How to Write a Feature Newspaper Article

Feature articles are windows into the human experience, giving more detail and description than a hard news story, which typically relies on the "inverted pyramid" style of writing.  Features focus on an event or an individual, giving the reader a chance to more fully understand some interesting dimension of the world.  (http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Feature-Article)

The purpose of a feature article is to inform, entertain and persuade the reader.  Feature articles are composed of five different components.  They are:

Headline

Compose a catchy, to the point headline which attracts the reader's attention.  Remember, if the headline is boring, chances are the reader won't want to read any further.  For more information about catchy headlines, read http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2015/02/ten-tips-to-writing-irresistibly.html.

Byline

Insert the writer's name here.

Lede/Lead

This is the preview of the story.  It helps the reader decide whether or not to read the article.  Try to insert a hook here to draw the reader in.  The lede sets the writer's tone and establishes a relationship between the writer and the reader.

Story

This is where the writer includes relevant facts from his or her research.  Quotes from interviews and experts should be inserted here.  Anecdotes and stories are also valuable, helping to maintain the reader's interest.  Names, dates and places should be identified here.  Any supporting information should follow including photos, tables, diagrams and graphs.

Conclusion

The purpose of the conclusion is to leave a lasting impression.  Remind the reader of the main idea. Suggest a course of action.  Encourage a change of opinion.  Bring the article full circle by referring back to the introduction.  

Tips

Here are some suggested tips to follow when preparing, researching and writing your feature.

1.  use tight writing; features can be as short as 500 words, but some are as long as 1500 or 2000 

2.  show, don't tell

3.  use strong verbs and nouns; use adjectives sparingly

4.  use identifiable, reliable sources; if sources are weak, it's better not to use them

5.  write about a well defined topic

6.  avoid the passive voice; use the active voice whenever possible

7.  vary sentence length

8.  use an informal tone or the first person to make it more personal

9.  facts validate the writer's view

10.  exaggeration helps a humorous article

11.  use rhetorical questions to draw the reader in

12.  sprinkle the article with imagery to engage the reader's imagination

13.  include direct quotes to personalize the topic

14.  don't forget to proofread; consult The Elements of Style by Strunk & White at www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk

For a feature article scaffold, visit http://stage6.pbworks.com/f/How+To+Write+A+Great+Feature+Article.pdf.

http://ryntintin-ivil.tripod.com/id8.html

Developping Good Blog Content

"For a blog to be successful, your content needs to be useful and unique to readers." (Darren Rowse)

You have found a blog niche, name, platform and design.  Now it's time to start developping your blog content.

Define Your Voice

According to Professional Blogging for Dummies (http://www.amazon.ca/Professional-Blogging-Dummies-Susan-Getgood/dp/0470601795) the first consideration you need to focus on is defining your voice.  What is your writing style?  How do you present your material?  Do you let your personality shine through in your writing?  Do you use the correct grammar and spelling?  Does your writing look professional?  How much do you want to share with your readers?  Do you want to include information about your spouse and children, or keep them out of your writing?  Do you want to invite guest bloggers to post?  If so, how will you keep their voice consistent with your own? These are questions you must consider in the early weeks of blogging.

Keep an Editorial Calendar

The second consideration is an editorial calendar.  Just as a magazine editor has a calendar to plan each upcoming issue, you need a plan for your blog, a "roadmap for your content" (Professional Blogging for Dummies).  Without a calendar, you have to start from scratch each day.  Even though I have had a successful blog for four and a half years, there were many days where I didn't know what to blog about.  I wasted a lot of time choosing a topic, often more time than I did writing.  Last year, I started grouping blog topics into days or even a week.  This year I am experimenting with a monthly topic.  I find myself looking forward to writing that much more because I already know what I'm writing about.

Professional Blogging for Dummies recommends filling in the following details in your editorial calendar for each post:

1.  date:  daily, weekly, biweekly, bimonthly, etc.

2.  type ex. narrative, essay, review (book, restaurant), opinion, podcast, promotion, news, recipe, roundup (top ten)

3.  topic:  divide blog into sections with tabs; my blog has three categories, history, home & writing

4.  author:  if you have guest bloggers

5.  art:  always include a picture or photograph; it catches the reader's eye ex. www.istockphoto.com or www.flickr.com

6.  media:  include a Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/?gl=CA) link or podcast

7.  deadline:  if you have guest bloggers

Don't forget to include a catchy title or headline.  You have only three seconds to catch the reader's attention before they move on to something else.  Also, include tags in your post to attract reader's who happen to google keywords from your post.

Invite Comments

The third consideration is comments for your blog, something recommended by experts.  If you don't have comments, your blog is simply a website.  You may choose to set up a system where you approve or disapprove the comments before they are officially posted.  You can restrict comments to stop profanity, negativity or HTML hyperlinks.  Some people aren't interested in engaging in dialogue but just want to promote their own blogs.  Some software programs allow you to pre-approve the first comment and then automatically approve any subsequent comments from that same blogger.  Post your policy somewhere on your blog so that readers know what your rules are regarding comments.

Add a Blogroll

Lastly, consider starting a blogroll to accompany your blog in a sidebar.  It is a good way to become part of the blogosphere community.  It also gives readers a sense of your taste and friends.  You may get discovered through a Google Alert.  Start with your favourite blogs, then influential blogs in your niche, then associations and affinity groups and then blogs dealing with complementary topics.  My blogroll includes a few history blogs, a few writing blogs and a few Christian blogs, a true reflection of my interests and values.

For more information, visit
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/02/18/writing-good-content/.