FEATURE WRITING

NYMPHA C. CERDON
School Paper Adviser
Sagrada Familia Elementary School
Minalabac District
Feature Story- a write-up that is
based on that mysterious
ingredient in journalism called
human interest
Feature Story-an in-depth look at
a person, situation or place,
making the familiar new or the
new familiar
 Basic rules in crafting the feature
Short sentences. For today’s mass audiences, news
stories averaging between 15 and 20 words per
sentence are easy reading. Sentences longer than
30 words may be hard to understand.
Short paragraphs. Keep paragraphs short. And vary
them – from one word to five average sentences.
Remember, a 100-word paragraph looks long in a
narrow newspaper column. Editors don’t like
them. Neither do readers.
 Basic rules in crafting the feature
Easy words. Use short, simple words in place of
longer, multi-syllable words with the same
meaning. When a technical or difficult word must
be used, explain it as simply as possible.
Personal words. Words like “you,” “we,” a person’s
name, direct quote, etc., give your copy more
human interest. This kind of personalization is
more often used in feature rather than in hard
news stories. But it is still a good technique for
holding the reader’s interest.
 Basic rules in crafting the feature
Active verbs. Action verbs keep a story moving and
would grab the reader’s attention more than “to
be” verbs that show little action.
Transitions. Transitional phrases or connectives are used to
add to, illustrate or extend a point. They usually begin
with words like “and,” “furthermore,” “also,” “or,” “nor,”
“moreover,” “along with,” etc. They summarize: “at last,”
“so,” “finally,” “all in all,” etc. They link cause and effect:
“as a result,” “that produced,” “consequently,” etc. They
refer back: “they,” “those,” “these,” “that,” “few,”
“who,” “whom,” “except for,” etc. They restrict and
qualify: “provided,” “but,” “however,” “in case,” “unless,”
“only if,” etc.
 Basic rules in crafting the feature
Interest building. Personalize the people you are writing
about and what they are doing; provide quotes, human
interest.
 The thinking/writing process
 Think first. Just like in writing straight news, you will have
to think first before starting to punch the keys of your
computer. You have something you want to tell others. You
would like to make it at least as interesting to your readers
as it is to you.
 Feature writers seldom use the inverted pyramid form.
Instead, they may write a chronology that builds to a climax
at the end, a narrative, a first-person article about their
own experiences, or a combination these.
 The thinking/writing process
Use a thread. Connect the beginning, a body and conclusion
of the story by using a thread. Because a feature generally
runs longer than a news story, it is effective to weave a
thread throughout the story, which connects the lead to the
body and to the conclusion. This thread can be a single
person, an event or a thing, and it usually highlights the
theme.
 The thinking/writing process
Choose the theme. The theme is similar to the thesis of a
scholarly paper and provides unity and coherence to the
piece. It should not be too broad or too narrow. Several
factors come into play when choosing a theme: Has the story
been done before? Is the story of interest to the audience?
Does the story have holding power (emotional appeal)? What
makes the story worthy of being reported? The theme
answers the question, “So what?”
 The thinking/writing process
News peg. The news peg or the significance of the story is
provided in the third or fourth paragraph. It is also called the
nut graph. Because it explains the reason the story is being
written, the nut graph is a vital paragraph in every feature.
The nut graph should be high in the story. Do not make
readers wait until the 10th or 11th paragraph before telling
them what the story is about.
 Tools in building up the theme
Dialogue and quotations. Feature writers, like fiction writers,
often use dialogues or quotations to keep a story moving and
alive. Of course, feature writers cannot make up dialogue;
they listen for it during the reporting process. Good dialogue
is like good observation in a story; it gives readers strong
mental images and keeps them attached to the writing and to
the story’s key players.
 Tools in building up the theme
Famous quotes. The use of quotes from famous persons or
literary compositions would add to the scholarly nature of a
feature story. It would give some elegance to the story. It
means that the writer is well-rounded and knows what he is
writing about and more.
Idioms and anecdotes. Idioms and anecdotes can also add
spice into the feature article. They have to be woven subtly
into the story in order to build up the theme. They must,
however, be (1) simple and brief; 2) relevant; 3) have an
intrinsic value.
 Tools in building up the theme
 Establish a voice. Another key element that holds a feature
together is voice, the ‘signature” or personal style of each
writer. Voice is the personality of the writer and can be
used to inject color, tone, and subtle emotional
commentary into the story.
 Ending or conclusion. The ending will wrap up the story
and usually goes back to the lead, often with a quotation or
a surprising climax.
 Literary devices or techniques

