A feature story is a human-interest article

that focuses on particular people, places

and events.

It is journalistic, researched, descriptive,

colorful, thoughtful, reflective, thorough
writing about original ideas.
Feature stories cover topics in depth, going further
than mere hard news coverage by amplifying and
explaining the most interesting and important
elements of a situation or occurrence.

Feature stories are popular content elements of

newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites,
newsletters, television broadcasts and other mass
media.
What differentiates a feature article from any
regular informative or news article is the
novelty of style, delivery and wordplay that
the author uses to create a light, informative
read. Feature articles give writers more
breathing space to express one's writing style
and to tackle the topic in question in a more
creative and less straightforward manner. 
While journalists reporting late-breaking
hard news don't have enough preparation
time and copy length to include much
background and description, writers of
features have the space and time to evoke
imagery in their stories and fill in details of
the circumstances and atmosphere.
A feature story is not meant to report the
latest breaking news, but rather an in-depth
look at a subject. 
 
Feature articles range from the news feature
that provides sidebar background to a current
event hard news story, to a relatively timeless
story that has natural human interest. 
interest.
Features generally are longer than hard-news
articles because the feature penetrates deeper
into its subject, expanding on the details rather
than trying to concentrate on a few important
key points. 
In hard news stories, often referred to
as inverted pyramid style, the reporter
makes the point, sets the tone, and frames
the issue in the first paragraph or two. 
 
Human Interest: The
best-known kind of
feature story is the
human-interest story
that discusses issues
through the
experiences of
another. 
Profiles: A very common type of
feature is the profile that reveals
an individual's character and
lifestyle. The profile exposes
different facets of the subject so
readers will feel they know the
person. 
 
How-To: These articles help people learn by telling them
how to do something. The writer learns about the topic
through education, experience, research or interviews with
experts. 
Historical
Features: These features
commemorate important
dates in history or
turning points in our
social, political and
cultural development.
They offer a useful
juxtaposition of then and
now. Historical features
take the reader back to
revisit an event and
issues surrounding it.
Seasonal Themes: Stories
about holidays and the
change of seasons address
matters at specific times of a
year. For instance, they
cover life milestones, social,
political and cultural cycles,
and business cycles. 
Behind the Scenes: Inside
views of unusual
occupations, issues, and
events give readers a
feeling of penetrating the
inner circle or being a
mouse in a corner. Readers
like feeling privy to unusual
details and well kept secrets
about procedures or
activities they might not
ordinarily be exposed to or
allowed to participate in.
• Cover the essential elements of who, what, when, where,
how and why

• Put your story in context. You must help answer a reader's biggest

question about any story: Why should I care?

• Put the most important things at the beginning, preferably in

the first paragraph

• Plan out what you are going to say beforehand

• Look at your chosen theme carefully. Consider the questions

suggested and attempt to answer some of them.
• But remember: you need an "angle" - a way to focus your
feature. You can't answer all of those questions. This is
journalism, and journalism needs to be new and original.
That's why an "angle" is important: even if your topic has been
covered in the past, there will always be something new to say.

• You need quotes. But if these quotes have been gathered by

someone other than you, and in particular if they have already
been published, you MUST say where they came from. If you
don't, this is plagiarism and you will be disqualified.
Know the rules of attribution. You must identify yourself as a
reporter before beginning any conversation with a source. If you
don't, his or her comments will not be considered "on the record" --
and therefore they will not be useable in your article. A source cannot
retroactively take his or her comments "off the record" -- so if a
source says at the end of an interview, "but that was all off the
record," that person is out of luck.

*Of the record conversation means that the writer of the story is not
permitted to reveal and publicize the conversation. It should be kept
as confidential information.
Focus on what's most compelling. Before you start writing,
think through all the information you have and all the points you
plan to make. What's surprising? What's important? What's
useful?

Show, don't tell. It is tempting to describe a room as messy or a

person as nice. But carefully-observed details and well-chosen
verbs make a much stronger impression than adjectives.
Don't overuse direct quotes. Sometimes you can best capture a
mood with your own prose. Think of direct quotes as icing on a cake
-- they enhance, but they shouldn't form the substance of your story.
The quotes you do use must be attributed, always. The reader should
not have to guess who is talking.

Fill holes. Are there questions raised by your story that you have not
answered? Ask a friend, teacher, editor or fellow reporter to read
through your story and tell you what else he or she would want to
know.
Triple-check for accuracy. Spell names right. Get grade levels
and titles right. Get facts right. If you are unsure of something and
cannot verify it, leave it out. Before you turn in your story, ask
yourself these questions: Have I attributed or documented all my
facts? Are the quotes in my story presented fairly and in context?
Am I prepared to publicly defend my facts if they are questioned?

Proofread. Do not turn in a story with spelling or grammatical

mistakes. If you're not sure of grammar, consult a copy of Strunk
and White's The Elements of Style.
 Originality is vital to a successful feature article, which is
something a writer builds through time and experience, but for
starters, there are only a few fundamental steps to keep in mind,
and you're on your way to becoming a good features writer.

 It takes a lot of patience and experience to overcome hurdles

and produce good quality output, but at the end of the day, you'd
find that writing can be an extremely noble and rewarding task.

Good luck!