Feature Writing By Michael Flax: compiled from Jeanne Acton

Free Template from Feature Writing Tells the reader ____________. It has a ___________________ __________________________. It uses __________________ and ____________________________ ___________________________ through _______________ and _____________________

Transition / Quote Formula And so on... Until the story is complete Free Template from ______: Most interesting information, grabbing the readers attention. What is the FOCUS of the story? ___________: A summary of what the story is going to be about. Why the story is important. _______________: Connects to the nut graph. Can use more than one sentence. It should show the emotion of the story. _____________: Next important fact. Use transitions words to help the story flow. They can be facts, indirect quotes or partial quotes. ______________: Connects to the transition. Do not repeat the transition in the quote. It should elaborate transition. ____________: Next important fact. ___________: Connects to the transition.

Pre-Writing Before starting your story, you must first decide what the ___________ of the story will be. –What is the story really about. Free Template from

Focus It is different for every story. Every story can be written along different focuses. Free Template from

Leads The opening sentence must grab and hold the reader’s attention by using ___________________________ ___________________________. Free Template from

Leads The lead must catch the ______ of the story and ___________________________: serious, sarcastic, ironic, flippant, melancholy, etc. Free Template from

Feature Story Leads Can be and often are longer than ____________________. Your chance to grab the reader’s attention. Should be ________ to your story. Should be in the _____________. Must fit the _________________ __________________________. Free Template from

Types of Feature Story Leads __________________________ Free Template from

Narrative _______________ She thought he was going to kill her. He had been angry before, even punched his hand through a window once, but he had never threatened her, never scared her like this. Now he was out of control. He pushed her into a corner and then shove her back down when she tried to escape. “All I could think was ‘I have to get out of here.’ I just started crying,” Julie, a senior, said. Free Template from

Descriptive ___________________________ ___________________________. He smokes Camel Lights. He wears Harley Davidson boots. He worships Jim Davidson. Greg DeCour is a 16-year-old James Dean who doesn’t dig America. He is ready to go home. Free Template from

Direct Quote ___________________ ___________________________ “Don’t be mad. I took some pills,” Karen Keaton cried as she stooped over the toilet. A few hours later, the 14-year-old freshman died after a series of coronary arrests. Free Template from

Startling Statement ___________________ She never knew she had it. Free Template from

Twist ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Free Template from

The Lead should _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ ______________. Free Template from

Writing Devices for Leads  __________________  ______________________________  _____________________  Mixing _________________________ _______________________________  _______________________________  _______________________ Free Template from

Avoid lead writing pitfalls ___________________________ Free Template from

Once you have gotten past the Lead... Free Template from

Nut Graph It is a _____________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________. It’s the thesis statement of your story. Free Template from

How do you end a Feature Story? Either _________________ Or ___________________ _________________. Free Template from

To help out, think of this acronym when your done ____________ G__________ Q__________ S____________________ T____________________________ U____________________ D____________________________ D____________________ Free Template from

Pitfalls to avoid in Feature Writing ___________________________ Free Template from