How to write an Interesting Article
How to write an article they'll read a hundred times
So, how do I write a classic, informative and entertaining news story?
If there was one positive thing that came out of the infamous assassination of JFK, it was that it led to the implementation of the famous ‘inverted’ pyramid model that many journalists still worship to this day.
The ‘inverted pyramid’ gave journalists a structure which makes article writing seem, well, almost easy… This style of news writing consists of a descending hierarchy of information meaning that if you start your article well, the rest should come fairly easily because, you will just be elaborating on what’s already been said!
Start with an eye-catching headline
The headline sets the context the whole article so writing a good one is really important.
What makes a good headline? – A good headline should catch people’s attention, pique their curiosity and make them want to read more.
To do this:
- First, ask yourself – How can I hint at what happens in the article – or what’s about to happen or happened, simply, (in 5 or 6 words)?
- Every headline should have (or imply the need for) an exclamation mark to give it visual impact. This is as true for short headlines such as Joe and Jules Wed in Jamaica!, or It’s Triplets! Sandy Gives Birth! as it is for longer headlines e.g. Woman (50) defies laws of nature to baffle ageing researchers!
- Eye-catching headlines are usually short and snappy, using strong, descriptive verbs; and often use word tricks such as alliteration, consonance and assonance e.g. Stork signals arrival of twin grandsons.
- Jokes, quips and plays on words can be fun and engaging. However they should never come before clarity and the aim of persuading people to read more.
- A number of newspapers use humour, puns, alliteration or other word play devices in their headlines. e.g. Fairytale Finish for Flintoff? And Wham Bam! Sam Cam to be a Mam. Equally, the need to keep headlines brief occasionally leads to unintentional double meanings, if not double entendres.
Support the headline with a subheadline that teases the reader to read the article
The sub-headline should continue to hint and intrigue:
Jane Smith celebrates her birthday in style
Steve Morgan’s performance lights up local theatre
Start your story well!
A reader should be able to read the first paragraph and know the whole story! Yes, the whole story! A classic news story will not introduce any new information which changes the story after the leading paragraph, for example:
“On the 22nd June 2014, at St David’s Church in Swindon, popular couple, Catherine Ricketts and Martin Harrison finally exchanged their vows and became Mr and Mrs Harrison. The wedding was attended by over 90 friends and family and their reception was held at Prince George’s Golf and Country Club.”
This covers WHO, WHAT,WHERE, WHEN AND HOW.
Elaborate on what you’ve said already
You should now describe and explain the story. Use the facts you included in your first paragraph to prompt you. Introduce additional facts but don’t introduce anything that changes the story! Well, unless you really want to push the boundaries. Things to think about:
- Who are Mr and Mrs Ricketts? Give us extra details! What were they wearing? Who designed Catherine’s dress? Where is the groom from? What are their day jobs? What’s the funniest fact you know about them?
- Maybe describe the venue. What did it look like? Was it a sunny day? How long was the service?
- Maybe describe the moments the couple exchanged their vows, describe their first kiss in wedlock! Get in those adjectives! “Martin kissed Catherine like he had never kissed her before. He gently held her cheek as they passionately locked lips, they appeared to be lost in the moment, and seemed to have forgotten that over 90 people were watching! After witnessing that kiss, I think it’s safe to say they will certainly be making the most of their honeymoon!” USE HUMOUR if it’s appropriate!
- You can describe anything you like, from the smell of the wedding flowers to the disgusting taste of the cheese and avocado sandwiches some fool decided to bring along….!
- Include quotes. Almost all news stories have comments from those involved or from other onlookers. Their function is to make the article more objective by keeping a balanced viewpoint. Alternatively, they can make the article more subjective by sensationalising the reaction of the public and can indicate bias.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment! There is no right or wrong or way to write a story! This is just a guideline to get you started! Let your mind run away with you!
Remember, you can use:
- Poetry
- Dialogue
- Alliteration
- Similes
- Repetition
- Metaphors
- Quotes
- Innuendo
- YOU.CAN..EVEN….UTILISE…..CAPITAL……LETTERS…….AND……..EXPERIMENT……..WITH………..PUNCTUATION!
the list could go on….
Sometimes the riskiest writing can be the most entertaining and, the most entertaining is, after all, the most memorable!
Now finish your story
Pyramid style writing is written so additional information can always be added on and it will still make complete sense… So, you can leave it open-ended if you like! HOWEVER, for souvenir newspaper articles it is probably more suitable to conclude…
In which case: tie up any loose ends and give a brief summary of your story. Make sure you finish on a nice positive note and paint an image for the reader to remember! Leave the reader with a smile on their face! For example:
“The wedding was an occasion the 90 attendees will certainly never forget. It was a beautiful venue, a beautiful service, a beautiful reception and Mr and Mrs Ricketts are most certainly a beautiful couple. They now are set to embark on what will be the most adventurous journey of their lives, and meanwhile the rest of us are left taking bets on how long it will take Catherine to get bored of Martin’s infamous one line jokes! Mind you, she’s already put up with him for 6 years!”
