A good magazine writer will be able to discern the different types of magazine articles. Each type serves a specific purpose and appeals to a specific audience. For any given hobby, vocation, or interest there is a corresponding magazine. For example, there are magazines for pet lovers, military history buffs, and even backyard astronomers.
A service piece presents tips, advice, and opinion essays about issues that concern its readers and helps them decide how to take action. A service piece teaches the reader how to do, deal with, or where to find something. Examples of service pieces include articles about traveling on a budget, how to decorate for a party, or tips on fashion and budgets. In other words, service pieces advise readers as to how to solve problems, which can range in variety from humor to think pieces.
A profile is a written portrait of a celebrity or an inspirational person who is involved in the subject of a magazine. Typically, a staff writer will interview the person in the profile to gather facts and record interesting quotes. The profile will have engaging photographs to show the personality of the subject. A good example of a profile is an article that highlights the activities and character of the First Lady of the United States.
An investigative article exposes political wrongdoing, corporate corruption, and dereliction of public duty. To expose these kinds of stories, investigative journalists often take months or years to uncover hidden facts and interview eyewitnesses. Often, stories of corruption or malfeasance require undercover techniques.
A personal essay relates a significant personal experience, helping the reader make an empathetic connection to a real event. Writers often share personal experiences in order to make a point that reveals a universal theme. A good example of a personal essay is a reflection about returning to one's roots or to one's hometown after being away for many years.
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There are several important aspects to consider when writing a magazine article. An effective magazine article begins with a compelling idea. A good writer can find kernels of compelling stories everywhere. Any story can be told in different ways, so choosing an angle is also important. Good writers usually support their writing with research on a topic to give context and factual detail. Writers shape an article through an engaging introduction, detailed body, and unforgettable conclusion.
Getting an Idea
Coming up with an idea for a magazine article is the first step in good writing. Some ways to generate ideas include:
- Keeping a journal to record breaking news, an interesting quote, or a personal experience
- Making a video log about current events or an interesting subject
- Networking with people who participate in an activity such as a sport, craft, or hobby
- Contacting editors of magazines to find out if upcoming issues have special themes
- Reading what others have written about a subject and developing a complementary angle
- Keeping up with reputable news outlets and current events for ideas
Choosing an Angle
Since every article has points that can be emphasized, deciding which points to focus on is, perhaps, the first important step in presenting the topic. In fact, two articles can cover the same topic but have completely different headlines. For example, one article about the possibility of an asteroid hitting Earth might cover the technologies used to detect Near-Earth Orbit objects. Another article might cover some of the deadly asteroids that have impacted Earth in the past. Having an angle serves as a guide towards what to write and promotes interest in the given subject. An effective angle not only increases the interest of readers but also lends credibility to the writer.
Conducting Research
An important part of writing articles is knowing the importance of conducting research. The first line of research is conducting interviews. Experts understand the significance of a topic and can give an insider's perspective. In fact, expert statements are a good source of quotes that give credibility to an article. Online sources are plentiful, though finding reliable sources ensures accuracy.
Steps for conducting research include the following:
- Formulate interview questions prior to scheduling an interview
- Read the most up-to-date information on a subject to find a fresh angle yet to be covered
- Review the results of polls conducted for the most recent information about what readers think about a topic
- Outline ways to overturn a misconception or misunderstanding about a topic
- Network with other writers who have covered the same topic
Introduction
Begin writing with a strong lead, the opening segment that hooks the reader into reading the full article. Leads can come in the form of dialogues, questions, statistics, polls, and anecdotes. For example, an article about the Moon might begin with how every two hours the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter makes a pass 12 miles above the lunar surface. A lead like this can help readers visualize active research being conducted on the Moon. Sometimes, the lead will include the nut graph, a paragraph that gives the necessary details to understand what the article is about. The lead and the nut graph give the reader context for understanding the article.
The Middle
The middle segment is the main body of an article. In the body, writers use the evidence they have gathered from research and interviews to develop the significance of their topic. The organization of the body can be thematic, that is, covering a topic's distinct aspects. An article may also be organized chronologically. Personal essays lend themselves to chronological organization, detailing experiences that happen over time. Sometimes, writers might organize details from the least to most important point, thereby building a subject's significance. For example, if a writer covers the latest developments in treatments for a disease, the writer might show how past treatments have paved the way for newer, less invasive treatments.
The Conclusion
Writing an effective conclusion of a magazine article may be the biggest challenge writers face. Some articles leave the reader with a question. Often in a conclusion, writers explain the 'so what' about a topic. In other words, the writer explains why the subject is important within a larger context. Strong conclusions often come in the form of a solid statement, question, or anecdote. A good conclusion will leave the reader with a message to think about or act upon.
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A good magazine article example will have a proper format, including a compelling introduction, an engaging body, and a strong, insightful conclusion. For example, a profile article might focus on how a ballerina broke through stereotypes to become a renowned dancer. The introduction might showcase some of the famous ballerinas of the past and how those dancers have created classical styles of dance. The profile subject, however, has managed to bring fresh energy to classical dancing by introducing new styles or techniques. The ballerina, thus, inspires others to attempt new styles. The conclusion might leave the reader with a statement about how dance has evolved through the years because of innovative and daring new figures.
