Constant Content

Been toying with an idea and wonder what others think about it.

Many times I'll write an article on a topic that doesn't actually fit anywhere, and it hit me last night that maybe we need a category for "Feature articles" that are similar to newspaper feature articles. I have no journalism training but I know some of CC's other writers do and maybe they can try to figure out what I'm talking about (I may not always be able to put my finger on exactly what I mean but I do know what I don't mean. Kind of like a pre-schooler.). They are informative yet maybe have a different style? Not afraid to show some personality or humor, but they're not humor articles; or have a serious perspective, subtly injecting opinions. Not like first person, but, for example, using a sentence like "The white man decimated the buffalo herds and rounded up the Indians, restricting them to reservations and plying them with alcohol blah blah blah..." Not that that's a good sentence but it definitely shows a personal viewpoint staked out by the writer.

We all write informational articles that should have no personality, for example, in response to requests, but sometimes I get ideas that allow a different style -- casual, a little bit of humor, in a way that reveals the writer a little more. As an example, I had fun researching the Craig of craigslist - he is a unique character, a wise-cracking introvert -- so I allowed a little humor into the article. I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets this little itch sometimes.

After the journalists on the forum analyze what I mean, I'd like to know if anyone thinks "Features" (or a more accurate name?) could be its own category. Would there be a demand? What are others' experiences?

Thanks.

Hi Grouchy,

The article genre you are talking about is like an editorial, or opinion article.
It can be perfectly done without the first-person address, and usually it is written by someone who's an expert on a specific topic.
It's up to the managers of CC to decide whether there is a niche of clients for that sort of writing or not, but in my opinion, it's another way to enrich the website with another style.

Also in my opinion, it is perfectly possible to write an article with a humurous approach without losing the grasp of the facts you're writing about. For example, when you mention the article about Craig from Craiglist, as you're doing sort of a "profile" article, it's important to describe the person you're writing about the way you see him or her, i.e., if you look at Craig as a funny character, you should definitely convey your thoughts about him, supported by his quotes and statements.
How else are you going to get to know the person you're writing about, if you don't describe him or her?

It really depends on the topic you're writing about, and also on your own writing style.

Best regards,
Mariana

I sort of hope to capture this type of article in the Premium category . . .

Mariana - thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts.

Ed - I'm not sure why, but that (the premium category) doesn't seem right to me. The craigslist article isn't necessarily in depth, it's more of an overview, but with a tiny bit of fun thrown in. And I'm not sure the type of article I'm talking about needs to be longer than most, as a rule.

I guess I'm overthinking things again. Maybe I should just forget about the whole thing and go take a long nap.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

There are going to be some changes to the category system eventually, anyway, which will make everyone happier. Personally, I can barely wait until that day comes.