In the Philippines, the foremost exponent of new journalism

was the late Nick Joaquin, the National Artist for Literature,
who was also a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for literature and
journalism. Most of his articles, which appeared in various
national publications, carry his pen name, Quijano de Manila.
 Literary devices or techniques
 The more common literary devices now being used by
feature writers are:
1. Flashback. It tells of events in the past that have relevance
to the unfolding story. This is a legitimate and natural
device in narration and usually explains the background of
an event.
2. Parallelism. When you compare parallel events or
situations to further build up your theme.
3. Contrast. When you make a contrast or conflicting
situations to emphasize a point in your story.
 Literary devices or techniques
4. Atmosphere. Another term for atmosphere is tone. One,
for example, speaks of a tone of voice. It could be harsh,
grating, cool, hysterical, loud, angry, sarcastic, petulant, crisp,
effervescent, and wistful.
5. Setting. This refers to the time and place or the milieu
when the story happens.
6. Imagery. The mental images formed as a result of the
words used in the feature story or any form of literary piece.
7. Diction. In writing, this means the use, choice and
arrangement of words and phrases.
8. Figures of speech. This includes metaphor, simile,
 Tips on how to write a good feature
- The most important part of a feature story is the lead. In
the lead, or opening paragraph, you need to grab your
readers’ attention, to make them want to stop whatever
they are doing and to read what you have to say.
- Before you even start typing, think about how you are
going to achieve your goal of communicating to your
audience in a way that would entertain, educate and
inform them.
- An anecdote or an interesting observation will often make
a good introduction. Sometimes a direct quote will do the
trick. Try to avoid the plodding “once upon a time” style.
 Tips on how to write a good feature
- One of the other classic pitfalls is to make a sweeping
generalization that could not stand up to scrutiny. The last
thing you want is for your reader to start taking issue with
you in your first paragraph.
- It is worth spending time on your introductory paragraph.
Play around with ideas and images until you hit on one that
works.
 Points to remember

Know your reader

It is important to know who your readers are. If you write
for a paper with general circulation, any subject can do. But
when writing for a specialized publication, say a medical
journal, you have to think of features that would interest
those in the medical profession. Remember to use points of
reference that will be meaningful to your audience.
 Points to remember

Keep your tone informal

Ifyou are writing about your personal experience you will
need to be quite open. Try to keep the tone straightforward
and conversational. You are trying to communicate here, not
show off your ability to regurgitate long words from the
Oxford English Dictionary.
 Points to remember
Show that you know your subject matter
News features give background to a current news issue. Even though
the subject matter may be quite dull, you have to try to make it
interesting. It is important to remember that although you may have a
strong personal opinion on the subject you are writing about, you
should always remain impartial, fair and accurate.
Get quotes from others—preferably experts in the field—that back up
the arguments you are trying to make. And be prepared to change your
mind if the experts do not agree with you.
News features should be authoritative and based on facts that you
have checked and can substantiate. If the information is unclear, check
it. Do not be afraid to look stupid. You will look even more stupid if you
just write nonsense.
 Points to remember
Do your research
In doing your research nowadays, you don’t have to go to
the library and read books or tons of reference materials on
the subject of your feature story. All you have to do is to go to
search engines in the Internet, like Google, Yahoo or
Wikipedia and the websites of various publications and news
organizations like CNN, BBC, Fox News, Associated Press,
Agence France Presse and Reuters. A word of advice: even if
you think you know about your subject, you should still do
some more research just to make sure that your stock
knowledge about it is correct.
 Points to remember
Interview and get quotes from experts
Make sure to get an expert to comment on your subject
matter. Interview them. Getting quotes is essential to a good
feature. This is always going to carry more gravitas than
merely repeating information from the Internet or from your
stock knowledge.
Prepare your questions in advance, but be prepared to be
flexible if the conversation takes a different turn in the
interview. You may miss an important point just because you
stick rigidly to your preplanned questions.
 Points to remember
Keep it coming
Your reader has a million and one reason to do something other than spend the next
10 minutes reading your article. Why should they bother?
Thisis where your art as a writer comes in. unlike news stories, where there is a
standard formula to follow, features can, and should, be more flexible. You should be
more creative if you want to keep your reader’s attention.
The golden rule is not to lose your reader in a fog of confusing information, nor to
take him on a long, arduous ramble he is not prepared for. And you should never
waste your reader’s time by leading him up a blind alley.
Sometimes when you start writing, you find you can’t see the wood for the trees—a
common problem among beginners. It is a good idea before you start your first
paragraph to have an outline of your article, either written or just mentally. Work out
how to get from one point to another—and decide which parts are unnecessary and
can be cut.
 Points to remember
Ending the feature
A good ending is almost as difficult as a good beginning.
Unlike news stories, where the ending is cut if space is short,
a good feature should end on a positive, or uplifting, note.
Itmay reiterate a theme in the introduction, or return to an
analogy that runs throughout the feature. Give it some punch
or quotes to remember.
Hard News and Soft News compared

