Different Styles of Writing Articles | Writing

By: Matthew Hick

There are so many different ways to approach a non-fiction article that it can sometimes be hard to decide which way to proceed. Before you, as the writer, can determine the best way to present the material you’ve gathered, you first have to understand the different types of articles publications often feature:

The How-To Article
This is a basic technique used to teach someone how to do something. A good example of a how-to article is: Ten Ways to Lose Weight, or Simple Redecorating Ideas. Anytime you, as the writer want to use an article to teach the reader a new skill, consider presenting it in a how-to format

Informational Piece
The information piece is used to provide the reader with basic facts and figures. Maybe you’re explaining a new medication that has just been approved for Alzheimer’s, or some other disease. The informational piece allows you to show the reader all of the pros and cons to the new drug without offering advice or tips.

Investigative Piece
The investigative piece is a much more in-depth look at a certain topic which investigates all aspects of it, including each pro and con of the situation, who may be for or against it, and why. This type of article is most often used for very controversial topics.

News Article
The straight news article is very similar to the informative piece mentioned above, with the main goal of providing information to readers about a specific topic or event.

Feature Article
A feature article has a more relaxed feel and is most often used to feature unique people, places and things. It often sports a more conversational style as if one friend were telling another about something interesting.

Personal Essay
The personal essay is used to teach the reader something by offering advice in a way that highlights some personal aspect of the writer’s life experience. It is always written in first-person and should be true.

Opinion/Editorial
Different from the personal essay in which the writer shares an experience with the reader, the opinion or editorial piece is strictly a format designed to allow the writer to offer their personal beliefs and/or opinions on a specific subject with virtually no clear proof or accuracy in regards to what they’re saying.

Interview
Just as its name implies, the interview piece is just that: an interview with a famous or otherwise interesting personality. It is designed to better acquaint the reader with the article subject by delving more deeply into their personal/business or professional life, offering an inside peel into the subject’s personality, likes and dislikes, as well as a few unknown facts about them.