1. HOW TO WRITE A FEATURE STORY

2. WHAT ARE FEATURE STORIES? Feature stories are human-interest articles that focus on: – particular people – places – events They cover topics in depth They amplify and explain the most interesting and important elements of a situation They focus on an issue through: – First-rate story telling- Human appeal – Irony- Atmosphere – Humor- Colorful details

3. HARD NEWS VS. FEATURE STORIES Hard news stories: – Inverted pyramid style: most important info first – Much shorter than a feature story – Report very timely events that have just occurred Feature story (soft news): – Have a clear beginning, middle, and end – Longer than hard news stories – the writer has the time and space to develop the theme – You have the extra time to complete background research, interviews, and observations for the story.

4. TYPES OF FEATURES: 1) Human Interest: – best-known kind of feature – discusses issues through the experiences of another. 2) Profiles: – reveals an individual's character and lifestyle. – readers will feel they know the person. 3) How-To: – help people learn by telling them how to do something. – The writer learns about the topic through education, experience, research or interviews with experts.

5. TYPES OF FEATURES: 4) Historical Features: – Honors/remembers important dates in history – takes the reader back to revisit an event and issues surrounding it. 5) Seasonal Themes: – Stories about holidays and the change of seasons – at specific times of a year – they cover life milestones, social, political and cultural cycles, and business cycles. 6) Behind the Scenes: – Inside views of unusual occupations, issues, and events – readers like feeling in the know about unusual details and well kept secrets about procedures or activities they might not ordinarily be exposed to or allowed to participate in.

6. GATHERING DATA: Journalists use three tools to gather information for stories: – Observation – Interview – Background research After completing these, the writer brings the story to life through: – colorful description – meaningful anecdotes – significant quotes These elements are obtained when interviewing and observing by jotting down everything encountered – smells, noises, colors, textures, emotions, details seen and heard in the surroundings.

7. GATHERING DATA: The journalist keeps an open mind while interviewing subjects and researching sources. The writer avoids imposing personal ideas on the sources. – The writer does NOT give their OPINION

8. STORY FORMAT: The information in a feature is organized differently from hard news stories. Add details to keep a feature article interesting. Writers use: – Anecdotes (short stories) – Descriptive writing – Quotes – Facts After the title and opening paragraph grab a reader, narrative hooks are used to persuade the reader to continue reading. – Narrative hooks: Attractive story elements Intended to pull the reader forward through the story Examples: action, mystery, drama,or appealing characters

9. ORGANIZATION: Organize your feature article by thinking of it as a three-act play. The first act is the introduction: – the freelance writer introduces the subject while capturing the reader's interest. The second act of feature writing is the body: – provides the information in an interesting, logical manner. – this is where you'll often see quotes. The last act of your feature is the conclusion: – You will pull everything together.

10. BRAINSTORMING: 1) Choose a topic for your feature: 2) Do research on your topic 3) Interview at least 1 person on your topic 4) Make observations about your topic 5) Highlight: – Anecdotes (short stories) – Descriptive writing – Quotes – Facts 6) Fill out the Feature Story graphic organizer 7) Write your Feature story

11. FIND YOUR STORY: Look for not only at what interests you, but what people are talking about. Pay attention to the news. Sometimes feature articles come from looking at a news article and asking why that incident occurred. Is there something happening in your community that might be of interest to the country or the world?

12. JOURNALING: 1)What do I already know about my topic? 2)What key words can I research to find out more information about my topic? 3)Who can I interview to find out more information about my topic? 4)Is there any place I could visit to go learn more information about my topic? 5)What can my teacher do to help me with writing my feature story?

