Agenda Choosing Topics Types of Feature Stories Types of Feature Leads Body of a Feature Ending of a Feature Background Features stories read like nonfiction short stories Beginning middle and end ID: 272200
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Slide1
Feature WritingSlide2
Agenda
Choosing Topics
Types of Feature Stories
Types of Feature Leads
Body of a Feature
Ending of a FeatureSlide3
Background
Features stories read like nonfiction short stories
Beginning, middle and end
“Human Interest” or “Style” Pieces
May describe a person, place
or
idea more so than an event
May be less timely, local or “earthshaking” than hard news
Explore topics in greater depth than news
Still not personal opinion!
Fair, balanced, based on reliable information Slide4
Items to Include in Features
Borrow fiction writing techniques
Descriptions
Sensory details
Quotations
Anecdotes
Characterization
Setting
Plot structure
Other novelistic elementsSlide5
Choosing a Topic
Fresh, dramatic, colorful and exciting
Universal
Examples: Food, Clothing, Shelter, Belonging, Money, Leisure
News stories often spark spinoff topics
Fight in hallway Student needs/safetySlide6
Types of Features
Personality Profiles
Historical
Adventure
Seasonal
Explanatory
How To
Personal
Experience
Behind the Scenes
Participatory
Medical
Business
Unusual Occupation or Hobby Slide7
Personality Profile
Describe interesting people
Achieved success
Served community
Must reveal a person’s character
NOT just a list of achievements or important dates
Readers should feel like they’ve met the personSlide8
Historical
Commemorate dates of important events
Bombing of Hiroshima
Birthday of Nelson Mandela
9/11
Describe famous landmarks, pioneers, philosophies, educational initiatives, etc.
Consult historical documents or interview eye-witnesses to event Slide9
Adventure
Describe an unusual or exciting experience
Survival of an airplane crash
Climbed Everest
Quotations and descriptions are very importantSlide10
Seasonal
Seasons or holidays
Be careful not to be mundane
Find a new angle!
Focus on an individual
Unique traditions
Volunteering or community events Slide11
Explanatory
“Local situation”
“Interpretive”
“Sidebars”
Provide a more detailed description of topics in the news
Act of terrorism article Examine terrorists’ identity, tactics, or goals Slide12
How To
Perform a task
Build a home
Plant a garden
Train a puppy
Psychological issues
Survival skills
Avoid preaching or advice with personal opinion
Gather facts and tips from expertsSlide13
Unusual Occupation or Hobby
These jobs and hobbies tend to involve colorful or interesting people
Paint a picture
Person
How he/she got involved
Actual job or hobby Slide14
Personal Experience
First or second person
Writer appears in the story
Directly addresses audience
Do not give opinions Still focus on facts
Pick an interesting topic
Don’t dwell on insignificant details Slide15
Behind the Scenes
Take readers backstage
An inside look
Job
Event
Group
Conversation Slide16
Participatory
Writer actually experiences an event
Gives an inside look of goings onSlide17
Medical
Local health issues
Ethical issues
Common ailments
Mental illness
Gather facts from professionals and pair with quotes from subjects who have condition
Show experiences and feelings Slide18
Business
Promotions
New business ventures
Local economy
Elections
Look for the unusual or interesting Slide19
Types of Feature Leads
AP Summary
Similar to Hard News
Quotations
Questions
Action
Begin with the climax of the storySlide20
Leads Continued…
Descriptions
Sensory details to set the scene
Similar to setting and characters in a short story
Shocking facts
Anecdotes
Humorous play on words Slide21
Body of a Feature
Be coherent
Facts should fit together like a puzzle
Use brief and effective transitions
Be concise
Emphasize lively details and actionsSlide22
Body Continued…
Use several paragraphs of summary and some quotations and details to explain
ideas
Be specific
Use elements of literature
Slant the feature for a specific audienceSlide23
Ending of a Feature
Include a satisfying conclusion
Anecdote, quote, word or phrase that offers meaning
Avoid summaries
They are boring and repetitive
Edit and rewrite