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Non-Fiction Writers Workshop
by Carolyn Dekat
Article Structure
Articles can be approached from many different ways. But just like a query has a specific structure that makes it effective, so too the article itself has a definite structure, which consists of the lead or hook, the transition, the body of the article, and the conclusion. So let's look at each phase, piece by piece.
Lead
We've already talked about leads and how important they are. The same thing that hooks an editor on a piece will also hook a reader. So once the query is done, the lead for the article may be done as well.
However, because the lead is so important, some writers like to review it after the article is finished to see if there's an even better hook that presented itself once all the research is done.
Some writers will write several leads before deciding on one they feel is best.
One other trick to targeting your lead is to review the publication to which you would like to sell and look at the leads to determine which type they run most often. With this information in hand, you can target your lead much the same way you target the manuscript.
Transition
If you take a moment and study a lead, most often you will find that the hook could take off in a variety of different directions. For example, look at this lead that I quoted on the Circle: (Quoted from the Jan 1997 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, p. 30, article by Debra Solberg Gibson)
"By the year 2005, almost 150 million people will be employed in the U.S. That's nearly a 12 percent increase over taoday's workforce. But not many of these employees will receive a gold watch for 30 years of service to the firm. Instead, Americans will change jobs 7 to 10 times during their working years, and many will make complete career changes four or more times."
Where could this article go from here? There are several different subjects that could be discussed from this point.
Now note the transition paragraph and what it does:
"So who will most likely sign our paychecks in the year 2000 and beyond? Trend watchers point to the burgeoning of technology and the aging of the baby boomers as factors creating the most jobs in the next century. According to Shelly field, author of 100 Best Careers for the 21st Century (Macmillan, 1996, $15.95), these are some areas you might want to consider: "Where is this article heading? How do you know?
Following the lead, a good article will go into a transitional paragraph. The purpose of this bridge is to narrow down all those directions in which the article might develop to one and only one. It sets the theme, and sets up the process through which you will discuss it. Here is where all necessary background information and context is provided for the topic.
This would include dates, quantities, and other facts that demonstrate the importance of the subject. This transition links the lead to the body with conjunctive thoughts. It is extremely important and you should take some time to study some closely.
Body
After the transition comes the body. Many writers get stuck here, feeling overwhelmed by all the notes they've gathered. There are several methods you can use to help organize your material and decide what stays and what goes. Two that I have enjoyed using are these:
Index Card Method
Get a packet of index cards or if you're a miser like me, take old paper used on just one side and cut it into small squares.
Devote one topic from your notes on each card. You may want to reference where in your notes the material comes from so that you can recheck facts or quotes later if you need to.
For those that like to rely on the computer, you can also enter your notes, print them out, and then cut them up. This also gives you the opportunity to cut and paste from your notes to the actual article.
Marcia Yudkin (Writing Articles About the World Around You, Writer's Digest Books, 1998) recommends that at this point you should have 12 to 40 cards. Any less, and there's not enough material and it's time to do more digging; any more and you need to write two separate articles!
The next step is to sort the cards and put together any two or more that seem to belong together. Then arrange the groups in an order that they could appear. You may end up rearranging several times before you hit on an organizational frame that suits you. That's the fun of the cards. They make it easy to try several different paths.
Voila, your article is organized. It becomes clear which items fit and which might be better saved for a future project. And you can see spots where there are gaps that need to be addressed.
The index card method can also help you gauge the relationship between your material and the word count toward which you are working. Let's say for example that you've been assigned an article of 2,000 words.
If your paragraphs are about 100 words each, you can figure the lead, transition and conclusion will take about 300 words, total. That leaves you 1,700 words to develop your topic. If you have 6 groupings of index cards, you can devote three paragraphs to five of the six main points, and two paragraphs to one needing less explanation or any other combination that would meet your word count.
Mind-Mapping or Webbing
Another approach that works well is mind-mapping, also referred to as webbing. For this you'll need a large sheet of blank paper. In the center write your topic and circle it. Then draw spokes that lead to different points that you have in your notes. Circle those then spoke to subpoints.
This is a "right-brained" activity and sometimes opens up ideas lurking on that side of the brain that might not have occurred to you before. It is also easier for those who think diversely (one idea explodes into many others) rather than convergently (one idea leads to one idea in progression), and is a favorite with many dominantly creative individuals. With this method you're still left with some organizational work to do before you actually write, but it gives you a chance to see all aspects of your topic.
These two methods work well together also. Don't be afraid to mix and match or drift from one to the other depending on your project.
Conclusion
To make the conclusion most effective, decide what impression you want to leave with your audience. Do you want them to have a clearer grasp of the issue? Do you want to motivate them? Do you want them to feel a sense of compassion? Write with the end result in mind.
The conclusion reinforces what the lead promises. To accomplish this effectively look for a word or phrase in your lead that you can repeat in your conclusion. This type of echo ending makes the reader feel like they have come full circle.
Another ending that sometimes works is what Yudkin calls a split anecdote. Begin a story in the lead and reveal how the story turns out in the conclusion. Your readers will devour the middle just to see what happens at the end.
These are just a few examples of ways these portions of the article can be handled. Remember that each of you as writers are individual and what works for one may not for another. These are tools, not masters, so make them work for you. You're the boss; the tools are not.
Homework
Also feel free to post any suggestions you have had from experience or reading!
There is not much to do in the way of an assignment for this, other than to get busy on your own article! One suggestion, though, is to start looking for that transition paragraph as you read articles to see how they are handled. They are an important part of the structure.
© 1998 Carolyn Dekat
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