How to Write a Feature Story

The difference between a feature story and a regular news story is that a feature article tells a story, expanding more on the subject being discussed than a regular article would. To begin writing a feature story, a reporter should pre-plan their overall message that they want to convey, and how they plan to execute that. An important step is finding a unique angle for the story, focusing on what the most interesting part of the subject. An outline should be created and followed so there is cohesion to the story and so it follows the same typical structure that every feature story does. The structure should be solid, and can be written in any form as long as there is a consistent flow throughout the entire story.

The introduction should be about 10% of the overall word count, incorporating a strong lead to hook the reader. This section discloses the “who?” and “what?” of the story, as well as the purpose for writing it. The body paragraphs unveil the “why?”, “who?” and “how?” points of the story. These sections support the introduction with facts and background information, and provide a unique voice to the story. The key to these sentences is to include stronger verbs which create imagery for the reader, rather than utilizing adjectives that do not stimulate the same creative picture. Finally, the conclusion should be treated with the same importance as the introduction. It should answer any questions posed in the beginning of the story. It should also repeat the main message, and wrap up the story nicely.

Source: Morris Journalism Academy