Writing the Feature Story
Settle on a subject:
Start with what you’re interested in
See if it would be interesting to others
Research it:
Read up books and articles on the subject
Find out who are the experts, pioneers, controversial thinkers in the area; this will give you a handle on the core themes and opposing viewpoints
Reflect:
As you do your research ask yourself: What’s my angle on the subject? What am I going to focus on? You don’t want that focus to be too broad or narrow but just right for you to be able to write meaningfully for the 800, 1200, 1500, or 2000 words you’re supposed to deliver.
Ask yourself: Will I be able to get interviewees who can provide insightful comments on my area of focus? What are the various viewpoints I’ve uncovered during the research, and can I get comments that cover those different perspectives?
Finally, think about how you want to structure your article: This doesn’t have to be a precise plan; a rough outline would do – think about how you might start your story. Perhaps you’ll use an anecdotal lead (a short narrative of an interesting, amusing or biographical incident) or start with a dramatic scene, before moving into the key issues, dealing with each point in a separate paragraph, adding scenes rich with description, intimate detail, and quotations from interviewees, where possible.
Write:
Work from a suitable design: Think of how you’re going to organise your key points, and how you’ll interweave your scenes, quotations, evidence, data and arguments, to make those points.
Each point should be dealt with in a paragraph. You can begin each paragraph with a sentence introducing the point you’re going to make.
But if it is a paragraph of narration or description, it isn’t going to be possible to start with a topic sentence, so simply begin with an opening sentence that indicates the direction the paragraph will take. An example of such a sentence would be: “After about a minute, the creek bed vomited the debris into a gently sloped meadow. Saugstad felt the snow slow and tried to keep her hands in front of her. She knew from avalanche safety courses that outstretched hands might puncture the ice surface and alert rescuers.”
As William Strunk and E.B. White state in their book The Elements of Style, “Place yourself in the background: Write in a way that draws the reader’s attention to the sense and substance of the writing, rather than to the mood and temper of the author. If the writing is solid and good, the mood and temper of the writer will eventually be revealed and not at the expense of the work.”
Include scenes: vignettes, episodes, slices of reality.
Insert quotes and/or snippets of conversation.
When you describe a scene, a situation, a subject, or location ensure the details illuminate rather than distract from the point you’re making.
Organize your scenes, arguments and evidence into a work of interlaced integrity from beginning to end.
Types of Feature Stories
(The notes below are paraphrased or quoted from: Inside Reporting: A practical guide to the craft of journalism by Tim Harrower)
Personality Profile:
Focuses on one person
Explores his or her experiences and perspectives and how they relate to the wider context
Human-Interest Story:
Real people caught up in real situations
Their struggles, achievements and how they relate to the wider context
Color Story:
Coverage of an event, such as a parade, a disaster, or strike
Captures the mood, flavor and meaning of the event through participants’ quotes and vivid description of sights and sounds
Backgrounder, also referred to as an Analysis Piece:
Zooms in on an issue or event reported in the news
Uses research and interviews to explain what happened, why it’s significant, and how the repercussions of it are being dealt with
As journalism expert Tim Harrower puts it: “It’s like teaching a crash course on a complex topic for readers in a hurry.”
Trend Story:
Keeps people informed about the latest developments in culture – fads, fashion, lifestyles, entertainment, etc
Reaction Piece:
Uses a piece of breaking news as its starting point – a financial crisis, pandemic, earthquake, mass shooting, serial killer on the loose, etc – and provides readers with a context for the event, as well as the quotes and perspectives of experts and ordinary people affected by the event
Flashback:
Commemorative pieces looking back on an historic event and using facts, interviews, photos to say why it is still significant now
Personal Narrative:
As Harrower states: “Editors usually discourage stories written in the first person (‘There I was, face-to-face with Bigfoot…’). But if you have a gripping tale to tell – a romantic travel adventure, a brush with disaster, a bout with a deadly disease – writing a personal narrative may be the best way to re-create the drama.”
Read some great feature stories by clicking on the links below:
Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek By JOHN BRANCH
Rape, abuses in palm oil fields linked to top beauty brands By MARGIE MASON and ROBIN McDOWELL
Why cities are experimenting with giving people cash payments By SIMON MONTLAKE
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