature articles have three acts, just like a story or an essay. It has a headline, an introduction; forming as one, then a main body and a conclusion.
Structure is very important when telling a story, especially for a feature article, it is what holds the piece together clearly. Without structure, the article will fall apart and the readers will become confused and disinterested. As writer, Robert Frost said, “if there is no tears in the writer, no tears in the reader; there is no surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
To clarify the structure, we'll break it down in more detail.
Cheers to the Headline:
Probably one of the important tasks of writing a feature article for a magazine is coming up with an effective headline. This is a short and simple line that grabs the reader’s attention and convinces them to read the piece. A headline means to highlight the central idea of the article in a catchy, clever way.
The editor of the magazine always has the final say in what the headline says, though the writer comes up with a number of options for the editor to choose from.
Hello, Introduction:
Think of this as a preview to the rest of your feature article. It 'introduces' the ideas you're about to explore and as a general rule, is about 10% of the overall word count. The introduction draws the reader in from the headline and provokes their interest by injecting a good dose of intrigue and speculation.
With the introduction the reader makes a conscious decision on what side of the story they believe in or whether it’s interesting enough to keep reading. The introduction needs to be compelling enough that it is seen at a publishable standard. Make the editor think it's worthy; sell it to them so they can sell it to the reader. Not only does it create the article’s tone it also establishes a relationship between the reader and the writer.
Main Body Magnetism:
This is where all the details of who, what, why and how are revealed. It is the explanation and the proof. Include all your facts, statistics, and quotes to support your argument. This is where all your hard-earned work pays off by resulting in a compelling and accurate piece. Depending on the publication, some magazines require their writers to supply original images or photographs as well.
The Finishing Touch:
A conclusion is the final statement that brings together all your ideas and evidence. Conclusions need to be strong, concise and thought-provoking, inviting the reader’s opinion. The writer, the editor and the publisher don't want the conversation to end at the full-stop of the feature article. The best feature articles encourage the continuation of debate on social media platforms, comment pages and discussion forums.
