Week 3 - Feature Story Style

Style is about the way the story is written: your voice, descriptive language, usage, sentence structure, etc. Feature stories have a lot more flexibility than news stories. Instead of sticking to the just the facts, told in third person, and using past tense, features are more flexible and tend to follow a more literary style.

Feature stories require a livelier, looser, more literary voice. That means you can provide more vivid details, write in second or first person, and use fragments when needed to make a point. Although more literary techniques are used, you must be sure to keep the facts straight and the story true.

One way to find your writing "voice" is to read and note styles you like. Reading, in general, is important for any writer. I cannot overemphasize the importance of being voracious readers because...good writers read!

The lead is the first part of a story – the first one or two sentences. News leads provide a summary of the key facts for a story. Feature leads can be more creative.

Feature story leads may take on many different forms. The most common include:

• Anecdotal (snapshot)/narrative(movie)
• Scene-setter – descriptions transport readers
• Direct address – speak directly to reader
• Blind – tease readers by withholding key info
• Roundup – several people, places, things
• Startling statement (also called “zinger”)
• Wordplay - alliteration (words that start with the same letter), onomatopoeia (words that sound like they are pronounced, like "sizzle" or "boom") or a pun

Make sure to review the list in the text on page 121: Helpful Tips for Successful Feature Writing.

As a reminder, your Blog #1 and Blog #2 entries are due this week.

Book recommendation: On Writing Well by William Zinsser