Feature Writing Checklist
Feature articles tell the reader a story. They have a
beginning (lead), middle and an end. They use quotes
liberally and allow the reader to see the story through
detailed description and vivid writing. In features, the immediacy of the event is secondary. Instead, it is replaced
by reader interest. Bare facts are surrounded by elaboration, interpretation, mood, context, detailed description,
emotion, irony and humor. The goal of a feature story
is to communicate the truth -- not fiction -- in a different
way than a hard news story.
INTRODUCTION OR LEAD PARAGRAPH(S)
Start with something light, like an anecdote or a descriptive passage. The first part of your
story must grab and hold the reader’s attention by using specific, interest-arousing words.
The lead must catch the spirit of the story and create the proper tone: serious, sarcastic,
ironic, flippant, melancholy. It may also:
• Provoke the reader’s interest by making an unusual statement.
• Provide any necessary background information.
• Invite the reader to take sides by making a controversial statement.
• Heighten the drama of an event or incident to intensify its appeal.
• Establish the writer’s tone
• Create a relationship between the writer and the reader.
Feature leads often begin by setting a scene or painting a
picture - in words - of a person or place.
TakE Time to Tell the Story
Think back to your interview(s) and read through your notes several times to get a sense
of what’s important and how the people you talked to relate to and feel about what’s
taking place. Feature leads in articles generally require two to four paragraphs to set a
scene or convey an anecdote. Pretty soon, however, even a feature story has to get to
the point. Remember to try and convey all five senses if they contribute to the story.
The Nutgraf(s)
The nutgraf(s) is where the feature writer lays out for the reader exactly what the story is
all about. It usually follows the first few paragraphs of the scene-setting or story-telling the
writer has done. A nutgraf can be a single paragraph or more. It’s the 5Ws of the story.
QUOTE/TRANSITION
If you interviewed several people for your feature, you need to transition from one person
to another, so you will need a transition paragraph between each quote. But even if the
feature is just about one person, you still need transition paragraphs as you move from
one subject to another, one time period to another, etc., etc.
UsE Figurative Language
Figurative language helps recreate scenes or sensations.
It is how a writer shows vs. tells the story. Devices include:
• Metaphor -- An implied comparison between two unlike things.
(EXAMPLE: To his teammates, Jacobs walks on water.”
• Simile -- A stated comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”.
(EXAMPLE: The band moved around the field like graceful dancers in a ballet.)
• Personification -- Giving life-like characteristics to something lifeless.
(EXAMPLE: The running back cradled the football in his arms like a little baby.
• Hyperbole -- Emphasizing something by deliberately overstating or understating it.
(EXAMPLE: The noise was so loud, it sounded like we had 100,000 screaming fans
each time the Raiders scored a touchdown.)
• Good feature stories contain anecdotes, description, attributive verbs and direct quotes.
PROPER ATTRIBUTION
Remember, you need to use proper attribution so people know who is saying what. The
first reference to a person must include their first and last name and their grade, title or
position. After that, for second or third references, you can just use their last name.
PROPER QUOTE PUNCTUATION
“In each of my plays I always try to forget that I’m acting in front of an audience and just
slip into a pretend world. If I don’t then I could never play the characters you see on
stage,” Ryan Gosling (11) said.
FEATURE articles are usually
about people and the interesting
or unusual things they do.
After interviewing someone, you
may use their statements as either
DIRECT or INDIRECT quotes.
If you use the information as an
indirect quote (that is, if you take
the original quote and “paraphrase” it) you may not change
the meaning of the original statement.
Feature articles are more like
short stories, in that you have
more freedom to set the scene,
paint a picture with words and be
more creative than you can with
hard news articles.
The LEAD PARAGRAPH must
grab the reader’s attention. It does
not have to be a certain length,
nor does it have to include the
5Ws. It should set the scene and
get the reader into the story.
After the lead comes the “nUT
GRAPH.” The nut graph is basically a summary of what the story
is going to be about. It’s the 5 Ws
and H that you didn’t answer in
the lead.
After the nut graph, try to get a
quote high up in the story (unless
you started with a quote).
After a strong lead and an informative nut graph, use the transition/quote formula. Remember,
only use direct quotes if you have
them on recorded or if you wrote
them down exactly. Otherwise,
you can paraphrase the person.
You still must include the WHO,
WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY,
normally in the first few paragraphs of the article, or nutgraph.
Keep all paragraphs to a maximum of 35 WORDS.
DO NOT EDITORIALIZE!
Additional Information
on Feature Writing
LEAD PARAGRAPH
Can be and often are longer than one sentence
Is your chance to grab the reader’s attention
Should be specific to your story
Should not be filled with cliches
Should be in third person
Must set the mood or tone of the story
TYPES OF LEAD PARAGRAPHS
Narrative – Tells a story
Descriptive – Describes a scene, person or subject
Direct Quote – Use sparingly. Must be a powerful quote
Startling Statement – Creates drama
Contrast & Compare – For example, then and now
Twist – Sets reader up for one mood and then twists it
around to surprises the reader.
WRITING DEVICES FOR LEADS
Repetition
Short, punchy sentences. Fragments.
Using dialogue
Mixing sentence length to set a rhythm
Breaking the rules … like starting with “And”
DO NOT DO THIS IN YOUR LEAD
Avoid using first and second person
No cliches
Do not state the obvious
YOU CAN DO THIS IN YOUR LEAD
Use the first name on the second reference if the story
is about a student.
Add plausible description to flesh out your lead
Have a lead longer than one paragraph
HOW DO YOU END A FEATURE STORY?
A powerful quote
A sentence that ties in back to the lead
PITFALLS TO AVOID IN FEATURE ARTICLES
FOUR WRITING TIPS
YOU SHOULD TRY
Good writers tend to use four syntactical structures over and over:
the three-action sentence, the appositive, the participial phrase and
the absolute phrase.
3-action sentence
The three-action sentence employs one subject and three verbs:
“The running back darted behind
a lineman, waited a split second
for the opponent to go by, and
continued running down field.”
appositive
The appositive redescribes or renames: “Nick, the cashier at HEB,
handed back change.”
participial phrase
The participial phrase uses “ing”
words to add specificity, either
as an opener to a clause or as
a closer: “Bursting between the
guard and tackle, the quarterback
scored the go-ahead touchdown.”
absolute phrase
The absolute phrase works just
like a participial phrase, but it
uses a noun plus a participle, and
almost always refers to a physiological part of the noun it’s modifying: “The student’s model rocket
chugged and hissed as it took off,
the body wobbling, tail end spewing bright blue smoke into the sky.”
Using a hard news lead – “Just the Facts” is oftentimes boring
Writing in the passive voice
Using too many adverbs and adjectives instead of specific nouns and powerful verbs
Writing a story that doesn’t flow or doesn’t use Transition/Quote formula
Not having enough strong quotes