A feature article is a non-fiction piece of writing that focuses on a particular

topic. You will find them in newspapers and news sites, online blogs, or
magazines.

However, they are not the same as news reports! Whereas news reports are
more factual…

Feature articles are more subjective and emotive.

They commonly present information in a more narratorial manner to make
them more engaging.

Characteristics of a feature article

Now that we have a general understanding of what a feature article is, let’s
take a detailed look at their characteristics.

A feature article should,

 Explore a topic or issue of current importance

 Follows narratorial conventions (i.e. There is a plot, complication, and
conclusion)
 Written in short paragraphs
 Combine facts and opinions
 Provide a perspective or angle about the topic or issue
 Includes catchy features (eg. Catchy title, images etc.).
 

Different types of feature articles:

There are many different types of feature articles. Each one has a different
focus and purpose.

So, let’s see a few examples of feature articles!

  Profiles: A biography of a person’s (usually celebrity or public
person) life that relates to a current newsworthy event that allows
readers to get an insight of the person’s life.
 eg.  ‘Charlie Kaufman’s debut novel, ‘Antkind’, is just as
loopy and clever as his movies‘
 Human interest: An interesting story about someone’s experience
(person, group, animal etc). These can be achievements or problems
that evokes emotions and can teach the audience a lesson or raise
awareness about an important or current issue.
 eg. ‘A Former High School Football Player Dove and
Caught a Child Dropped From the Balcony of a Burning
Building’
 Instructional: These are article that show readers how to do
something, step-by-step.
 eg. ‘How to Tie Dye‘
 Personal: An article about your personal experience.
 eg. ‘My 2019 UCAT Experience‘
 Seasonal: These are articles that are specific to a certain time of the
year.
 eg. ‘Why Australia Day is really held on 26 January and the
push to change the date‘ or ‘Thanksgiving 2020 – Date,
history behind the holiday and what time is Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade?’
 Behind the scenes: These article gives readers a scoop about what is
happening ‘behind the scene’ of an event, process, or issue.
 eg. ‘Craziness behind the scenes at the White House‘ and
‘Two Former McDonald Employees Spill Insider Secrets
About Working at the Fast Food Chain‘
Note: There are many more different types of feature articles. You’ll want to
research the genre specific for the task you’ve been set.

 
Language used in feature articles
Before we go into the nitty-gritty details for writing feature articles, you need
to know what skills and techniques you need to acquire in order to write a
feature article!

1. Develop a personal tone

1. Share your opinions
2. Show your personality (eg. humourous, serious…)
3. Use semi-formal language (i.e. some colloquialism)
4. Use emotive language
2. Refer to the audience in second person language (eg. “you”)
3. Use literary and rhetorical techniques to engage the reader (eg.
rhetorical questions, anecdotes, imagery…)
4. Don’t overuse adjectives or adverbs. Use strong verbs and nouns to
describe, instead of adjectives and adverbs.
5. Use facts, quotes and jargon to add authenticity
6. Make sure you write in the active voice

 
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How to write an amazing feature article in 5 steps

Now that we know what a feature article is, let’s see what you need to do in
when writing an amazing feature article:

1. Research / Planning
2. Header / Title
3. Introduction
4. Body
5. Conclusion
 
Step 1: Research and Planning
Remember, feature articles are still based on factual information. So, it is vital
that you research your topic very well and that you carefully plan out what you
want to write.

We will need to research, plan and research again!

Once you’ve thought about the topic you’ve begin, or decided which issue you
would like to discuss, you’re ready to get stuck into researching.

a. Research the general topic

This step is all about reading different perspectives and information about
your chosen topic.

Doing this will help you take an informative stance on your

topic.
See which perspective interests you most, or which one you agree with most.
Also, take into account of the amount of strong evidence you can find for your
feature article.

b. Narrow your focus and plan

Now, it is time to take a stance and start planning your feature article!

