The five ws every news story must cover the five ws. Feature stories hard news articles are written so the reader can stop reading at any time, and still come away with the whole story. Feature writing think of the feature story as a news story written like a piece of short fiction 6. The lesson on writing a feature story details characteristics that should be included in a strong feature writing piece. If your objective is freelance feature writing, a staff job for a while will enable you to build a network of contacts. Usually, with feature stories, youll start by placing your quotes and building around them. However, unlike straight news articles, it places emphasis on the. Feature ledes, sometimes called delayed ledes, unfold more slowly. A feature story is any piece of writing that falls between the cutanddried news story on the one hand, and the w holly fictionalized story or opinionated essay 011 the other hand. If youre even luckier the work placement might lead to a staff job. It is the product ol tactual reporting and reporting to which are added story elements of imaginative writing and interpretation. Features are more indepth than traditional news stories and go beyond providing the most important facts. On the contrary, a feature article can be a more creative piece, drawing the reader in and providing more and more information along the way.
It is meant to accompany handouts on formatting that are available in the writing center. Finishing the 7 steps will give students complete story arcs. Feature articles are a way to make readers understand the human experience better. How to write a feature story for a school newspaper. Middle school feature article informational reading 2 teaching students to understand informational reading and write a feature article this unit combines a group of lessons designed to teach students the skills and strategies involved in informational reading and writing a feature article. Tips for writing feature stories you dont have to be an accredited member of the news media to write a great feature story. A feature story is usually the longest article in your newspaper, above words, and is often featured on the front page of your newspaper. News story hard news stories move briskly through the five ws and the h, packing in just enough detail to give readers a clear picture of the news. A feature article is a creative article that deals with real events, issues, and trends. Before one starts crafting a feature article, he must master the nutty gritty of writing so that even the. But if youre going to go beyond straightforward reporting and become a truly great feature writera storytelleryour job is to keep them reading. The rescue teamlibrarians who save your necks during research paper time. Use this form to make sure you are gathering everything you will need to write your story. They allow the writer to tell a story in a more traditional, narrative way.
Feature writing you must combine the rigors of factual reporting with the creative freedom of shortstory writing 7. Instead, they may write a chronology that builds to a climax at the end, a narrative, a firstperson article about one of their own experiences or a combination of these. Wherever possible, please buy and read all the texts referenced within. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Feature stories, on the other hand, are soft news because they are not as timely, not as swiftly reported. This second edition is completely overhauled to reflect the range of print and digital feature formats, and the variety of online, mobile and traditional media in which they appear. The college of saint rose writing center, 2011 11 basic ways to improve your short stories this handout is a list of tips to think about before you start your short story and while youre writing it. The purpose of feature writing writing for strategic. Unusual jobs or students who meet famous people as a result of their parttime job 4. Feature writers have the extra time to complete background.
Feature writers seldom use the invertedpyramid form. Feature writing caven masuku, gweru, zimbabwe introduction a good feature writer is neither wordy nor flowery. It can give readers a strong mental image to keep them attached to the writing and to the storys key players. Journalists resource, will teach students how to write compelling feature articles, substantive nonfiction stories that look to a corner of the news and illuminate it, often in human terms. It may be longer and indepth compared to a straightforward news story. In features, the immediacy of the event is secondary. There is no need to put a conclusion on a news story.
Feature stories generally have a strong narrative line. Writing feature stories universitas negeri yogyakarta. It uses quotes liberally and allows the reader to see the story through detailed description and vivid writing. Guide to writing feature films 1 a guide to feature film writing a screenwriters workbook by j. Qualities of a feature story feature stories are descriptive and full of detail. A feature story aims to educate and entertain the readers. Journalists are taught to put the most important information at the top of a story because they have to assume many readers wont stick around till the end. These skills the students will use repeatedly over the course of the year. And, there are so many everyday applications for feature stories, that nonprofit professionals who have marketing and public relations responsibilities should consider the value of honing their feature writing skills. Leadquotetransition leadquotetransition writing requires forethought because the stories include quotes and details from the event being covered. Making a comebackstudents or faculty who have overcome incredible odds. The objective, of course, is to draw the reader into the story, to make them want to read more. Feature writing is the primary form of writing that concordias student newspaper produces.
Often, a feature ends where the lead started, with a single person or event. Typically, you only want to have one of them per issue. This is very different from an essay, which presumes that the audience will stick around to the end, and can therefore build to a finish. It is a blend of a news article with a bit of interpretation of the facts without giving an opinion as to what the solution should be. He is precise and straight to the point and is guided by the abc of journalism that is accuracy, balance and clarity. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Feature writing readers would have to read the whole story to understand it 8. Journalists resource, will teach students how to write compelling feature articles.
A guide to feature film writing tallinn university. Writing feature stories matthew ricketson and caroline. First, write a straight news lead for each of the following stories. The students will learn the steps of writing an effective feature story including interviewing, taking notes, writing the lead, and deciding on an overall theme to the piece. It can be personal, colorful, and opinionated, but without deviating from the facts. The secret to writing stronger feature articles writers. The storystarter workbook is a tool for teaching students the creative writing process. It can bring an issue to light by evoking empathy with the readers. Writing feature stories established a reputation as a comprehensive, thoughtprovoking and engaging introduction to researching and writing feature stories.
When articles or scripts succeed at this, they often are cast as what is known as. Thin, wiry, and energetic she walks the length of her acreage every day, she credits the farm for her good health. A feature can trail off like a news story or it can be concluded with a climax. After all, what your subject has to say is more relevant than what you have to say. The goal of the workbook is to coach students in building the 7 primary components of a story character, challenge, motivation, setting, obstacles, climax, and closing.
Grade each feature story as a complete writing assignment. A feature article is normally a much longer piece in terms of word count, and editors will expect you to write between 600 words for a feature article, whereas a news release may only be around 350. Who, what, when, where, why and sometimes the abcs of news writing are accuracy, brevity and clarity. Or, your instructor may ask you to write a complete feature based upon one of these sets of facts. Column and a news report, purpose, audience writing articles for newspapers. Feature stories have a strong lead that grabs readers and makes them want to read on. Example of a good feature story that brings to light gender and poverty issues. News story, broadcast sports story, broadcast feature story, and broadcast public service announcement. The basics of feature writing journalism lecture duration. Study 24 terms writing a feature story flashcards quizlet. Giving a physical description of the subject isnt required, but can help the story feel fuller and give readers a mental picture. Writing, sports news writing, yearbook feature writing, yearbook sports feature writing and yearbook theme copy.
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