How to Write a Feature Story

How to Write a Feature Story Courtesy: oztypewriter.blogspot.com I find that one of the biggest challenges journalistic writing have to face is  their first feature story. The process involves an awful lot of tact, fairness, honesty, and integrity. Youre painting a picture of this person to your community. While you want to do them justice, you also want to present an unbiased piece. After all, youre still writing for a newspaper. In this way, feature stories ask for something thats nearly impossible. They ask us to get to know a person, learn to appreciate their qualities, interview them, meet with them, yet still go home at the end of the day and write a story that isnt over-the-top positive. You arent their personal cheerleader. So, how do you find that balance? Below are the six steps that I use to write a feature story. However, I will add that, the more you practice with this particular skill, the better your pieces are going to become. 1. Choose an interesting, newsworthy subject Weve talked about picking an interesting, timely, and relevant topic for other types of writing. But this is a bit more specific. You need to feature a person, group, or business. In other words, you need to pick a subject. This can be difficult. After all, you might know several subjects personally, making it impossible to cover them, even if they are interesting and relevant. And, even if you can come up with a quality idea, not all subjects (include directors, founders, owners, and individuals) are going to be willing to meet with you. Feature stories have to come together in a very specific way. Its like watching puzzle pieces fall into place. 2. Schedule a convenient, in-person interview This is where the going gets tough. You need to contact your subject and schedule an in-person (not email, not cell phone, not Skype) interview. If youre covering a group or entity, you may need to interview two or three different people, and you might not be able to get all of your interviewees at one time. Thus, the process becomes a bit muddled. Feature stories, for the most part, arent timely. Unless youre covering a subject that has, very recently, done something thats been covered in the news, you dont need to rush a good piece. You can take your time, work on other stories, and let the interviews come together when the time is right for your subject. Then, and only then, can you conduct a serious, professional interview that gives you all of the information that you need to write a great story.