Writing the Feature Article

By Maria Cecilia M. Genove, Ed. D.; LPT July 16-18, 2017

 Most varied in scope, treatment, and purpose.

 May supplement the news, may entertain, may explain, may amuse, may invoke sympathy,
may inform.
 Characteristics of the Feature Article:
1. Variety of subject matter
2. Variety of tone.
3. Variety in form and style.
4. More often entertaining than it informs, instructs, or advises.
5. Factual and requires reporting.
6. Well-organized; applies creative writing to achieve unity, coherence, and emphasis.
7. Rarely begins with a summary lead; uses the novelty lead more often.
8. Liberal use of quotations and statement of facts.
9. No approved length, the reader’s interest determines the length of the story.
10. May or may not be timely.
11. Creative.
12. Unperishable.
13. Often, it is subjective as compared to the news, which is objective.
Kinds of Feature Articles:
1. Descriptive
2. Personality Profile or Character Sketch
3. Personal Experience
4. Narrative
5. Informative
6. How-to-do-it or Utility Feature
7. Essay-Review
8. Analysis
Sources of Feature Article Ideas:
1. News
2. Magazine articles
3. Books
4. Scrapbooks
5. Experiences
6. Special events like anniversaries, holidays, etc.
7. Advertisements
8. Speeches
9. Television or radio
 10. Movies
11. Files of old materials like bulletins
12. Museum
13. Casual conversations
14. Travel
15. Familiar places
16. Fads, trends, fashion
17. Interviews
18. Observation
Parts of a Feature Article:
1. Feature Title – phrase, not necessarily a complete sentence
2. Lead or introduction – summary, descriptive, narrative, question, quotation, combination
3. Body – may include quotations, anecdotes, figures of speech, analogies, etc.
4. Conclusion or Ending – summary, climax, unending or paradox
Food for Thought: If a news reporter has the nose for news, a good feature writer should have an
eye for details.