The document discusses the key elements of writing a feature article. It emphasizes that feature writing tells stories in a more creative way than straight news writing. A strong lead paragraph is important to grab readers' attention, while the nut graph provides a thesis statement summarizing the story. The article also reviews different types of effective leads, using quotes, and ending features by tying them back to the opening. Overall, the document offers guidance on crafting feature articles through memorable leads, nut graphs, quotes, details and endings.

1. FEATURE WRITING
The Art of Telling Stories

2. FEATURE WRITING IS…
Features are told in a less hurried and generally
more creative way than straight 5W and H
news.
You don’t use the inverted pyramid and don’t
have to start with the most important details.
You choose a unique subject, or unique angle
to hook in the reader.

4. THE BEGINNING…. LEADS
*Must grab and hold the readers attention. Use specific, interest-
arousing words.
*Must catch the spirit of the story and create the proper tone:
serious, sarcastic, ironic, flippant, melancholy.

5. LEADS
• Can be and are often longer than one sentence
• Should be specific to your story
• Should NOT be filled with clichés
• Should be in third person
• Must fit the mood or tone

6. More Types of Leads
 Narrative – Tells a story
 Descriptive – Describes a scene, person or subject
 Direct Quote – Use sparingly, MUST be a powerful
quote
 Startling Statement
 Contrast and Compare (then and now
 Twist

7. EXAMPLE: Narrative –
Tells a Story

8. EXAMPLE: Narrative –
Tells a Story

9. EXAMPLE: Descriptive –
Describes a Scene/Person

10. EXAMPLE: Descriptive –
Describes a Scene/Person

11. EXAMPLE: Descriptive –
Describes a Scene/Person

12. EXAMPLE: Direct Quote –
Use sparingly, Must to
Powerful
1.
2.

13. EXAMPLE: Startling
Statement – Creates Drama

14. EXAMPLE: Startling
Statement – Creates Drama

15. EXAMPLE: Twist – Sets the
Reader up for one Mood and then
twists it, surprises

16. EXAMPLE: Another Twist

17. Cont.

18. Cont.

19. Do not “Imagine
this…”

20. Try this instead…

21. AFTER A STRONG
LEAD…
You need a strong nut graph

22. What is a nut graph?
• Basically it is a summery of what the
story is going to be about. It’s the 5 Ws
and H that you didn’t answer in the lead.
• It’s the THESIS sentence of your story

24. AFTER A STRONG LEAD
AND INFORMATIVE NUT
GRAPH…

25. • Transition – Jeb still needs four more
surgeries, but none of them will help
him regain his sight.
• Direct Quote – ―I am glad that they are
going to make me look more like my old
self, Jeb said. ―But I am upset about my
eye. I wanted to be a pilot and now that
dream is shattered.
• Transition – Jeb’s said his little brother,
Shane, found the gun in his father’s
dresser bureau on that summer day.

26. SO HOW DO YOU END A
FEATURE STORY?

27. • End Your Story with …
– A Powerful Quote
OR
– Tie the End back to the lead!

28. For example:
(Lead) ―Don’t be mad. I took some pills,‖ Karen
Keaton cried as she stooped over the toilet.
A few hours later, the 14-year-old freshman died
after a series of coronary arrests.
(Ending) Since the death of her oldest daughter,
the Keatons have found themselves becoming more
protective. ―I find myself watching for things,‖ Mrs.
Keaton said. ―I’m not sure for what. I’m just watching.‖

29. For Example:
(Lead) A group of candystripers stand around the
nursery, holding incubator babies. It’s ―loving time.‖
Another young girls steps in with her mother and picks
up a baby, too. She is not in a uniform, but a in a
hospital gown, for the baby she holds is her own — and
it’s her ―loving time.‖
It’s also time to say good-bye.
―I sat in that rocker and held him and rocked him and I
cried and cried and cried,‖ Amber, a senior, said. ―I
wanted that moment to last forever so I could always
hold him and always be there for him.‖
―But I knew I couldn’t. That’s what hurt.‖

30. For example:
(Ending) This was evident as she stated the one
word that described the whole ordeal:
―Pain,‖ she said, tears streaming down her
cheeks and falling onto her sweater.
―True pain.‖

31. Now, Let’s Critique
Some Feature Leads
• With your partner, read each of the student-
written leads on the handout and determine
which you think are the strongest and which need
more work.
• Be prepared to give reasons for your choices.
• Also, be prepared to suggest how to improve the
leads that you consider weak.

32. Transition/Quote Formula
If you have quotes (sources), try something called the
transition/quote formula …
T: Jeb still needs four more surgeries, but none of
them will help him regain his sight.
Q: ―I am glad that they are going to make me look
more like my old self,‖ Jeb said. ―But I am upset
about my eye. I wanted to be a pilot and now that
dream is shattered.‖
T: Jeb’s said his little brother, Shane, found the
gun in his father dresser bureau on that summer
day.
Q: ―I think he was just curious,‖ Jeb said. ―I didn’t
think the gun was loaded so I just told him to put it
away. And then, bam, my life changed forever.‖

33. The Billboard
• After the lead, write the billboard
paragraph.
• The billboard is a summary of what the
story is about.
– It’s the 5 Ws and H that you didn’t answer
in the lead.

34. Sample
He heard the shot and then felt the pain, but only for
a moment. Within seconds, junior Jeb Smith blacked
out and went into shock.
―I don’t remember much of the shooting,‖ he said. ―I
remember it felt like someone punched their fist right
through my face, but then I went black. ‖
Last summer, Jeb’s five-year-old brother
accidentally shot him in the face with his father’s
loaded 57-magnum. Jeb lost his right eye and part
of his right ear in the accident but suffered no
permanent brain damage.
―I was extremely lucky,‖ Jeb said. ―The doctor said
the bullet missed my brain by an inch. I still have a long
way to go with my reconstructive surgery, but I am just
glad I am alive.‖
Lead
Billboard
Transition/Quote
Body

35. Now, Let’s Critique
A Feature Article
• Read the article ―It’s a Fork, It’s a Spoon …‖ that is
on the cappycreative.com website with your partner
• Discuss and critique it, then complete the Response
Sheet
– In the future, you will use this Response Sheet when
reviewing articles to tell the writer what to revise for the next
draft.
– Reviewers do not have to agree on all comments, but all
opinions should be included for the writer to consider later.

36. • Stage 1 (pre-writing) is
complete!
• We used our story journal
and selected a topic or
wrote down a new one that
will be the subject of our first
feature article.
• We have a topic spider with
main subject in the middle
and leg ideas (subtopics).
• On to Stage 2 (drafting).
• Here, we’ll look at what a
feature story is and how to
craft it.

37. • For a Strong Feature
Remember this….
GO STUDD

38. G Great
Q Quotes
S Strong Lead
T Transition/Quote Formula
U Unique Angle
D Description - Show Don’t Tell
D Detail