FEATURE WRITING Ian Reeves The Golden Rule Be

FEATURE WRITING Ian Reeves

The Golden Rule Be Interesting

What your readers should feel Alarmed Delighted Outraged Moved Tense Shocked Inspired Entertained Upset Like writing a letter to the editor Like Tweeting their followers

What your readers should not feel Bored Baffled Lost Diffident That they know more about the subject than you do

Key ingredients Angle Focus on specifics: people, ideas, companies, regions, communities, demographic groups etc Action Keep the story moving Anecdotes Provide compelling human interest evidence Case studies: real-life examples to illustrate wider point

Key ingredients facts quotes descriptions stories opinions analysis data conflicts trends

The intro Your single most important paragraph Establishes your tone and voice Sets the scene Compels the reader to go deeper

Types of intro Scene-setter Shocker Dropped Question Direct quote Indirect quote Direct address Anecdote

Intro pitfalls Too much detail Too little detail Too rambling Too obvious – particularly with asking a question Too many questions Too hypothetical

Cliched intros “John Smith is a man on a mission. ” “It is a truth universally acknowledged that. . . ” “I’ve been sitting in the hotel lobby for over an hour when the PR calls to tell me Lady Gaga is running late. ” “Picture the scene: ” “The good news is. . . The bad news is. . . ” “At first glance. . . ” Plenty more here: http: //www 2. copydesk. org/hold/words/clichelea ds. htm

Classic intros “Two rivers run silently through London tonight, and one is made of people. Dark and quiet as the night-time Thames itself, it flows through Westminster Hall, eddying about the foot of the rock called Churchill. ” Vincent Mulchrone, Daily Mail 1965

Classic Intros "Gary Robinson died hungry. He had a taste for Church's fried chicken. He wanted the three-piece box for $2. 19, plus tax. Instead he got three bullets. . . “ Edna Buchanan, Miami Herald 1985

Classic Intros “On Sundays, I do what most people do. I don't buy the Independent on Sunday. ” Kelvin Mac. Kenzie, The Sun

More intros advice Because it sounds awkward, never start with a subordinate clause Think about what tense you are going to write in – you aren’t constrained in the same way as with news writing. Present tense can give a sense of immediacy.

Narrative or not? Narrative-style features follow the convention of fiction, allowing a key thread of the story to unfold as the piece goes along ‘At its heart, a narrative contains a mystery or a question - something that compels the reader to find out what happens. Traditional news features don’t have the same linear narrative arc.

The middle Even the best intro in the world can’t save a feature that has no point to make Where possible, show, don’t tell Descriptive writing is about bringing your story to life, not showing off how many adjectives you know Use quotes sparingly to add power, drama and authority A feature without facts is like an omelette without eggs

The middle “Most feature sections cry out for sharper research and less indulgent writing” – David Randall

Case studies Many features will include case studies to bring a personal angle to the story. Don’t underestimate how difficult they can be to find Either incorporate them into the overall structure of the feature – they could be the focus of the narrative arc mentioned earlier Or use them as separate boxouts

The end Can come in many forms Brings some sense of closure to the piece Can be a quote For narrative features, a return to the beginning can be effective

Feature writing Find your voice Think about the tense – many features are written in the present tense Sketch out your structure Use detail to illustrate wider story Don’t forget to explain Choose your quotes carefully Rewrite

Pitfalls Too broad – vague, fuzzy, boring. Get focused Too safe – get out of your comfort zone. Don’t just write about what you know. Too low-level – talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey Too shallow – dig deeper for more detail. Talk to more people. Too few quotes – variety of voices keep the reader engaged Too static – keep the story moving. Try to find a narrative arc.

More information Melvin Mencher on writing leads: Edna Buchanan profile: Steve Buttry: Write Stuff: writing advice: Narrative versus news feature The sense of an ending