How to write a feature article for a magazine writers edit. George singleton has developed a unique voice that manifests itself through his short stories. Also, be prepared to suggest how to improve the leads that you consider weak. A feature article puts you in the subjects shoes by giving you more details, more background. How prezi does project status updates with a distributed workplace. What a feature story is it is simply not a news story the differences being. The best featurelength documentaries from the worlds top documentary filmmakers. To write a strong feature its not enough to just give the facts. Anecdotal intro a contrast lead a quote intro the question lead 3. The secret to writing stronger feature articles writers.
Jul 23, 2008 an introanimation on how to write feature articles. The question of what is a good book could be the subject of an article all its own indeed daniel hahn made a whole radio programme about it. For example, if writing a piece on professional sports coaching find a. Another is the fly on the wall piece in which events are shown candidly as if the. Apr 10, 2014 how to write a science feature a feature is not an essay regurgitating facts. Writing feature articles kindle edition by hennessy. Think of it like the carrot or the chocolate cookie that is dangled in front of the reader to entice him into reading your whole article.
How to write a science feature nicola davis science. Teaching students feature article writing and informational. To view student articles, please select your grade level. Read examples of news and feature articles from the scholastic kids press. There are seven types of feature articles described on these pages. However, there are many different elements to magazine writing and publishing that the feature writer needs to consider. Feature articles aspects types of feature articles. Overall, feature articles use an informative tone while incorporating creative and descriptive devices in order to increase audience appeal. The autobiography sample and the points given below help you understand how to start with the process of writing.
A feature is an indepth look at a topic, product or industryits a complex story designed to be read at a leisurely pace. Also, most of the examples of writing that he provides, the language and cultural. Sample leads for feature stories read each of the following studentwritten leads, and determine which you think are the strongest and which need more work. Just as the last little kid walks singlefile out the door, about 30 very eager 7 to 10yearolds burst in to take their place. Reflecting on this definition, pulitzer prize judge michael cunningham wrote, utter objectivity is not only impossible when judging literature, its not exactly desirable. The secret to writing stronger feature articles writers digest. But to get your started, here is a brief how to on putting together a winning feature article. Mar 02, 2010 ok so i have to wirte a feature article on a book we read in class a wizard of earthsea by ursula le guin. Every pitch should begin with a proper greeting addressed to a specific. The morris journalism academys online freelance journalism courses will give a comprehensive look at how to write a feature article for almost any topic, and give you insight into the world of freelance writing. Feature stories are also used in an organizations internal communications, such as newsletters and magazines.
As with all writing examples in this book, articles and excerpts are accompanied by a careful analysis of the authors writing techniques. Features can be classified in several broad categories. With each donation, amf distributes nets to protect children, pregnant mothers, and families from mosquitos carrying malaria. Trade publications also publish feature articles, usually in the form of special supplements. How to take care of your mental health while working from home. If youre in need of some tips on writing a good feature article, get ready to have some fun. The showcase article demonstrates the features of pretext. Reduce tension for decision making with 5 steps to piece of mind. Like other articles, the feature has a basic structure. Immerse yourself in feature article titles open a word doc, copy and paste as many feature article titles as you can find into it. Byline journalists name introduce an idea try to grab the readers attention from the get go. Alternatively it is what we do need to know about, even if we dont know it yet abraham aamidor, 1999. Jerz this page offers a brief analysis of a newspaper feature a human interest story that is not closely tied to a recent news event. Most newspaper articles break down into two categories.
Oct 19, 2014 how to write effective feature articles 1. But this lesson deals strictly with news and feature articles. Pascals book of the same name contains ideas which echo the core message of simply being that still resonates so powerfully with people today. Youre going to be developing a human interest story that will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Introduce the person youre profiling and the main topic of. Feature story september 9, 20 a priceless heritage rays of sunlight are seen dazzling at the top of a masterpiece which depicts authority in a centuries old fortress made by the spaniards. The rescue teamlibrarians who save your necks during research paper time. Many authors make this mistake, and wonder why their book isnt selling better. Discover librarianselected research resources on feature writing from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines. Feature writing is the news that you dont need to know, but you want to know. Writing feature articles fourth edition brendan hennessy amsterdam boston heidelberg london new york oxford paris san diego san francisco singapore sydney tokyo focal press is an imprint of elsevier k51691prelims. A trip is not a story in itself, its just a series of events.
For example, a seasonal business feature article may address issues commonly associated with tax season. The purpose of feature writing writing for strategic. The first is a news story, the second, a feature article. Writing feature articles kindle edition by hennessy, brendan. His third collection, why dogs chase cars, arrives in bookstores next month. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. These stories are all about the details, and they allow a writer to get creative.
