Thanks a lot!
(sorry for the terrible examples.... haha.)
Thanks for taking the time for writing that, it has helped me a lotI'm not exactly an expert in this sort of area, but I'll try my best....
First off, you need to develop your thesis. Once you have established that, you will know where your article is heading.
You need a catchy heading as well; something thats short and stimulating for the reader. For example, a pun, such as, "Earth Wars: The Forest Strikes Back" < - a play on the title "Star Wars: The Emperor Strikes Back"
Have a small paragraph of a sentence or two below the heading that explains what the article is about.... doesn't need to be detailed or anything, just an intro that is captivating and informing of the purpose.
There needs to be a byline showing the authors name of the article placed before the first paragraph or it could be within the small paragraph. For example, "Ever since the cutting down of trees within Australian rain forests, many have protested against the government that they end the degrading of nature. Mary Wilber (The author's name) has joined the combat against tree loggers, reporting on the processes that aim to stop...."
Basically, paragraphs are used in articles.... so keep paragraphs short, factual and about 1-3 sentences. But remember, a feature article is different from an newspaper article which are more objective in nature, so add some subjectivity in it to intrigue the reader.
From what I've heard, paragraphs are placed from most important facts in the beginning to less important toward the end.... I don't know if this applies for feature articles though
A great way to start the article is through an anecdote, a story--just makes sure its a strong beginning that can engage the reader. It can start something like this, "When I was young, my mother said "Remeber to look after the trees...."
Language needs to be formal and factual, but since it's a feature article, you are allowed to incorporate some subjectivity into it. So write like this, "The Greens state, "We must protect out forests". But how can we when there is a billion dollar industry more powerful? Groups such as Green Peace are on the issue right at this moment...." lol
Quotes, quotes, QUOTES! Remember that these are crucial elements of an article. Use quotes that link to the purpose and makes the reader feel as if the one saying the quote is actually conversing with the reader
You must reinforce your ideas throughout, making sure the purpose/thesis is echoed....
I recently just did an Assessment task on Module C: History and Memory and I will give you a little secret:
If you write an essay first, then it will be easier to transfer it into a feature article. But I think this is only necessary if your doing a feature article exploring the techniques that are used within texts. You can try this if you like
Primarily, feature articles are quite easy--it's just the way the content is written that is difficult. What I have just written is the jist of what really should go in an article. You should try an look at the Sydney Morning Herald: Good Weekend magazine.... they have perfect examples of feature articles.
If you need any help, just PM me and I'll try my best.
Peace,
Sam.
But I can't help but write a more essay-like text than a feature article. I just can't understand how to analyse techniques in a colloquial manner :/