FEATURE WRITING

By: Jessa G. Canonigo

 DEFINITION

 Is based on that mysterious journalism ingredient

called
human interest – an event that appeals to us
because we can relate to it (Hobenberg)
 Primary Function: To entertain
 May also inform, instruct or advise, but it must,
above all relate to man’s feelings
“Feature articles are not just dry facts, it provides
story and information from a unique angle.”
A feature story differs from a straight news story in one
respect – its intent. A news story provides information
about an event, idea or situation. The feature does a bit
more – it may also interpret news, add depth and color
to a story, instruct or entertain.
FEATURE spells:
F – factual not fictitious
E – Entertaining
A – appealing to the emotions
T – timely or not timely
U – unusual
R – reader-oriented
E – explanation, extrapolation –
extending or projecting known info
 CHARACTERISTICS
 Uses human interest, mood,
atmosphere, emotion, irony, or humor
 Considers immediacy as a secondary
factor only
 Aims to give pleasure/ entertainment
along with or in lieu of information
 Appeals to the soul
 CHARACTERISTICS…
 Writer can be free-wheeling and
imaginative in his approach
 Thrives in color, nuance (shade of
color), wit, humor, fancy, emotive
words, dialogues, anecdotes
 Uses literary devices to capture
reader’s interest
TYPES OF FEATURE STORIES
 News feature stories - usually based
on a recent event
 Informative feature – emphasizes on
information with the element of human
interest or entertainment only
secondary; is usually based on interview
or from research materials
 “How-to”/ Practical guidance feature
– explains a process
Types…
 Personality sketch/ Profile – talks of
people, especially those who have
attained celebrity status; reveals the
character of the subject by recounting
the way he talks, acts, or what others
think of him
 Personal experience/ Accomplishment
story – an unusual experience, usually
written in the first person
Types…
 Human interest story – basically appeals
to the emotion; has little news value or
none at all but is readable because of its
interesting style and appeal
 Humorous feature – a story with wit and
humor; is said to be much more difficult to
write than a human interest story
Types…
 Seasonal or holiday feature – presents
in a new angle an old theme with some
fresh insight or information
 Entertainment article
 Travelogue
 Historical feature
 SOURCES OF TOPIC
 News  Movies
 Magazine articles  Files of old materials
 Books  Museum
 File of ideas  Casual conversation
 Scrapbooks  Travel
 Experience  Familiar places
 Special events  Fads
 Advertisements  Interview
 Speeches  Observation
 TV and radio  Imagination
 Parts of Feature

• Lead – grab attention

• Body – keep that attention
• Conclusion – leave an impression
 LEAD – must attract the reader’s
attention in the first few sentences
(news summary lead, distinctive
incident lead, quotation lead, short
sentence lead, question lead, contrast
lead, analogy lead, picture lead,)
 BODY – should exemplify the principles
of unity, coherence, and emphasis

 CONCLUSION – may be a condensed

summary of the whole article; climax;
“cutback” or “flashback” to the
introduction; restatement of lead
TIPS IN FEATURE WRITING
 Choose the topic carefully.
 The article must be credible. It
should be based on facts and reality.
 Enliven your feature with relevant
anecdotes or episodes.
 In a personal experience write-up,
use the first person “I”.
TIPS …
 You may use the second person “You” when
writing for emphasis especially if you want
the reader to relate to the story.
 Use quotations or dialogues in the early part
of the article. (They lend credibility and set
the mood or atmosphere of the story.)
 Make your ideas concrete by using imagery
or figures of speech that the readers can
understand.
TIPS …
 Avoid “highbrow” language.
 Keep paragraphs short and snappy.
 In writing informative features, be sure to include
some human interest angles.
 Proofread your completed article for spelling and
grammatical errors.
 Article writers go beyond just the facts on the
surface and add color, detail, background and
personal comment. The appeal of feature articles
is usually the personal perspective on offer.
Five elements of writing with style
and personality

1. Economy of language.
– Treat every word as precious.
When readers encounter writing
in which every word counts, they
are more alert to its meaning and
more attentive to its sound.
– You can achieve economy of language by
using three techniques: Avoid wordy phrases
(change “until such time as” to “until”), omit
meaningless modifiers (change “general
consensus” to “consensus”), and prefer action
verbs to nouns (change “take under
consideration” to “consider”). Each technique
enables you to say the same thing in fewer
words, and – as a general rule – more concise
writing is more emphatic writing.
2. Precise word choice and colorful vocabulary.
– Use the best, most exact word to capture your
meaning. Readers judge your style by your
adeptness and agility in matching language to
thought.

– Change “His performance will affect our image” to

“His carelessness will undermine our credibility.”
Convey your disapproval of meaningless modifiers
by describing them not as “qualifiers that weaken
our language” but – as E. B. White does in “The
Elements of Style” – as “the leeches that infest the
pond of prose, sucking the blood of words.”
3. Specific, concrete, vivid detail.
– As Joseph Conrad advises, don’t tell your reader; show
your reader. Don’t just tell your reader, “Susan works
hard”; show your reader: “Last month Susan came in
at 6:00 a.m. every day to help complete the internal
audit on time.” Don’t just tell your reader, “Morale is
declining”; show your reader: “This year grievances
increased by 14%, and employee turnover by 8%.”

– Precise language and vivid detail go hand in hand.

4. Pleasing sound, rhythm, and variety.
– Attend to sound as well as substance. Create
rhythm and emphasis by balancing the
components of your sentence, as Samuel Johnson
did when he wrote, “What is written without
effort is in general read without pleasure.”

– Enliven your style by varying the length and

structure of your sentences: “For particular
emphasis, follow a long sentence with a short
sentence, or even a fragment. Like this.”
5. Discernable voice, tone, or point of view.
– Write with personality. As Patricia
Westheimer advises in The Executive Style
Book, in all but the most formal writing,
“Write the way you speak – conversationally
and naturally.”

– Change “It is imperative that we commence

now” to “Let’s get started.” Change “Attached
please find your budget worksheets” to “Well,
it’s your favorite time of year again.”
 QUALITIES OF A GOOD
FEATURE WRITER
 Inquisitive
 Eager to learn
 Sympathetic towards other people’s
feelings
 Capable of seeing beneath the
surface of ordinary events
What do Features do? (Functions of Features)

• Profile people who make news

• Analyze what’s happening in the world, nation,
or community
• Suggest better ways to live
• Teach an audience how to do something
• Examine trends
• Explain events that move or shape the news
• Entertain
 STEPS IN WRITING A
FEATURE ARTICLE
 Pick your subject.
 Limit your subject to a specific area.
 Write a tentative title.
 Spotlight the main things you aim to do.
 Pinpoint highlights with specific details.
 Use devices that will hold reader’s interest.
 Rewrite.
 Decide on your title.
 Prepare a copy.
Thank You!