Here are some points you need to consider when you are planning:

1. What type of feature article do you want to write?

2. What is your stance on the topic?
3. Ask yourself: ‘who’, ‘what’, and ‘why’
 1. Who is your target audience?
2. What is your article about?
3. Why are you writing about this topic? (i.e. purpose)
4. What is the structure of your ideas/points? Is it ordered:
1. Chronologically?
2. Level of importance?
3. Logically?
4. Like a narrative?
Note: The purpose of your feature article can be to convince, evoke sympathy
or anger, praise or even to educate. It is up to you to figure out what you want
to say about the topic.

c. Research evidence
Now, it is time to research some more and gather some evidence to support
your feature article.

Feature articles are supposed to help readers

really understand and feel your story.
So, to do this, you must ensure that you spend this time to really flesh out
your story and get a good grasp of what you are writing about.

Here are some examples you should look for:

 Statistics
 eg. “According to  Cancer.org, 1960 Australians died from
skin cancer in 2016“
 Case studies
 eg. “Brendan Thomas  will not be deported to New Zealand
because he is an Indigenous Australian and is protected by
the new law“
  Quotes from experts, subject, critics, etc.
 eg. “Professor Gabriel Leung, Expert on COVID-19 Epidemic
from Hong Kong University, says that COVID-19 could
‘infect 60% of global population if unchecked'” 
 Interviews – You can interview people yourself or quote other
people’s interviews
 “From the live interview with Holocaust survivor..“

Step 2: Header / Title

Feature articles are known for their eye-catching headers!

Let’s take a look at 2 headers. Which title would you click on first?

“Rising film director, Sherrice, just released a provocative stop-motion piece that
will change your view about fast food!”

vs

“Film director, Sherrice, just released a stop-motion piece about fast food”

The first line is more catchy because it uses emotive language and it directly

addresses the readers.

So, how do you write catchy headlines?

 Use emotive language

 Keep it short and snappy
 Directly address the reader
 Use adjectives / adverbs
 Tell readers what your content is about
  Ask a question
 Give an imperative
 

Step 3: Introduction
Like your title, your introduction also needs to ‘hook’ in the readers.

They set the scene and draw interest from the audience.
Think about a narrative’s 3 Act Structure:

 The opening act sets the scene and captivate the audience’s
attention
 Act 2 is where the action and the major complication occurs
 The 3rd act is the conclusion. It ‘solves’ the problem.
Feature articles function in the same way.

However, unlike a narrative, feature articles’ introductions are very brief and
short. They should never be longer than 15% of your whole article.

So, how do you write effective introductions to feature articles:

1. Make an interesting and provocative opening statement to draw

reader’s attention
2. Briefly introduce the topic and purpose
3. Establish a relationship with your reader through your language (eg.
second person language, rhetorical questions…)
4. Create intrigue and interest by foreshadowing your points or
challenging your audience
5. Provide background information about your topic
 
Example
Take a read of ABC journalist, Stan Grant’s introduction from ‘Anger has the
hour’: How long must Indigenous Australia Wait for Change? 

“How long must Aboriginal people wait? How many “turning points” must there
be, before we stop believing?

Time is something Indigenous people do not have, not when we die 10 years
younger than the rest of the population. Every year lost is counted in graveyard
crosses.

Yet the Federal Government says there will likely be no referendum on

Indigenous constitutional recognition this term of Parliament. Three years since
the Uluru Statement from the Heart laid out a vision for Australia — Voice,
Treaty, Truth — and we are told still to wait.

That is three years lost; a wasted opportunity to finish our unfinished business.
First Nations people asked Australians to walk with us for a better future, yet we
cannot get beyond those first steps.”

You see, Grant draws the audience’s interest by asking provocative rhetorical
questions that hints at his stance about the topic.

He then provides background information about his topic to inform his

audience about the issue. However, notice how he does this in an interesting
and engaging way.

