This second part is my response to Dawn's question asked at the end of today's earlier blog entry.

As far as feature articles go, I feel, the voice should strongly belong to the author, but the slant of the magazine style should be taken into account. The purpose of a feature article is most often to inform, but sometimes to entertain or amuse the reader. The leading sentence is usually the place the reader is confronted with what kind of article they're reading. The opening paragraph sets a tone, or voice if you prefer, that should signal to the reader how they should respond. This tone should continue throughout the entire article.

If the article begins with cold hard facts, the reader knows they need to pay attention, they're about to learn something from this knowledgeable voice speaking to them from the page. Their whole inner posture becomes focused on the pertinent details revealed in that article. If the opening line makes the reader laugh, they will relax and their inner posture becomes open and pliable to new ideas and thoughts presented in a humorous tone that makes a known situation fun or light-hearted. If the article begins with a personal anecdote or a line such as "I remember when..." the reader will either relate immediately, feeling a link with this author, or reject the voice as something or someone they cannot relate to or begin to understand. A mature and developed reader may continue if they still do not feel this strong link, but most people will assess if they want to continue reading on as little information as this first paragraph.

In all these examples I've mentioned the tone or slant or voice the author uses to catch the reader's attention. This is the part a writer needs to zero in on if they want to pass on information in a way the reader will enjoy. There's many other things to consider, but if you get this part right, editors will want your work, especially if you use a voice similar to what is normally expressed in that magazine, paper or ezine. This tends to lead to the further question, from what I'm seeing develop here, that is voice the same as attitude or opinion?

For this I am basically pondering and digging into my own thoughts. Some expert could come along and make my opinion look like junk. Perhaps it is junk. I feel that your opinion should be clear in anything you write. I see this as the key to getting the reader on your side. It matters little if they agree with you or not. They will continue to read because you are expressing something that matters to you. If they read and agree, you will have made the reader feel good about what they themselves believe. You have affirmed their opinion. Your voice has spoken clearly to them. If they read and disagree, you will have made the reader pull themselves up and think about why they disagree with you. You have challenged their opinion. Your voice has conflicted with theirs. In all you have done your job as a writer. That is to evoke a response, be it a warm and fuzzy one or a chilled and hostile one.

Anyway, that's enough from me. I've stirred up my opinionated self again. This is getting me thinking, which can only be a good thing.