13. WRITING YOUR FEATURE STORY

14. FEATURE STORY STRUCTURE: 1) The Lead 2) The Nut Graph 3) The Body 4) The Ending

15. 1. THE LEAD: The opening sentence must grab and hold the reader's attention by using interesting words. It is…  Usually longer than one sentence  Your chance to grab the reader's attention  Should be specific to your story  Should not be filled with cliches  Should be in third person  Must fit the mood or tone of the story

16. DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEADS:  Narrative: tells a story  Descriptive: describes a scene, person, or subject  Direct Quote: must be very powerful and used with narrative (use sparingly).  Startling statement: creates drama  Twist: surprises the reader

17. NARRATIVE: tells a story Example: Justin Greer's 2,800 friends have never seen him cry. His father has seen him cry only once — the day last October when doctors told the 16- year-old football player that what he thought was a bad case of the flu was actually leukemia. “He cried a bit then,” Mr. Greer said. “But then he squared off and said, ‘Well, I’m not dead yet.’ And I haven't seen him cry since, although he's told me that sometimes he cries at night when he's all alone.”

18. DESCRIPTIVE : describes a scene/person Example: Standing in the lunch line, the boy turned to April Haler and asked, “Will you be my girlfriend?” Then he turned to his buddy and started laughing. Just another cruel joke on the fat kid. April, who once weighed almost 300 pounds, is used to them. Since elementary school she has been teased and taunted about her weight. “I remember being called horrible names in elementary school every time we went to the playground,” the sophomore said. But life is changing.

19. DIRECT QUOTE: use sparingly. Must be a very powerful quote Example: “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.

20. STARTLING STATEMENT: creates drama Example: She never knew she had it. Junior Josh Duckworth has a fetish.

21. TWIST: surprises the reader Example: A group of candystripers stand around the nursery, holding incubator babies. It's “loving time.” Another young girl steps in with her mother and picks up a baby, too. She is not in a uniform, but in a hospital gown, for the baby she holds is her own — and it's her “loving time.” It's also time to say good-bye. “I sat in that rocker and held him and rocked him and I cried and cried and cried,” Amber, a senior, said. “I wanted that moment to last forever so I could always hold him and always be there for him.” “But I knew I couldn't. That's what hurt.”

22. 2. THE NUT GRAPH It is a summary of what the story is going to be about. It's the 5 Ws and H that you did not answer in the lead. It's the thesis sentence of your story.

23. Senior Daniel Palacios planned to spend spring break on a relaxing fishing trip in Port Aransas with his father, grandfather and two uncles. Instead, he spent most of the week praying to stay alive. On the second night of Daniel's family fishing trip, his grandfather's boat filled with water and capsized. For three days, Daniel sat on top of the capsized boat, hoping he and his family would be rescued. “I don’t know if I have ever prayed so much in my life,” Daniel said. “I made a few bargains with God during those three days.” On the third day, after the Coast Guard called off its search, a fishing boat found the men. “It was a miracle,” Daniel said. “As soon as we were rescued, we all got on our knees to pray and thank God.” THE NUT GRAPH

24. 3. THE BODY This is after a strong lead and an informative nut graph Use the Transition/Quote formula on the next slide to help you.

25. TRANSITION/QUOTE FORMULA Lead: Most interesting information. Something that will grab the reader's attention and drag them into the story. Nut Graph: A summary of what the story is going to be about. Why the story is important. Direct Quote: Connects to the nut graph. Use more than one sentence. Direct quotes should show the emotion of the story. Transition: Next important fact. Use transition words to help the story flow. They can be facts, indirect quotes or partial quotes. Direct Quote: Connects to the first transition. Do not repeat the transition in the quote. DQ should elaborate on the transition. Transition: Next important fact. Use transition words to help the story flow. They can be facts, indirect quotes or partial quotes. Direct Quote: Connects to the second transition. Do not repeat the transition in the quote. DQ should elaborate on the transition. Linked And so on… until the story is complete

26. 4. CONCLUSION End your story with: – A powerful quote – Tie the ending back to the lead Tie the ending back to the lead

27. CONCLUSION EXAMPLE: Lead:“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. Ending: Since the death of her oldest daughter, the Keatons have found themselves becoming more protective. “I find myself watching for things,” Mrs. Keaton said. “I’m not sure for what. I’m just watching.”

28. THE END