Hard news Soft news

(straight news) (feature)

1. Time element Timely Timeless

1. Language Direct/simple Indirect/elegant
1. Appeal To the physical The emotion
1. Structure Inverted pyramid Pyramid/square
1. Function To inform To entertain
1. Presentation Objective Subjective
1. Contents Facts/factual Facts but can be interpreted
1. Effect Passing Lasting/permanent
1. Theme Parochial Universal
1. Scope/Reach Limited Unlimited
 Other functions of features
 As part of its entertainment function, features often:
 Profile people who make the news
 Explain events that move or shape the news
 Analyze what is happening in the world, nation or community
 Teach an audience how to do something
 Suggest better ways to live
 Examine trends
 Narrate a personal experience, a tragedy or a success story that
inspires
 Tickle readers through humor and witticisms
 Comment on social, political and cultural issues
 Pointers to Consider about
Feature Stories:
The primary function of a feature story is to
entertain.
It may also inform, instruct or advise, but it
must, above all, relate to man’s inner
feelings.
A feature story or soft news deals with
interesting matters.
The immediacy of events is only secondary
in a feature story.
Features thrive on color, nuance, wit, humor,
fancy, emotive words, dialogue,
anecdotes.
The plain ladder of descending news values
is substituted with human interest, mood,
atmosphere, emotion, irony, or humor.
Literary devices can be used to capture the
interest and the heart of the reader.
 Tips on Feature Writing:

Be sure that your feature article is credible.

Although a feature is not written with five
“Ws” and one “H,” it should, however, be
based on fact and reality.
Enliven your feature with relevant anecdotes
or episodes.
In a personal experience write-up, use the
first person “I.” You may also use the
second person “You” when writing for
emphasis, especially if you want the
reader to relate to the story.
Use “quotations” in the early part of the
articles. Quotations or dialogues 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 will
understand.
Avoid “highbrow” language otherwise you
will not be communicating effectively.
Keep your paragraph short and snappy.
In writing informative features, be sure to
include some human interest articles.
The most important part of a feature story
are the opening and closing paragraphs.
If possible, put a linkage between the
two. Dramatize, if necessary.
 Qualities of a good feature writer:

Be Inquisitive

Eager to learn

 Sympathetic towards other people’s feeling

Capable of seeing beneath the surface of

ordinary events.
 Types of feature stories:
 Newsfeature story - This is usually based
on a recent event. Several newsfeatures
have been written about the failed
December 1, 1989 coup d’ etat, or the July
16, 1990 killer earthquake or the Mount
Pinatubo, Mount Mayon eruptions and
aftermath.
 Informative feature - Here, the
emphasis is on the information with the
element of human interest or
entertainment only secondary. Usually
this feature is based on interview or
taken from research materials. Some
topics falling under this category are drug
menace, unemployment problem, and
current issues.
1. A “how-to” feature article - Another
type of information story, the purpose of
which is to explain a process or how a
certain product is made. This should be
in style and smooth language.
Personality sketch/profile - People are
interested in people, especially with
people who have attained celebrity
status. In this type of article, you reveal
the character of the subject by
recounting the way he talks or acts or
what others think of him.
Personal experience - It’s an unusual
experience, usually written in the first person.
A very touching example of this is the one
written by advertising and PR executing
Charlie Agatep whose wife Mary was brutally
murdered a month before Christmas of 1990.

