1. FEATURE WRITING

2. Storytelling
As you know, your job as a news writer (reporter) is to tell stories about interesting events, people, places, things.
That story can take several forms under the umbrella of news:
Straight News – Facts (5Ws and H)
Feature – In-depth exploration (how and why)
Editorial – Persuasive opinion piece
Review – Your critique of something
Sports – Facts that describe an athletic event

3. Inform or Entertain – In Depth – Specific Aspect or Angle
Feature
Inform or Entertain – In Depth – Specific Aspect or Angle

4. What makes a Feature different than Straight News?
Features are told in a less hurried and generally more creative way than straight 5W and H news.
You don’t use the inverted pyramid and don’t have to start with the most important details.
You choose a unique subject, or unique angle to hook in the reader.
Write with a creative, descriptive flair and with a voice in mind.

5. What am I going to write about?
WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
1. SELECT A TOPIC AND BRAINSTORM

6. JUST LIKE SELECTING YOUR NEWS TOPIC, IDEAS ARE…
Everywhere!
Nose for news
Meet people every day
Ask questions
Be curious
Be an “observationalist” of the human condition
Be aware of what’s happening around you
Don’t take things for what’s on the surface … look deeper!
Keep a journal of story ideas
Inquiring Minds Want to Know!
With the feature, really try and find something interesting. Look for an angle or specific aspect of a story, person, or event to explore in depth. Don’t worry about timeliness.

7. DECIDE ON WHAT FORM YOUR FEATURE WILL TAKE:
Profile
WHO are the people behind the story? WHO is the central character behind an events, issue, or trend? A profile can reveal more than just a person – a place, building, an event, organization.
Explanatory Piece
Usually takes an EVENT and informs the reader as to the significance of it. Focuses on WHY and HOW the situation came about and what it may mean for the future.
Issues and Trends
Does this story seem to be part of an emerging PATTERN? Is the same thing happening other places? Often spotlights WHAT’s new.
Investigative Piece
Takes a critical look at how things are. Generally part of a movement to discover WHAT went wrong and WHO might be at fault.
Narrative
Plain-old storytelling with a central character, plot, and core tensions. Really good when WHAT HAPPENS is more important than to whom and why.
Descriptive/Day in the Life
When an entire narrative is too much, try this vignette approach. Pick a small incident which seems really REPRESENTATIVE of a larger whole.

8. Make sure your topic is strong
Before you get too far…
Make sure your topic is strong
To ensure your topic is interesting enough and will give you enough to write about, you’ll need to brainstorm angles:
THE TOPIC SPIDER
* Angles are topics and sub-topics and each leg represents a different one

9. TIME TO DO A TOPIC SPIDER AND PLAN A TOPIC
Your Feature Topic:
It’s up to you!!!
TIME TO DO A TOPIC SPIDER AND PLAN A TOPIC

10. YOUR FEATURE STORY Your Feature Topic: It’s up to you!!!
The Nine Steps:
Topic selection (done)
Research and source gathering
Prepare interview questions and conduct interviews
Write the lead
Write the billboard or nut graph
Write the body (T/Q where necessary)
Write the conclusion
Write the headlines
Copy editing and publishing
Pre-writing
Rough draft
Final draft

11. What am I going to explore and say?
What do I want to know?
Who do I want to ask?
WHAT IS NEXT?
2-3. TIME TO RESEARCH AND GATHER SOURCES.
PREPARE QUESTIONS & CONDUCT INTERVIEWS

12. RESEARCH. PREP QUESTIONS. CONDUCT INTERVIEWS
Your Feature Topic:
It’s up to you!!!
RESEARCH. PREP QUESTIONS. CONDUCT INTERVIEWS

13. Hook ‘em in and make ‘em wanna read more!
WHAT IS NEXT?
4. TIME TO WRITE THE LEAD

14. FEATURE STRUCTURE 
Lead
Billboard
The
Body
Conclusion

15. Feature Lead This is your opening paragraph or two.
It’s important to set the table and hook in your readers with creative, descriptive writing.
Try some of the following creative options …
Focus on a single person for your lead.
Tell the story through one person’s eyes.
Focus on an incident or anecdote.
Describe a specific moment or scene. Show, don’t tell.
Try a startling statement or dialogue or other devices.
Describe a setting as a way of establishing the theme of a piece.

