OBJECTIVE – To take an article written with print logic and convert it for a web audience.
Author Veronica Roth Builds Her Dystopian Empire – web logic
I chose an interesting article about popular YA author Veronica Roth. (I’m a huge fan of her Divergent trilogy.) The online article “Chasing Katniss: Divergent Author Veronica Roth Builds Her Dystopian Empire” originally appeared in the October 14, 2013 issue of New York Magazine and therefore made use of print logic.
The article was 1300 words and featured large blocks of text. It was accompanied by only one visual. There were no hyperlinks.
Converting the article for a web audience would include shortening it, changing the headline, inserting headings, and adding visuals and hyperlinks. I was definitely up for the challenge, as I could use my blogging experience. Bloggers are very familiar with writing shorter paragraphs (therefore making copious use of white space and avoiding intimidating blocks of text!) to keep reader interest.
I reduced the article to 560 words, a little less than half its original length. I managed this by narrowing the focus of the article and cutting superfluous information.
I broke up the text using headings and frequent indents. I added five images to illustrate the content of the article. I linked to an article and a video. I used a pull quote to emphasize a main idea.