Writing isn’t an easy job when you are trying to master the craft. It takes a lot of hard work and understanding the process to make a great and entertaining article. The word article may be a little bit misleading, indicating that it is just a report with some facts written along with a hint of the writer’s style. In reality, it is more than that and a lot more varied. One such is feature article and this article will detail what is in a feature article.
We will also be listing the structure of a feature article, which makes it different from news articles and how to write a great feature article. There are some important components in a feature artifice that writers often miss. It doesn’t mean they neglect it completely. They inadvertently put these components. But once you know it definitely, your articles will shine. Let’s get into it.
What’s a feature article?
In the most barebones form that feature articles can be explained, it is writing about any subject that people would want to read about. A feature article (which features a subject) can have a person, place, practice, event, etc as the subject. Anything that can be written with ample information about it can become a feature article.
Feature articles are informative articles that are not necessarily restricted to time or place. This means that you are not mandated to write about something recent or about the place you live in. Feature articles require a lot of in-depth research, proper construction, pacing, images, and a definite perspective to make it successful. This is generally what is in a feature article. So what’s the other type of article that’s very common? It is a news article.
Difference between News article and Feature article.
What about news articles? What makes them different? The content of the article makes these two distinctions. While the feature article was information-driven, news articles are events-driven. This doesn’t mean there is no information in the news article. This just means that the current events and reporting these events are the top priority, with the information coming is parts and not at once.
The other difference between news articles and feature articles is the structure. Feature articles tend to deliver information in a short and impulsive way. Too much information crammed in one paragraph and the reader loses interest. This is the opposite of news articles. A good news article is one where you can get most of the information at once. And this is what most writers don’t do.
The news article has only a few lines worth of information that people want to read. But writers have to give some length to their articles. Hence what you get most of the time are fillers that come with the news. It is usually two paragraphs that tease the actual news and then you get to the main part. This is also the reason why there is a pandemic of clickbait headlines just to get the readers to click on it. Every news article reports the same thing. So they try to attract readers by clickbait.
The structure for news articles are not that rigid, yes you need to follow some guidelines to write a good news article, in the end, it is the news that matters. The structure for a feature article and what is in a feature article matters equally. It is important to follow these structural guidelines to make sure the article you write is interesting to read. Let’s look at the structure of an article.
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What is in an article – The structure
The structure of the article dictates how the information of the article must be delivered. The parts that divide your feature article are;
- Headline
- First paragraph
- Second paragraph
- Third paragraph (the body)
- Conclusion
The first and second paragraph does not mean the arbitrary paragraphs of any written work. These paragraphs and their position dictate how and what information must be given. So let’s see what is a feature article.
Headline – This part of the feature article is as important as the article itself. This is your article’s pitch to the audience. You have to summarize the best part of the article in just two sentences and let the people know why they should click on the article and why is it worth their time. Make sure you have a great, non-misleading headline that shows why your article is worth reading.
The first paragraph – This is the part of the feature article which must be short, compact, and should touch on all the important topics that the later part of the article will address. This is great of letting people know in brief details what they’ll be getting and why they should keep reading.
A huge thing to avoid is not asking or introducing topics that will never be detailed about or will be only of just one or two sentences. This means you say that there is a very interesting thing that will be discussed later but all you have done is written two sentences about it. Do not mention it if the information about it is very low.
Also avoid giving too much information about anything in the first article. That can scare the readers away. You want to keep it light and interesting, kind of like a hook. It latches on to the readers and keeps them hooked.
Second Paragraph – This is the exploratory part of the feature article. Here you pick two or three most important topics of the article and then elaborate on it, but not too much. If the first paragraph was about introducing the topics, the second paragraph is introducing your style of writing and delivering information. This is where you impress the readers with your style and capture their interest.
So put your style in it, make the information you give interesting to read. If the headline was the name of the movie and the first paragraph was the teaser for it, the second paragraph is the trailer of the movie. Give them more information along with your input. Once the reader has read past the second paragraph, they’re most likely to read the entire thing (unless you wreck the later part of the article)
The Third paragraph – This is where the body of your feature article starts. This is the entire movie and this is where you give all the detailed information, your writing style, everything. It is advised to keep the length of each paragraph after the third to under 300 words. Too much text in one place is jarring. Always try to keep the sentences uncluttered and easy to read. Whenever you start a new paragraph, remember to begin a new topic. Each paragraph must end with the complete dissemination of information about the topic.
Try not to use too much information at one time. Mix it with humor, your style, with analogies that can make the reader understand it well. Adding relevant quotes is also a great practice to make your article more interesting. Make sure to make the article fun to read and as detailed as possible. This will not only make your readers feel content but the next time you post another article, they are going to flock back to you.
Recommended word count for each section of a feature article.
This is how many words you can stuff in a paragraph.
- Headline – Not more than 20 words
- First paragraph – 100-150 words
- Second paragraph – 150 – 200 words
- Third paragraph – 200 – 300 words
Your view in a feature article
If you write an article about something, there is a good amount of chance that someone has already written about it. Anything interesting enough for people to read about has already been written. So should you look for a topic that has never been written about? No. All you have to do is give the readers your eyes. Don’t book your appointment with a surgeon, hear me out.
Giving the readers your eyes means let them see how you are seeing the subject. Give your views and what you think about the subject. The information will be the same, no matter how detailed your research it, but how you present it makes the difference. This is what will make your article stand out and attract readers. It is your story, your creation, make it as special and as interesting as you can. This is how you can make a great feature article.
Types of feature article
You can write a feature article about anything. It can be about a person, an event, a company, a concept, an art, religion, culture, anything. Anything that people would like to read about, you can write about it. Some examples of feature articles historic, nature, profile, science, political, etc.
Feature articles can also vary in tone and wording. Some can be very casual and humorous while some can be serious and formal. It depends on the publication that is publishing the article. The tone also depends on the subject. If you are writing about a historic genocide, you cannot put jokes and humor elements. That would be very insensitive.
Conclusion
Everything that starts must have an end. The same goes for a feature article. You need not put a specific section that says conclusion to end your article. But you must dedicate one paragraph that ties all the loose ends and completes the circle. Make sure that you answer all the questions you have introduced in the first place. A great ending is important as it leaves a good taste in the reader’s mind. Yes, taste. This is the conclusion of this article. Sweet sweet.