16. Nine Examples Quotation: begins with an unusually revealing quote.
“If you never try, you never succeed.” With Mrs. Nelson’s words of encouragement, nervous students began tryouts for the school play, Our Town.
One Word: captures the reader in a single word.
Fire! Chemistry lab partners Jill Nelson and Todd Anderson took the “heat” when their test tube exploded.
Contrast: describes two extremes or opposites.
Night and day. Speech Club members worked ‘round the clock to finish their Homecoming float.
Astonisher: begins with an exclamation that catches the reader off guard.
Nothing is worse than a bad hair day! Especially when it’s time to take your yearbook picture.
Punch: features actions or makes a dramatic statement.
“C’est magnifique!”When the French Club dined at Chez Paul, members feasted on baguettes and brie!
Summary: summarizes the most important of the five W’s and H.
While senior cheerleaders watched from the gym bleachers, sophomore “wanna-bes” tried out for the squad during the first week of school.
Question: leads the readers into the story. Be cautious with this one. It’s the most abused feature lead, too often leaving readers with a feeling of “who cares?”
Why do fools fall in love?
Sequential: presents the events in the order in which they happened.
Painting the town red (and black), basketball fans create pep signs before the State Championship send-off rally.
Sights & Sounds: creates a scenario bringing the event to life.
Steam fogged the windows as the marching band’s bus sped through the pouring rain carrying them to the Memorial Day parade.

17. WRITE YOUR FEATURE LEAD
Your Feature Topic:
It’s up to you!!!
WRITE YOUR FEATURE LEAD

18. Summarize the story
WHAT IS NEXT?
5. TIME TO WRITE THE BILLBOARD

19. FEATURE STRUCTURE
Lead 
Billboard
The
Body
Conclusion

20. Feature Billboard After the lead, write the billboard paragraph.
The billboard is a summary of what the story is about.
It’s the 5 Ws and H that you didn’t answer in the lead.

21. Sample Lead Billboard The Body
He heard the shot and then felt the pain, but only for a moment. Within seconds, junior Jeb Smith blacked out and went into shock.
“I don’t remember much of the shooting,” he said. “I remember it felt like someone punched their fist right through my face, but then I went black.”
Last summer, Jeb’s five-year-old brother accidentally shot him in the face with his father’s loaded 57-magnum. Jeb lost his right eye and part of his right ear in the accident but suffered no permanent brain damage.
“I was extremely lucky,” Jeb said. “The doctor said the bullet missed my brain by an inch. I still have a long way to go with my reconstructive surgery, but I am just glad I am alive.”
Lead
Billboard
The Body

22. Tell the story!
WHAT IS NEXT?
6. TIME TO WRITE THE BODY

23. FEATURE STRUCTURE
Lead
Billboard 
The
Body
Conclusion

24. Feature Body After the Billboard is the Body of the Story
Keep related material together and weave your subtopic (legs) from your topic spider into the story.
Divide the subtopics into sections (paragraphs).
Each paragraph tells a different part of the story.
Between each new section, there must be a transition sentence that segues from one subtopic to the next.
Your transition sets up all the information in the next paragraph and ties it in with what’s already been written.
If you are using quotes, they must be preceded by transitions and attributed just as they were with straight news.

25. T/Q Feature Example
TRANSITION: Jeb still needs four more surgeries, but none of them will help him regain his sight.
QUOTE: “I am glad that they are going to make me look more like my old self,” Jeb said. “But I am upset about my eye. I wanted to be a pilot and now that dream is shattered.”
TRANSITION: Jeb’s said his little brother, Shane, found the gun in his father dresser bureau on that summer day.
QUOTE: “I think he was just curious,” Jeb said. “I didn’t think the gun was loaded so I just told him to put it away. And then, bam, my life changed forever.”

26. Wrap this thing up!
WHAT IS NEXT?
7. TIME TO WRITE THE CONCLUSION

27. FEATURE STRUCTURE
Lead
Billboard
The
Body 
Conclusion

28. Feature Conclusion
Once you have used all your information and included all your subtopics in the body, it’s time for the conclusion.
The conclusion brings a sense of finality and resolution.
Wrap up loose ends and leave reader with a single, significant thought.
End stories in memorable ways.
Often it’s a good to use a powerful quote. This is called a clincher.
Or, tie the ending back to the lead (call-back to earlier in the story).
You could also make a statement that looks to the future.

29. What Not to Do in Your Conclusion
Don’t end in cliches
“So the next time …”
Don’t end with Questions
Bring your story to a close with a conclusion. Don’t ask the reader a question and leave them without answers.

30. WHAT IS NEXT? Pique My Attention! Fix It! Finish It! Print It!
8-9. Write headlines.
Copy editing and publishing 

31. TIME TO WRITE YOUR BODY, CONCLUSION, AND HEADLINES
Your Feature Topic:
It’s up to you!!!
TIME TO WRITE YOUR BODY, CONCLUSION, AND HEADLINES

32. TIME TO EDIT AND PROOF YOUR COPY and SUBMIT FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION
Your Feature Topic:
It’s up to you!!!
TIME TO EDIT AND PROOF YOUR COPY and SUBMIT FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION