Feature writing

1. Feature
Writing
Jacquelyn C. Boholano

2. Features Defined
an essay based on facts
Its main purpose is to entertain or
present human interest stories.

3. Main objective of Features
Main objective of Features
Feature article aims to
entertain, it may also
instruct, advise, inform,
and entertain at the same
time.

4. Feature articles:
-may be of any
length
-may or may not
be timely
-may be written in
any form and style
-usually begins
with a novelty
lead

5. Topics for Feature Stories
Topics for Feature Stories

6. FascinatingHobby
People enjoy reading about
interesting hobbies especially when they
are extra-ordinary or off-beat.

8. Occupation
Unusualoccupations are intriguing.

10. Places
Popular places, and littleknown
places make fascinatingfeatures.

12. Health
Now schools are being
harnessed for development,
articles on healthare a must.

14. Experience
Thrilling, amusing, experiences
provide interestingreading.

16. Science
Features presenting progress in
medicine, science, and technology
attract great readership.

18. People
Any person who has achieved
noteis a good subject for a profile.

20. Development
To help building the nation,
development featuresare a must.

21. CalendarEvent
Serious and humorous aspects of
holidays offer good opportunities for
writinginterestingarticles.

23. For-your-information
so-may-you-know, and similar
itemsare popular in school papers.

25. Roving Reporters
Roving reporters witness some of the
most amusingincidentsand meet some of
the loveliest people to write about.

27. Rare Collection
Articles on rare collections fascinate
not only collections but many types of
readers.

29. How-to-do-it
Practical guidance articles that
give pointers on how to do or make
things and how to improve oneself
attract many readers.

31. Problems
Interpretative features dealing
with in-depth phases of social,
economic, health, political and
everyday life problems are among
those worthwritingabout.

32. Entertainment
Featuresthatoffer a chuckle are
loved everywhere.

34. Pencilgames
Fun page

36. How to Introduce the
Feature Article
1. Rhetorical
Question Who says that age is an obstacle to
education?
Take it from Danilo Marcelo of Arayat,
Pampanga who stopped going to school
seven years ago after finishing the
elementary grades. This year, at 24, he
enrolled as a first year evening student at
Abada High School.

37. 2. Startling
Statement
“Hindi pa kami laos!”
Thus exclaimed the young once
teachers, administrators,
parents, community and
barangay members as they set
aside one special day during the
school’s celebration of
Community Week to have a
share of the festivities, and of
course to display their hidden
talents.
Title: Hindi Pa Kami Laos

38. 3. Narrative
Opening
Mrs. Adelfa Prado, a fourth
year evening student, sends
herself and her six children
to school, acting as mother
and father at the same time.
Every day, Mrs. Prado divides
her time as half time tinder
tending her sarisari store
during the day and as half-
time student studying at
night.s
Title: Half Here, Half There

39. “I earn while I learn.” He
smiled at me as the interview
reeled off. “How can you work,
have a part-time job, and at
the same time go to school?” I
asked.
“Well, it is easy,” he explained.
“I don’t do all of these at the
same time.”
Title: I Earn While I Learn
4. Quoted
Remarks

40. 5. An Old Maxim, an
Aphorism, or a
Salawikain
“Water, water, everywhere,
but not a drop to drink.”
This quotation from the
Rime of the Ancient
Mariner by Samuel
Coleridge does not hold
true any more. Today, even
flood water can quench the
thirst. How?

41. 6. History or
Background of the
Subject
Muslims throughout the
world, including our Filipino
Muslim brothers, observe
the holy month of Ramadan
starting Sept. 17. Ramadan
is the ninth lunar month of
the Muslim calendar. It is
observed by Muslims just as
the Lenten Season is
commemorated by
Christians.
Title: Knowing Our Muslim
Brothers

42. 7. Problems to be
Discussed and the Article
of Fact to be Established There is an answer to
the rising cost of
vegetables: raise your
own.
Title: Backyard
Gardening

43. Ending the Feature
Article
1. A summary of the whole
article
Take it from the experts: Smoking is
definitely harmful to health.
Smoking may make you feel manly,
but you may not live long enough
to be one.
Title: Don’t Smoke Your Life Away

44. 2. An announcement of
the main point for the
first time
Therefore, a major part of
the development
communication effort
should be directed at
strengthening the
character of the people,
and developing in them
moral values, particularly
self-discipline, self-
reliance, strength of
character, and fortitude.
Title: Development
Communication
3. A question left in the
reader’s mind
The hands of the new
Filipino toil for the love of
creation. They turn the
wheels of progress and
hold high the torch of
freedom- freedom from
want and hunger.
Do you have these kinds of
hands?
Title: The New Filipino

45. 4. Suggested
results or
significance
Let us conserve our
forests now if we want
to save the future of
our country and of our
children.
Title: The Rape of the
Forest
5. A forecast or
prophecy
In six and a half
centuries from now, if
population explosion
would not be checked,
there would be one
person standing on
every square foot of
land on earth. By that
time, people would be
devouring one another,
for there would be no
more space for plants to
grow.
Title: A Tale of Horror –
Population Explosion

46. 6. A repetition of
the introduction
Asked if he had any
formal training in
photography,
Domingo Layson
finally answered, ‘Ah,
it is now the reverse.
It is here where I
learn as I earn, not I
earn as I learn.
Title: I Learn as I Earn
7. A repetition of a
sentence or slogan,
or a reference to
the title
After four years of
working as a houseboy,
working during the day
and going to school at
night, Jose Fallar will
soon graduate as a first
honor student.
Now, who says that
poverty is a hindrance to
education?
Title: Proverty Not a
Hindrance

47. 8. An appropriate quotation
Nestor claims that he is poor. But when
asked why he gave his last centavo to the
old man, he answered:
“Not what we give, but what we share
For the gift, without the giver is bare,
Who gives himself with his alms feed
three
Himself, his hungering neighbor and me.”
Title: Love thy Neighbor

48. Qualities of a Good Feature Writer
1. He knows how to look for
features from beneath the
surface of everyday event.
2. He investigates every angle
before starting to write in order
to get the story behind the story.
3. He is a keen observer.
4. He has various interests.
5. He has the ability to write
features interestingly.

49. Characteristics of a Good
Feature Article
1. It may inform, instruct, or advise, but its
primary purpose is to entertain. It is usually
read after the news in a leisure moment.
2. It may be of any length- from a short human
interest story to a rather long magazine article.
3. It may or may not be timely. It is timeless.
4. It may be written in any form or any style.
5. It usually uses the novelty lead rather than
the summary lead.

50. 6. The reporter may use any of the following devices-
suspense, dialog, description, narration, exposition,
argumentation, climax, and the like in presenting his
story.
7. Although the writer applies his imagination to the
facts, the feature story is not fiction. It is based on
facts.
8. It uses specific nouns, adjectives, and verbs to
create vivid images, sound and feeling for the
readers.
9. It applies the principle of effective writing to
achieve unity, coherence, and emphasis which are
essential to all good writing.
10. It is written with friendly simplicity.