Feature Writing

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Feature Writing
Compiled by Dianne Smith, MJE Alief Hastings High
School Houston, Texas
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Objectives

• The learner will be able to
• Describe the special characteristics of a feature
  story.
• List ideas that could be developed into a feature
  story.
• Explain the importance of organization in the
  writing process
• Write a polished feature story for publication.

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Key Terms
Feature Sidebar News peg Profile Hook Focusing Str
ucture Persona Tone
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What is feature writing?
Think of the feature story as a news story
written like a piece of short fiction. You must
combine the rigors of factual reporting with the
creative freedom of short-story writing. The
feature storys form must be more fluid than that
of a news story the inverted pyramid style wont
work here because the story needs a definite
beginning, middle and end. The readers wont be
able to scan a few paragraphs they will have to
read the whole story to understand it.
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A feature story is a prominent news story written
like a piece of short fiction. The story is
usually not related to a current event, but it
could be.
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Feature stories place a greater emphasis on facts
that have human interest. Features put people in
the story they make the reader think and
care. You can write a feature story about anyone
if you find an unusual angle that captures the
interest of your readers.
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• Generally feature stories are of two types
• News features, which are usually written as a
  follow-up or as a sidebar story that is linked to
  a breaking news event
• Timeless story, which does not have to be used
  immediately. The information in this story will
  be just as relevant if saved for a future issue

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A sidebar is an article that accompanies and
appears beside the main news story. Additionally,
many features are develped around what is called
a news peg. A news peg is the relationship of a
feature to, or how a feature is pegged on,
something in the news.
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In either type of feature story, good reporting
is essential. You collect as many details as
possible. You describe people, settings and
feelings, the elements of storytelling. When all
the details are added together, the reader is
placed in the scene you are describing.
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Finding Subjects that Matter
There are no restrictions on subject matter. You
are limited only by your imagination. Often a
feature story is a simple story about a common
person in an uncommon circumstance. The features
job is to find a fresh angleto find the story
behind the person.
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Topics that deal with the ordinary
Foreign exchange students Eating
disorders Part-time jobs Unusual
hobbies Teacher features Favorite
movies Favorite celebrities Fast-food
restaurants Fashion trends Top Ten Lists
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Offbeat feature story ideas
Talk radio Weird cravings The truth about goat
cheese The best books not to read Crazy answering
machine messages Beepers, cell phones Coincidence
s Psychotherapy Tattoos, body
piercings Individualism
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Profiles
One of the more popular types of feature story is
the profile. A profile is a short, vivid
character sketch. Too many profiles turn into a
tedious recounting of biographical facts or are
unrelated anecdotes sandwiched between
quotations. 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
individuals many roles.
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The Lead
The beginning of the story must pull the reader
in. The first sentence must make the reader want
to read the second sentence. The lead may or may
not contain a hook, a detail that draws in the
readers attention.
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Some good feature leads include Narrative Descrip
tive Striking statement Punch or astonisher
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As you prepare for your feature story, you will
gather a large amount of information through
interviews and background research. Before you
begin writing, you will focus on the main idea
you want to get across, and organize your
information, eliminating that which does not go
along with your focus. Focusing is narrowing your
topicreducing a large amount of informaton to a
usable amount.
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Structure
After you have written the lead, you need a
structure in which to place the information. A
structure is an organizational pattern the writer
uses to synthesize, that is to establish
relationships between relevant pieces of
information.
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The structure that the Bear Facts uses is
this Lead Quote (Use your most dynamic quote
here) Transition or fact Quote Transition Quote Tr
ansition Quote
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Continue alternating quotes and transitions all
the way through the story. End your story on the
second best quote you have, to leave your reader
with something to think about.
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Finding the right voice
You have many voices. You speak to your friends
differently than you do your parents or your
teachers. If you have a job, you have a voice for
your boss. 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.