Human interest story - This type of story

basically to the emotion. It has little news value
or not at all but is readable because of its
interesting style and human interest appeal.
Humorous Feature - If one of the more
important function of a feature story is to
entertain, then nothing entertain more
than a story with wit and humor. It is said
that to write a humorous or witty article is
much more difficult than to write a human
interest piece.
Trend Story – a trend story examines
people, things or organizations that
are having an impact on society.
Trend stories are popular because
people are excited to read or hear
about the latest fads.
News Analysis – also called a
backgrounder, adds meaning to
current developments by explaining
their significance and their effect on
society and the country. These
articles contain relevant data or
backgrounders that would give the
reader an idea on how the
development would impact their lives
Investigative Feature – This type of
feature story is usually written by an
enterprising journalist who has the
guts to dig deeper into some
controversial issues. Stories about
militant killings and disappearances
and other violations of human rights
would fall under this category.
Inspirational Feature – This kind of
feature inspires other people and is
usually about the values of hard work,
dedication, determination and the
capacity to hurdle obstacles in
pursuing a dream. This also stresses
the importance of education and a
positive outlook as well as faith in
oneself in order to succeed in life.
 The Importance of a College
Education
By Dahlia Valeroso

It is unusual for Southern California to

experience an outpouring of rain. Hearing
the raindrops pelting my roof is magical in
itself, yet is made more special by an
outpouring of memories.
On rainy days like this one, I sat on my
grandmother’s lap as a child. With hot
cocoa in hand, I listened attentively to the
stories she told. With humble pride in her
eyes, she used to recall the struggles she
and her children had weathered. My
grandfather died early in life, leaving her
with burden of raising a family of six. It is
evident that even today this would have
been a trying situation to anyone. How my
grandmother managed to financially support
six children with barely an elementary
education is still a mystery to me.
Even more impressive was her
perseverance in furthering her children’s
education. In a small town where most
people were content with an elementary
education, her dogged pursuit of college
diplomas for all of her children was
scorned and laughed at by her neighbors.
They incessantly asked, “Why would
anyone go to the trouble of sending her
kids to school when she barely has the
money for food? She’s just showing off by
trying to do what is out of her reach.”
My grandmother remained undaunted by these
cruel and scornful remarks. She sweated and
toiled immensely every year in order to assure
sufficient funds for her children’s education.
Luckily enough, she received full cooperation
from all her children, who possessed the same
unusual dedication and desire for further
education that she had. They did their part by
walking several miles to and from school. Rain
did not hinder them; they trudged on with
nothing but banana leaves to scantily give them
shelter. Nevertheless, all the six children refused
to allow any barriers in the pursuit of their goals.
My grandmother now has three teachers, one
journalist, who is also a published author, one
accountant, and an engineer for her offsprings. I
regret missing the chance to witness the silent
pride in her misty eyes as each one of her
children walked across the stage to receive his
or her hard-earned and well-deserved diploma.
Yet, I can see her expression vividly. Is it
because of my mother’s clear description when
she recounted the family struggles? No, I must
have seen that look in my grandmother eyes
myself. It was last week when I told I was
graduating as class valedictorian. Her response
was simply to take me in her arms and whisper,
“Keep up the tradition of academic excellence.”
My grandmother is now 72 years old. It
almost made me cry when she pointed out
that she might not see me receive my own
college diploma. Still, I am heartened by
the fact that I will bring joy to her come
June 19, 1991, my high school graduation
day. Even if she does not live long enough
to share my next triumph, I will hold dear
in my heart her request and will keep up
the tradition of academic excellence in my
family. ***
The said “personal experience feature” was written
by 17- year-old Filipina, Dahlia Valeroso, who
graduated valedictorian from the Ulysses S. Grant
High School in Los Angeles, California in the
summer of 1991. The essay, which tells of her
nostalgic moments as a child in the Philippines,
having grown up with her grandmother, won for
her a $1,000 prize and the chance to enroll under
a partial scholarship at the prestigious Stanford
University in California.
Thank You Very Much!!!