A feature article is a special-interest piece that often has a story line and is a lot longer than a hard news story on the same topic. It usually includes background research, descriptions, quotations and personal interviews. This makes it much more entertaining to read than a hard news story, but it’s not for everyone as it can be quite lengthy.
When writing a feature article, it’s important to use persuasive language features such as emotive language, statistics, rhetorical questions, facts, quotes and direct address to engage the reader and make your point relatable. You also need to anticipate any counterarguments that people may have and discuss these points in your writing.
To get started, start by selecting a topic that you’d like to write about. You can then brainstorm ideas and find out more about it. This will help you decide what your stance is on the topic. It will also give you some ideas for what kind of information to include in your feature article.
Next, choose an interesting angle for your article. This can be anything from a heartwarming story to a shocking fact. It should be a facet of your topic that is often overlooked and hasn’t been previously known about.
Try to come up with a headline for your feature article that is catchy and attention-grabbing. This is a great way to entice the reader and will make them more likely to read your article.
Your headline should have a strong ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ question that outlines the important points of your article. This will help your article stand out and make it more informative and credible.
A good way to achieve this is by using’show, don’t tell’ techniques. This is a common technique in English teaching and is used to help students learn how to describe something in an interesting way, rather than simply telling it. It’s an easy technique to use, and will help your readers understand the key points of your article.
Once you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to begin researching your article. This will help you determine which viewpoints are most interesting and give you some strong evidence to support your opinion.
If you’re interested in a particular topic and want to learn more about it, there are many online sources where you can find information. However, it’s always a good idea to check the credibility of any information you find. This can help you to avoid bias and ensure that your article is unbiased.
You should also look for articles from experts and other writers who have written about the subject you’re researching. This will help you to understand the subject better and can be a great source of inspiration for your own writing.
Conclusions are another vital part of your feature article, as they summarise what you’ve said and inspire the reader to take action. Remember to end your article with a call to action, such as encouraging the reader to contact you for more information or taking steps to support the issue.
