Feature Article Draft

To understand how to create an effective article which correctly represents my audience, the genre and also the purpose of my magazine, I decided to look at some of my competitor's so I could gain a clear understanding of the lexical choices coupled with the grammar and structure. Moreover, I also undertook internet research so that I could understand exactly what I had to do to create an article of this nature. After searching for a website which could instruct me on how to create a magazine article, I then set about learning and developing my skills from it - I found the following webpage:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Feature-Article

This webpage allowed me to understand the structure which was needed to write an article and also it allowed me to think about what my audience want and how I needed to portray it through the text. Finally, the article let me understand how other examples portrayed their specific audiences and how it is possible through both use of lexis and structure.

I then decided to move onto creating my article, below is my first draft.

International superstar and general legend, Willow Hunter, has revealed to AM Magazine that over the course of her two year gap in the industry she was subject to severe drug and alcohol abuse. Willow’s career has seen intense abuse both from drugs and alcohol; however Willow tells us this is the worst it has ever come to.
Willow’s music career started off bigger and better than anybody could have expected - she hit the top of the charts with her first single Tender Love and then got an astonishing 3 more with Half Cast, Live Long and Too Many Lives We’ll Never Change. After the release of her first album, which notably topped the album charts for a record breaking 23 weeks, Willow set out on tour of the world, heading to America, Asia, and Europe - stunning millions with songs that will last forever. She returned from tour early last year and soon released a second album entitled Criffton Park, which, following in the footsteps of its predecessor, topped the album charts for 21 weeks.
Wilow later released two massive singles with Coldplay’s Chris Martin and also Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson entitled Stone Cold Heart Break and Bloody Tears respectively. Both singles hit big and in interviews around the time the singles were released something seemed to be up with the lass from Manchester. Willow later revealed to The Guardian that she was starting to take drugs - it was a turning point for her.
“I needed to get my head straight, sort things out. So I decided to cancel my tour, take two years out and start again, it was for the best. At least at the time I thought it was. I found myself a home with nothing to do. That was probably when I realised hiring fifteen pot smoking crack-heads was a bad idea. I didn’t understand though, I was young. After only having released two albums at the time I maybe wasn’t as industry cultured as I am now.”
As things started to look up for Willow things crashed out of control again - after the Bournemouth disaster which took both of her parents she told us that she came close to suicide. ‘Willow and The Stranglers’ as they were once known were no more and she came to the conclusion, after 6 months of rehab, that her music career was over again. After struggling along the road to recovery Willow’s condition once again deteriorated as she was caught in Vegas, gambling with the rest of The Stranglers.
“One day I found myself sitting on the edge of my bed, thinking to myself. The next minute I found myself on a plane to Vegas with a one way ticket. It was spur of the moment; I had to get away from the media. We went to Vegas to gamble. I wanted to tour again but my head wasn’t in the right place. Every night I dreamt about my prime - I dreamt about recording in Abby Road studio with some of my heroes, I think that was the turning  point for me and also the turning point in terms of my final road to recovery.”
“It was Tuesday the 30th of December and my life was about to change forever. I was at home by myself and Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller came over. It was 3 months since my last public appearance and I had started to write again. They came in and I gave them a cuppa each, I knew them from my days on the road, touring and playing at all the massive venues. I know Noel from Glastonbury last year, we shared a camper together, it was so surreal. One of my idols right there beside me. ”
“We started to talk and they told me about how they both experienced massive lows like what I’d had, I felt comfortable talking to them. It was great having somebody who had had the same problems as me, I’d never had that before.”
“It didn’t take long for Noel to get his guitar out. Within 30 minutes of him and Paul turning up they were blasting out some of their classics, it was magical. It was so, so surreal - two living legends right in front of me. Before long we were writing, we were jamming, it was great. I felt on top of the world, a feeling I hadn’t had in over a year. I needed it though. That was where we wrote Soul Love and Intentional Comprehensional Justicism.”
Willow, Noel and Paul later went on to release Soul Love and Intention Comprehensional Justicism which both took the world by storm - they hit big and they knew it.
“It was just a one off though, I’m a natural solo artist - that’s where I make my best music, by myself with my band. We make magic together. That day in December changed my life, after that I was rejuvenated, I was in a league of my own. I went back in to the studio with a new vibe, with a new personality and new experiences. I had a dream, I needed to show what I wanted, I had to convey my experiences. This was a cornerstone.”
Early this year Willow released Justification - an album which was based around her experiences over the previous 18 months. Justification also featured the two tracks Willow recorded with Noel and Paul; it soared to number one and Willow was back on track with a route to a next chapter of her career.
“My life was incredible, it is now. I had turned it around and released an incredible album that even blew me away, I loved it. Hopefully now I am going to tour again which is amazing, I love to tour.”
Hunter is set to feature at Glastonbury this year alongside other major acts on the main stage. Get set for a roller coaster of a ride with the one and only Willow Hunter!