Good post. Personally I think the most important factor of a good article is its content. Useful info or groundbreaking ideas would surely capture anyone's attention.
As a writing teacher, I'll throw in one more element - voice. Certainly different styles of writing require different voices, but for the typical article, something that has a bit of personality is much more engaging and "real" to a reader. Rebecca
Excellent reminder Rebecca!! Voice is often what determines how 'readable' an article is...rather than just cold, hard, dry facts arranged in a readable fashion. I'm so glad you brought up that characteristic! Now...for those who have no idea what their 'voice' is...do you believe it can be taught? (I figure as a teacher, you're the best one to answer this) Honey
It can be taught through experience. I am a firm believe that just about everything in reading and writing can be taught through novels and other works. I even prepare for the dreaded standardized tests with series novels and other books that are fun to read. The only way to truly learn to incorporate voice in writing is to read well written works or all sorts. The more you read and experience what authentic and interesting voice sounds (and reads) like, the more capable you become of incorporating your own voice into pieces. A fluent writer can write about the driest topic known to man, but still add a bit of wit and charm or at least a spark of personality. Voice doesn't mean slang and writing from the first person necessarily, it's just the element that makes a piece of writing come alive - regardless of the topic. The writing elements that are taught these days, btw, are: - Voice - Sentence Fluency (flow and formation of sentences, varying structure, etc..) - Ideas (Thinking outside of the box) - Conventions (grammar, usage, punctuation) - Word Choice (Using a variety of meaningful words that are correct in context and improve a piece without sounding pretentious.) - Organization (How a piece is organized for readability, interest and conveying meaning) These are actually called the Six Traits of Writing, which I'm sure is the intellectual property of someone other than me, so I'm just promoting it - these concepts are certainly not mine. Voice is by far the hardest to teach, and the hardest to learn. It's the pinnacle of quality writing. Long answer to a short question. LOL Rebecca