Think about how you read a newspaper: you scan the captions and then read the first paragraph or two to get the gist of the article and then read further if you want to know more of the details. That's the inverted pyramid style of writing used by journalists, in which what's important comes first. The double-helix also presents facts in order of importance but it alternates between two separate sets of information. For example, suppose you are writing an article about the two national political conventions. You'll first present Fact 1 about the Democrat convention, then Fact 1 about the Republican convention, then Fact 2 about the Democrats, Fact 2 about the Republicans, and so on. The chronological double-helix begins like the double-helix but once the important facts from each set of information have been presented, it then goes off to relay the events in chronological order.

The chronological report is the most straightforward structure to follow since it is written in the order in which the events occurred. The final structure is the storytelling model, which utilizes some of the techniques of fiction writing, so you would want to bring the reader into the story right away even if it means beginning in the middle or even near the end and then filling in the facts as the story unfolds.

Hooking and Reeling In the Reader

Remember in Chapter 1 where some noteworthy “beginnings” were presented and how the one and only thing they had in common was to grab the reader from the start and make her want to read more. The term for this device is the “hook.” And that's what you must keep in mind in writing the first sentence or two of your article. You must make it interesting enough to pique the reader's curiosity and interest and want to read on.

In writing articles, the “hook” is a component of what is called the “lead.” If you select a structure where you must begin with facts that are the most important or the first to have occurred in time, you still should write in a way to make them compelling.

You were also told in Chapter 1 that sometimes you just have to let it out and write a beginning just to get you started and that possibly later, the first beginning may be dropped altogether with another written in its place. The same method applies with writing articles, so don't become fixated on the beginning. There is time enough, as you will see in the following, to substitute just the right hook and lead when you rewrite and edit.

The Three Components of an Article

Like every form of writing, articles have a beginning, middle, and end but with articles, they are generally referred to as the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction serves the function of presenting and familiarizing the reader with what is to follow and generally should be no longer than one or two paragraphs. If it is longer than this, you need to edit it. You may have dwelled too long on introducing yourself to the reader or discussing background material.

The body of the article presents the reader with facts and information that is the purpose of the piece in the first place. Naturally, in terms of word count, it represents the bulk of the article. Keep in mind that unless you are writing an essay for a journal or a scholarly treatise, articles are meant to be practical, so do not overlook the importance of instructing the reader even though you may not be specifically writing a “how-to” article.

Finally, don't forget the conclusion, which is not to be confused with the ending. By definition, every written work has an “end,” but that means it is merely the place where the writing ceases to continue. It is important that you wrap things up for the reader — perhaps a summary of the salient points even if no more than a paragraph.