CAMPUS JOURNALISM

Presents

Writing the
actual
feature
article
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whiteboard use

Presented by: Kaezy Ashante M. France

BSED ENG3A
What is feature
writing?
A feature article is a news story that goes
beyond the facts to weave in a narrative and
tell a compelling story. A feature article
differs from a hard news story as it offers an
in-depth look at a particular subject, current
event, or location to audiences.
WAYS TO WRITE A FEATURE ARTICLE
1 2 3 4 5

Have a
Do your Open with Connect the Make sure it
compelling
research. intrigue dots pays off
headline

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Do your research
Feature stories need more than straight facts
and sensory details—they need evidence.
Quotes, anecdotes, and interviews are all useful
when gathering information for your own feature
story.

Hearing the viewpoints or recollections of

witnesses, family members, or anyone else who
could fill in any gaps or missing pieces to your story
can help it feel more three-dimensional, allowing
you to craft a more vivid and interesting story.
 Back to Agenda Page

Have a compelling
headline.
Feature stories rely on a writer’s ability to
maintain a reader’s attention throughout an
entire piece, but one of the harder parts is
getting them interested enough to read the
story in the first place. Your headline is the first
thing readers are going to see, so it needs to
pack a punch or set up a question readers will
want your story to answer.
 Back to Agenda Page

Open with intrigue. If you’ve drawn your readers

in with the headline, the opening paragraph is
where you hook them for the rest of the story.
The first paragraph should introduce tension,
where you set up the question or speculation as
to why this particular news event is worth
paying attention to—your first few lines give the
reader a reason to keep reading.
Connect
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the dots.
The feature news style of writing is similarly
structured to how you would write short story
fiction, but don’t be afraid to make the feature
story format your own. As long as information
blends seamlessly with your narrative and
creates a sequence of scenes connected by an
emotional arc, you’re likely writing a compelling
feature article.
 Back to Agenda Page

The main body of your feature article should

answer questions, provide specific information,
and include the payoffs the reader has been
gearing up for. Even if the situation in real life
has no ending, there must be a conclusion to
your piece that feels satisfying to your audience,
like they’ve been told a complete story.
 Hook

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Any questions?
Clarifications?