The Nuts and Bolts of Feature Writing

1. Choose a Topic
There are always new angles for feature stories. Look at a topic that interests
you from a different perspective. Drill down as deeply into it as you can. If you
can make the point by telling a very particular story - about one person's
experience, for example - your article will be convincing and memorable.

Note the guidelines of the site or publication where you will pitch your idea.
Those will set acceptable topics and word count - it's critical to follow these
directions.

2. Identify Your Audience

The intended audience will affect your tone and style. Teenage college
applicants are a very different cohort from medical professionals or home
decorators, so adjust your style appropriately. Carefully craft your approach to
appeal to the people who will read your piece.

3. Rock That Research

Don't skimp on research. A Google search or two won't cover it. The more you
dig into a topic, the better information you'll get. Appropriate research for a
feature article may include:

 Interviewing experts and eyewitnesses

 Going to the event or the physical location
 Checking historical archives at the library
 Shadowing a personal profile subject

4. Organize Your Material

Your feature article will have a beginning, middle and end, just like any good
story. Ask yourself a few key questions:

 What's at stake?
 What does the subject of the article want?
 What is the problem and how does it affect people?
 What is unique about this information? You'll find your strongest
angles by looking for points of contrast, tension, loss or challenge.
Aim for a strong beginning, a middle that explains the story or makes your
case, and a wrap that refers back to the opening and answers the question or
concludes the story.

5. Set the Hook

Now you're ready to write. The opening can make or break your article, so give
it some love. The first sentence awakens the reader's curiosity. It introduces
the opening anecdote, a time-tested way to hook a reader.

Select a mini-story from your research that reveals the issue you are writing
about and use that as your opening anecdote. Keep the opening brief but
grabby and work the theme, or reason for your article into the paragraph that
immediately follows it.

6. Rough Out the Wrap

Jump ahead here and draft a rough conclusion. This should just be a sentence
or two, or simply an idea or some notes about a strong statement on which to
conclude. This will help shape your article as you write and ensure that your
eventual polished conclusion refers back to the opening.

7. Write the Middle Section

The middle or body is the section is where you use all that excellent research
to make a convincing argument or tell a memorable story. Think of the body
of the article as a series of attention-grabbing scenes.

 Divide the middle into at least three parts - more if your topic requires
it. Each part should have a different point as the subject.
 Use more anecdotes, strong quotes and solid data to keep the story
moving.
 Keep the initial question or theme in mind as you write, so that every
section expands on the opening hook.

8. The End
Go back to the conclusion and rework it to flow seamlessly from the body. You
want to end on a powerful sentence that gives closure to the reader.

9. Review and Edit

Review the entire article, reading it through once for continuity. Correct any
errors and address any omissions you find. Then read it again, aloud, to see if
the writing flows or if there are any awkward passages or constructions.

10. Let it Breathe

If you aren't on a tight deadline, set the article aside for a few days or a week.
Then re-read it with fresh eyes for a final polishing edit.
Rules for Writing Feature Articles

To write feature articles, you must combine the facts about your
topic with considerable narrative skill. A feature article is a story
that gives in-depth details about a person or a situation to
enhance your readers' understanding. If you want to be good at
writing these kinds of articles, you need to incorporate a set of
best practices. Then you'll be more likely to craft stories that
editors will be eager to publish.
General Rules for Good Writing
When considering how to approach writing a feature article, you need to
remember that most of the rules for good feature writing also apply to other
kinds of written work. The axioms of good writing stay the same, no matter
how you want to apply them.

 Write in the active voice. This is important for all types of writing, but
it's particularly vital for feature articles. In active writing, people 'do'
things instead of having things 'done' to them. Keep to a minimum dull 'to
be' verbs that show little action, instead using active verbs. For tips on
telling the difference between active and passive voice, check out
the Purdue Online Writing Lab tutorial.
 Keep your paragraphs short. In most cases, two or three sentences per
paragraph is sufficient. Long paragraphs tend to look intimidating to
readers.
 Use short sentences. Generally, it's good to keep your sentences
between fifteen and twenty words in length. It's fine to have an occasional
long sentence, but you want to make your article as easy to read as
possible.
 Avoid clichés. Writing that lacks originality is unlikely to hold the
reader's attention for very long.

Tips for Writing Feature Articles

Once you've mastered the general rules for effective writing, you'll need to
incorporate specific tips for feature writers into your work. The most
important part of any feature is its story. An engaging narrative is what will
hook your readers and keep them reading.
 Keep in mind that the purpose of a feature article is to add depth and
color to the news. For example, a magazine that prints a story about a new
type of hearing aid in one issue may also run a feature about how this
technology has changed the life of a hearing-impaired child.
 Remember that a feature doesn't usually follow the inverted pyramid
structure of the typical news story. A feature article is written using
storytelling techniques that grab the reader's attention instead of simply
providing facts.
 Use quotes and anecdotes to add color to your story, especially if your
feature is a profile of a specific person. To get the best quotes, conduct
your interviews in person whenever possible.
 Incorporate details that use all five senses. Describe how things look,
feel, taste, touch, and sound to make the reader believe he or she is
actually part of the story.
 Don't include all of your research material. Reporters often feel
obligated to include quotes from everyone they've interviewed and
statistics from every secondary source they used when they researched the
article. The best features only make use of material that is interesting and
relevant.
 Although feature writers can be more creative than news reporters
when structuring their articles, it's still important to get the facts right.
Don't forget that your work is supposed to be nonfiction.

Improve Your Writing Skills by Reading

If you want to make feature writing a part of your freelance writing career, you
should regularly read newspapers and magazines that publish features written
in the style you prefer. You might want to start a binder filled with clippings of
articles you find interesting, entertaining, or informative.

Seeing how other writers structure their articles will give you ideas for your
own projects. Becoming familiar with a variety of writing markets is also a
sound business practice since finding new sources of income is key to your
financial success as a freelancer.

A "profile feature" is a newspaper article that explores the background and

character of a particular person (or group). The focus should be on a news
angle or a single aspect of the subject's personal or professional life. The article
should begin with the reason the subject is newsworthy at this time, and should
be based (not exclusively) on an extensive interview with the subject.
Biographical material is important, but should not be overemphasized: the
biography is background to the news. Readers should be allowed to better
understand the subject by seeing this person in the context of his or her interests
and career, educational and family background.