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A magazine article is a nonfiction composition such as profile or personal essay that stands on its own within a publication. While newspaper reports are an objective record of events, magazine articles are subjective accounts shaped by a writer who selects details and chooses an angle or way of presenting a subject. The proper format for a magazine article includes a beginning, middle or body, and conclusion. A sidebar gives additional information to engage readers. Types of magazine articles include a service piece that teaches the reader how to do something, deal with something, or where to find something, a profile or written portrait of a person, an investigative report that exposes corruption or crime, and a personal essay that offers insight about a universal theme.
Writing a magazine article involves beginning with a compelling idea, choosing an effective angle, conducting research for context and facts, and then shaping an article's introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction begins with a strong lead or the opening hook, along with a nut graph that gives the necessary details for understanding what a story is about. The body of an article may be organized thematically, chronologically, or other ways that emphasize the subject's importance. The conclusion shows the significance of a subject. A good example of a magazine article is a profile about how a ballerina has reshaped classical dance in a way that inspires others to try new styles.
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Video Transcript
Writing a Magazine Article
Magazines are always looking for the next best article to engage and increase their audiences. Learning how to write a magazine article from start to finish can help you land a magazine writing job, get an ''A'' in journalism class, and teach you the proper format for nonfiction writing. In this lesson, you will learn about the main components of a magazine article, including finding the idea, the introduction, the middle, and the end.
Getting an Idea
Before you can start writing a magazine article, you have to come up with an idea. An idea can be generated from anything that you're interested in, and it should be relevant to the audience being written for. Magazine editors need articles that readers are interested in and that have timely, cultural context.
Here are some great ways to come up with article ideas:
- Read the local newspaper to see what issues are arising at the local level.
- Check out what major events are coming up in the next six months.
- Read scholarly journals.
After you've settled on an idea, begin by drafting an outline and performing basic research before writing the article.
The Introduction
The introduction to a magazine article is the most important component of the article. The lead and the nut graph are the two main components of the introduction.
The lead is the hook of your article. An article must start by pulling the reader into the article. A lead tells the reader what the article's focus is through a vivid set up that may include a scene, dialogue, statistic, question, or action. It can be brief or long. Regardless of the length, it must draw the reader into the world of the article and provide perspective.
Here's an example of an engaging lead from Adam Miller's The Horatio Street Murder published in Mountain Spirit in 1992:
''In the driving rain, 67-year-old Lucille Chasin left her first-floor rear apartment at 76 Horatio St. in the West Village. The 'Mayor' of the usually quiet, tree-lined street didn't need an umbrella—she was protected from the elements by a body bag.''
This lead draws you into the story in two sentences. The reader knows that the article is about a crime and about the woman who has been murdered.
After you've written the lead, the nut graph is written. A nut graph is straightforward, providing the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the article. This is the one segment of your article where you can substitute the notion of ''Show, don't tell'' with ''Tell, don't show.'' The nut graph should be clear, concise, and void of descriptive details.
The Middle
Writing the middle of a magazine article requires finesse. A successfully written magazine article seamlessly combines interview material, researched evidence, exposition, and description. The middle of a magazine article varies from one article to the next depending on the type of article that it is. Types of magazine articles include service pieces, profiles, investigative articles, and personal essays. Let's take a look at what each of these types are and what they would have in their bodies:
- A service piece teaches your readers how to do something or handle something, or it gives them information on where to find something. A service article could teach a reader how to make sugar cookies or how to go on a diet.
- A profile is an in-depth examination of a subject, usually an everyday person who has an extraordinary life. For example, a profile might examine a local ice cream shop owner and the reason for owning an ice cream shop.
- An investigative article is an in-depth article on a pressing social matter. It should be full of interview and research material. This type of article exposes something in a way that makes it important to every reader that comes across the piece.
- A personal essay is a looser style of magazine article that largely relies on personal experience to navigate the underlying theme or topic. A personal essay requires descriptive writing combined with a topic that readers can relate to. For example, you may write about getting food poisoning at the county's annual fair and bring in information about food safety in order to make it important to the reader as well.
The Conclusion
Once the introduction and middle of your magazine article are written, you need to leave the readers with something to think about. Oftentimes, the best way to end a magazine article is with a solid statement or question.
For example, if the magazine article was about car seat safety, it may end with a call-to-action. A call-to-action is a statement that encourages the reader to become involved in the situation. One might write, ''Each year, more children lose their lives from car accidents because they weren't in a car seat—buckle up and save the lives of those you love.''
On the other hand, a magazine article can end with a question. An article about organic gardening and invasive pests may end with, ''What solutions are you using to keep your organic garden protected from bugs?''
These are just a few ways that a magazine article can end. The ending should match the style and type of article being written. It would be acceptable for an article to end with a quotation, statistic, or image-driven anecdote.
Lesson Summary
Writing a magazine article requires a solid idea and research to craft a solid piece of writing that includes a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning of an article is the most important because it draws the reader in with a lead, which is the hook of an article that pulls the audience in, and nut graph, which provides the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the article. The middle of an article depends on the type of article written but should continue to engage the audience with clear, concise writing. We learned that there are four major types of articles that can be identified by examining the middle:
- A service piece, which teaches readers how to do something or handle something, or it gives them information on where to find something
- A profile, which is an in-depth examination of a subject, usually an everyday person who has an extraordinary life
- An investigative article, which is an in-depth article on a pressing social matter
- A personal essay, which is a looser style of magazine article that largely relies on personal experience to navigate the underlying theme or topic
The end of the article leaves the reader with a thought or question that promotes personal engagement with the topic long after the article has been put down.
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