Grant uses literary techniques like tricolon (eg. “Voice, Treaty, Truth”),
metaphors (eg. “year lost is counted in graveyard crosses” and “First Nations
people asked Australians to walk wth us for a better future, yet we cannot get
beyond those first steps”) and the motif of steps (eg. “walk with us” and “first
steps”).
Step 4: Body
Now, let’s move onto the main part of your feature article.

The body of your feature article is where you write all of your juicy
information.

This is where the story unfolds and you share your

opinions.
So, let’s get started and see what you need to do in your feature article body
paragraphs.

a. Show don’t tell

‘Show, don’t tell’ is a commonly taught writing technique. It requires students
to describe and ‘show’ what is happening, instead of simply recounting
(‘telling’).

Let’s take a look at an example:

 Tell: Johnny was tired after he ran up the hill.

 Show: Johnny’s legs were aching as he forced himself up the hill. He
was struggling to catch his breath and his cheeks were red and
puffed up.
Notice the difference? The second line is much more engaging and
descriptive, and we feel more connected to the character.

As such, you need to ‘show’ your information to make your article more
engaging and interesting to read.

Remember, a feature article is much more colourful than a

newspaper report.
So, let’s learn how to ‘show, not tell’:

1. Write vivid descriptions and imagery

2. Rely on the different senses to describe (i.e. sight, touch, smell,
hearing, taste)
3. Use literary techniques
4. Don’t state emotions (eg. ‘He is happy’,  ‘She was excited’ or ‘That
was scary’)
5. Use strong verbs and nouns, instead of adverbs and adjectives (eg.
‘sprinted’ instead of ‘ran fast’)
 

b. Be creative
In other terms, use rhetorical and literary techniques! Using these techniques
will help you achieve your purpose and simultaneously engage the audience.

For example, if you want to evoke sympathy from the audience, you can use
emotive language and hyperbole:

“Big, brute boys brutally beat small neighbourhood boy until he was
unrecognisable” 

Or, if you want to convince the audience, you can use high modality words
and an imperative voice:

“The time to take action is now! Get your phones and fill out the survey now”

So, what are some techniques that are commonly used in feature articles:

Technique Define Example

Anecdote A short and interesting personal “When I was 7, I went on a bike ride
 Technique Define Example

story.

with my family. Little did I know, my

Anecdotes helps build a rapport
life was going to change. I broke my leg,
between the writer and the reader. It
got pulled out of school…”
also grounds the topic into real life
situations.

A question that is supposed to be

unanswered.
Rhetorical “How would you feel if that was your
It compels the audience to think
Question brother?”
about the answers to your question.

“Kiwi is so disgusting, I will never eat it

Hyperbole An exaggeration.
in my life again!”

Imperative
Forceful use of words; a command. “We must run towards the river”
voice

Metaphor Saying one this is another. “He is the sun”

Saying that one thing is similar to

Simile “She is as bright as a sun”
another.

Repetition of the beginning clause

of a sentence.
“It’s time to step up. It’s time to speak
Anaphora This emphasises an idea and
out. It’s time to change our world”
hammers it in your audience’s mind.

If you want to find more techniques, or learn more about the listed
techniques, take a read of our English Literary Techniques Toolkit.
 

c. Support your opinions

Remember, a feature article isn’t just a story… it is also an article! This means
that you will need a set of strong evidence to support what you are saying.

We already went through the various types of evidence you need for a feature

article:

 Statistics
 Case studies
 Quotes from critics or experts
 Interviews
So, ensure you use a variety of different evidence and use it across your whole
feature article.

Step 5: Conclusion
We are at the final stage of your feature article!

Too often, students neglect the conclusion because they

think it’s unimportant in a feature article.
However, it is quite the opposite.

Conclusions are especially important in feature article because they summarise

your ideas and stance, and ultimately inspire your readers to take action.
So, take your time to quickly summarise your article and add a call to action
(i.e. tell your audience to do something, either explicitly or implicitly).