Tips For Writing Your Feature Articles

Today we looked at how to write a successful article for your double-page spread. Remember, your story should be different from a news article. It should do more than just report a news story; it should give detail, colour and backstory. It can still be informative, but it can also entertain, persuade or evoke emotion. Make sure you know why you are writing the article before you begin drafting, and always keep your target audience in mind.

Headlines should be punchy and attention-grabbing. Consider using puns/plays on words, alliteration, exclamations or quotes from your interview.

Your lead paragraph is the most important. It should reel your reader in and get them interested. You can use vivid description, rhetorical questions, bold statements and quotations. Make it interesting.

The body of the article needs to continue in the same vein and keep with the tone you set up in your lead. Keep any promises you made and answer any questions you posed in the beginning of your article.

Your conclusion should be the kicker at the end. You should not only tie up the article, but drive home your point so your readers walk away remembering the article. Use a punch line or a circular device to round it off.

Other points to remember:

• Focus on human interest.
• Write in active voice.
• Interview your subject and integrate quotes into your article.
• Complete wider research so that you can confidently write about your subject.
• Don't rely on the spell-checker and make sure it is set to UK English.
• Leave it a few days after writing to go back and check your work. That way you will have fresh eyes and you can spot your own mistakes.
• Keep your paragraphs short and sweet. Remember features are in columns and paragraphs are often only 2 or 3 sentences long.
• Maintain tense. If you start writing in past tense, keep doing it for the whole article.

Have a look at the following examples of features to help get you going:

http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/surrogate-mothers-india

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30616713@N02/3062675063/

http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/media/articles/q0.php

Have fun. Be creative.

Homework Due Week Beginning 17th October

Now you have all experimented with using a range of camera angles and shot types, lighting, poses and locations, you are ready to do it for real. Your homework for this week is to take a series of photos that you can use for your cover and double-page spread for your preliminary task. This should be done and uploaded onto your blog by next Friday, 21st October.

You will also need to write and upload a finished draft of your feature article onto your blog in time for next Friday's lesson.

Finally, the analysis and discussion of your "dummy run" photos from today's lesson is to be complete and uploaded on your blog in time for next Friday's lesson.

Homework Due Week Beginning 10th October

Hi guys,

This week's homework is to complete research for your preliminary task by arranging a focus group to get some feedback on your planning and design ideas.

Mock up some mastheads with your shortlist of fonts and your ideas for the magazine titles. Do up some colour schemes and print them out in colour. Finally, write headlines, lead paragraphs and a brief outline of the articles you are thinking of using for your double page spread. Show these all to your focus group and ask them which they prefer and get some general feedback on your ideas.

Take notes and upload a summary of how your focus group went onto your blog. Don't forget to upload the images of the colour schemes and fonts, along with the article summaries.

This will be due in your first lesson next week (12C that's your Tuesday lesson, 12A that's your Thursday lesson).

Good luck.