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Feature Writing

1. Feature writing aims to humanize, add color, educate, entertain, and illuminate rather than simply deliver news. It often recaps major news from a previous cycle. 2. Common types of features include personality profiles, human interest stories, trend stories, in-depth stories, and backgrounders/analysis pieces. 3. Effective feature writing uses narrative, chronological order, or first-person perspective. It invites readers in from the beginning and provides context to explain the significance of the story.

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Claire Balane
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52 views

Feature Writing

1. Feature writing aims to humanize, add color, educate, entertain, and illuminate rather than simply deliver news. It often recaps major news from a previous cycle. 2. Common types of features include personality profiles, human interest stories, trend stories, in-depth stories, and backgrounders/analysis pieces. 3. Effective feature writing uses narrative, chronological order, or first-person perspective. It invites readers in from the beginning and provides context to explain the significance of the story.

Uploaded by

Claire Balane
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Magnifying what is

FEATURE WRITING
What is feature writing?

Features are not meant to deliver the news


firsthand. They do contain elements of
news, but their main function is to
humanize, to add color, to educate, to
entertain, to illuminate. They often recap
major news that was reported in a previous
news cycle
Functions of a Feature Article
Types of Features
1. Personality profiles
Also called CHARACTER SKETCH.
Interviews and observations, as well as creative
writing, are used to paint a vivid picture of the
person.
A good profile includes impressions, explanations
and points of view. It should emphasize what is
unique about the person. You can use a flashback
technique or highlight the individual’s many roles.
2. Human Interest Stories
A human interest story is written to
show a subject’s oddity or its
practical, emotional, or
entertainment value.
3. Trend stories

A trend story examines people, things or


organizations that are having an impact on society.
Trend stories are popular because people are excited
to read or hear about the latest fads.
4. In-depth stories

Through extensive research and


interviews, in depth stories
provide a detailed account well
beyond a basic news story or
feature.
5. Backgrounders
 also called an analysis piece--adds meaning
to current issues in the news by explaining
them further. These articles bring an audience
up-to-date, explaining how this country, this
organization, this person happens to be
where it is now.
Writing & Organizing Feature
Stories
Feature writers seldom use the inverted pyramid
form.
The Commonly used styles are:
• chronology that builds to a climax at the end,
• a narrative, or
• a first-person article about one of their own
experiences or a combination of these.
- stories are held together by a thread, and they
often end where the lead started, with a single
person or event.
HOW TO WRITE A GOOD FEATURE
• Choose the theme.
• Does the story have holding power (emotional appeal)? What
makes the story worthy of being reported? The theme answers the
1. question, "So what?"

• Write a lead that invites an audience into the story.


• A summary may not be the best lead for a feature. The first two or
three paragraphs set a mood, arouse readers, or invite them
2. inside.

• Write the body


• Then the news peg or the significance of the story is provided in
the third or fourth paragraph, the nut graph. Because it explains
3. the reason the story is being written, the nut graph--also called the
"so what" graph--is a vital paragraph in every feature.
Useful tips
* Some good feature leads include: Narrative,
Descriptive, Striking statement and Punch or
astonisher
* Be clear about why you are writing the article. Is it
to inform, persuade, observe, evaluate, or evoke
emotion?
* FOCUS! When you prepare for your feature story,
you will gather a large amount of information
through interviews and background research.
Before you begin writing, focus on the main idea.
WHY??? Because focusing will narrow your topic
* After writing the lead, you need a structure
in which to place the information. A
structure is an organizational pattern used
to synthesize, that is to establish
relationships between relevant pieces of
information.

* Provide vital background information. If


appropriate, a paragraph or two of
background should be placed high in the
story to bring the audience up to date.
Write in ACTIVE VOICE & if possible,
present tense

ACCURACY IS IMPORTANT. You can interpret and


embroider but do not fudge.

Keep your AUDIENCE clearly in mind.

Avoid CLICHES…

AVOID LENGTHY and COMPLICATED


paragraphs.
• Write clear, concise sentences. Sprinkle
direct quotations, observations and
additional background throughout
the story. Paragraphs can be written
chronologically or in order of
importance. Be creative, watch, & listen...

• Read & Research


• Keep up to date, take notes
and play with words!
• Use transition. Connect paragraphs with
transitional words, paraphrases, and direct
quotations.
• Transition is the tool writers use to move
subtly from one person or topic to the next. IT
keeps readers from being jarred by the
writing.
Find the right VOICE
 When you write a story, you take on a persona,
or character. You must choose a voice that best
imparts the information in that story.

 The choice you make becomes the tone, or


mood of the story, and it should always match
the content. For instance, you would not use
humor to write about a tragic auto accident.
REMEMBER…
 The body provides vital information while it
educates, entertains,
and emotionally ties
an audience to the subject.
 The ending will wrap up the story & come
back to the lead, often with a quotation or a
surprising climax. Conclude with a quotation
or another part of the thread. A feature can
trail off like a news story or it can be
concluded with a climax.
~~~ END ~~~

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