The key to writing a good feature article is to select the proper venue for your article and then to write the article directed at that audience. It tells fifteen comic tales about the life of young mendal dawes, a resident of the eccentric fictional city of fortyfive, s. Reflecting on this definition, pulitzer prize judge michael cunningham wrote, utter objectivity is not only impossible when judging literature, its. Although not always the case, feature articles are usually longer than news articles. Basic information the basic information includes details about the person in question and hisher family. Elk creek, alberta any mention of teenagers and police officers in the same setting generally conjures up images of wild house parties getting bustedwhich. Weve put together a little guide on what to research and what to include when it comes to writing a high quality feature article. Papers like to have quality articles on hand, so come up with your featureworthy concept, then use the following guidelines to help you write a great article. Noveno instruction specialist iii philippine science high schoolbicol region campus goa, camarines sur 2. List of books and articles about feature writing online. Whenever you buy one of my books, join the habits academy, or otherwise contribute to my work, 5 percent of the profits are donated to the against malaria foundation amf. List of books and articles about feature writing online research.
Teaching students feature article writing and informational reading. You can find feature writing in newspapers, magazines and newsletters, in regular print and in electronic format. The book by patrick symmes shipping out by david foster wallace. Writing feature articles for magazines and newspapers is a great way for emerging writers and authors to build up their portfolio of work. The points are explained one by one in the following paragraphs. Making a comebackstudents or faculty who have overcome incredible odds. Through the writing and reading of each feature story, students come to learn a lot about each other in a very short time, and we are well on our way to becoming a community of writers 44. A news story tells you exactly what happened at a recent event.
How to write a science feature nicola davis science the. You need to get on the phone and speak to the people directly involved, or better still meet them in person. Articles included in publications usually contain information on current issues or events happening around the area of the writer or the publication. This works according to some simple rules about how people read the printed page. However, unlike straight news articles, it places emphasis on the people involved rather than on the facts of the news. Feature writing seems to fall somewhere in between straight news and short stories. There is the color piece that describes a scene, or sheds light on a theme. The feature article form a feature article is not the same as a news report.
This article first appeared in the irish independent written word. Seasonal articles also include holiday periods and serious matters that only occur at certain times. From highsociety mover and shaker in the 1980s and 90s, glenmarie frost now. Unusual jobs or students who meet famous people as a result of their parttime job 4. Such stories should have a powerful hook and compelling details to keep. A housewife who became the first woman to fly around the world. It has plenty of sample articles, as well as advice. This book lists hundreds of magazines that not only publish articles of. Year 9 advanced english feature article prime education. Whilst a news report intends to provide facts on a recent event, a feature article is more subjective opinion based. Papers like to have quality articles on hand, so come up with your feature worthy concept, then use the following guidelines to help you write a great article. Examines a new pulitzer prizewinning multimedia feature article by weingarten in chapter 2. How glenmarie frost went from society doyenne to public housing tenant.
So a feature article about bears being hard to find during the winter might start with a heading barely there at all or cant see the bears for the trees. How to attract attention with a feature article entrepreneur. Feature article writing and informational reading a sample unit of lessons for middle school teachers jefferson county public schools version 2. The shape depends on the style of your magazine varies but most feature articles have three acts, just like a story or an essay. Inside the mind of writer and teacher george singleton a woman once asked george singleton for his opinion of a certain bestselling authors work. Show and add the feature at the end of the benefit statement for powerful results. Children polish writing at campheadlinepenmanship suffers in computer agesubhe. Without a lead, most feature articles would begin just like any essay or book report, with an introductory paragraph, and then some more paragraphs, and thenyawn.
Introduce the person youre profiling and the main topic of the feature. A feature article is found in newspapers but appears further into the paper or in supplements. The secret to writing stronger feature articles by scott atkinson find the narrative tension hidden in your story, and you can turn a runofthemill assignment into the kind of feature piece that leaves editorsand readersclamoring for more. While feature articles usually have elements of news worthiness for example, a profile of a politician in the lead up to an election, they are often timeless to some degree, because the underlying themes of features are usually universal. It is a handy book for one who wants to learn how to write feature articles. The feature storyfifteen minutes and 500 words of fame. Jul 02, 2014 the secret to writing stronger feature articles by scott atkinson find the narrative tension hidden in your story, and you can turn a runofthemill assignment into the kind of feature piece that leaves editorsand readersclamoring for more.
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