This will teach you on how to write a effective feature article

1. WRITING A FEATURE
STORY
Show me…don’t just tell me
(Ideas from Bobby Hawthorne)
MA. JOAN L. HEMBRA
MT-1/San Sebastian NHS

2. What’s
interesting?
What’s new?
What’s trendy?

3. What is a feature story?
A story not based on “breaking
news.”
Interest to the reader lies in some factor other
than the news value.
 A profile of the school principal.
 A story about the history of the school building is a
feature.
 A story about a fire in the school kitchen is not a feature
but a news story.

4. Characteristics of a Feature
Story
 Meant to entertain
 Is of “human interest”
 Style
 Humor
 Unique of unusual
Reveals something new about people,
things, and events. OR, it revives
memory.

5. 5 Types of Feature Stories
 Experience or Adventure Stories
 Personalities
 Backgrounders
 How to Articles
 Interviews

6. Experience/Adventure Stories
 Tells a story
 First person point of view
 May be a shared experience
If you attend a
conference or
science camp,
share your story.

7. Personalities
 Character Sketch
 Usually Short
 Emphasis on Person

8. Backgrounders
Explain history or background of…
 An event
 A building or place
 An organization

9. How to articles
 “How to do”
 “What to do”
 Describe a process
 Accompany with pictures

11. Interview Stories
 Know your subject, do research
 Introduce yourself
 Prepare questions before the interview
 Take many notes

12. LET’S
REVIE
W

13. Question 1
 A feature story must always be timely.
 True or False?

14. Question 1
 A feature story must always be timely.
 False

15. Question 2
 What are the five types of feature
stories?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

16. Question 2
1. Experience or Adventure Stories
2. Personalities
3. Backgrounders
4. How to Articles
5. Interviews

17. Question 3
 What is the purpose of the feature
story? How is the feature story different
from a regular news story?

18. Question 3
 It entertains!!!!
 Unlike a news story, its purpose is to
serve human interest and entertain the
reader.

19. How to Write the
Story

20. The lead
 When you start your story, you should
transport your reader to that place and
time
 The strength lies in the ability to bring
details in
 Appeal to a sense…or two…or more

21. Appeal to the Senses
 Good description will appeal to the
senses and to emotions
 Doing so will generate empathy
between the reader and the subject
 Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell

22. Choose wisely
 Description can make a point
 Description can also overwhelm, so
make sure you choose the details that
are necessary
 Do not over describe.

23. Consider this:
 The story deals with romantic
obsession. Here is the beginning:
 “She thought he was going to kill her.
He had been angry before, even
punched his hand through a window
once, but he had never threatened her,
never scared her like this.

24. Continued…
 Now he was out of control. He pushed
her into a corner and then shoved her
back down when she tried to escape.
“All I could think was ‘I have to get out
of here.’ I just started crying.”
 That was a month ago. Today, Julie has
ended her relationship with Jim, but he
didn’t give up without a fight.

25. Continued
 “He’d circle my house, leave me little
note, stare at me in class,” Julie said.
“He kind of lost it.”
 Other high school students have similar
stories. Obsessive love is all too real for
many teenagers…

26. The difference
 The detail carries the story along
 The single focus helps give readers an
entry point
 After the specific example, the writer is
able to bring in other people, stats, facts

27. How would you have started?
 A definition of obsession?
 Generalization: “Many students have
been…”?
 Putting in too many dark details?

28. Strip your stories down
 Create a single theme
 Write a single sentence about your story
when you start
 Rebuild those subjects then with that
one sentence in mind
 Find a local angle/connection

29. Let’s try it out
Find an angle for the following subjects:
 Student Council has had a busy year
 She was a popular and excellent teacher
 Computers made a big difference in school
this year
 Students are obsessed with social media
 Spelling problems caused by social media

30. Now let’s talk writing
 Write the way you think
 Go to the Thesaurus when you get
stuck and know there is a better word
out there
 Write to communicate
 Tell a story
 Don’t leave out necessary elements

31. Your Task
 You will be writing for the next 20
minutes (no stopping) on one of the
topics provided.
 You need to have a specific angle
 You need to write it like a journalism
article
 Do not edit as you go…simply focus on
telling the story