A feature story aims to educate and entertain the readers. It reflects the best in a writer. It can be personal, colorful, and opinionated, but without deviating from the facts. It may be longer and in-depth compared to a straightforward news story. It carries feelings and impressions. It should be able to grab the reader’s attention instantly and hold that attention.
Writing a feature story is not always easy. It comes with a lot of elements that should come together to make it whole. Also, the style of writing a feature may vary depending on the writer or the subject. However, at the very heart of it, the purpose is the same – it aims to explore a range of issues, opinions, experiences, and ideas while captivating the audience.
On July 1, we attended the Feature Writing 101 workshop hosted by Writer’s Block Philippines. We learned tips and tricks about feature writing to help us improve how we share stories on WhenInManila.com. Here, we’d like to share what we’ve learned with you.
There are different types of feature stories
Feature stories are created to inform, entertain, persuade, or simply satisfy the audience’s curiosity about a certain topic. It may provide additional information that may not be found on the news story, give an opinion about a trending topic, or offer an entertaining personal perspective on a certain topic. Compared with news stories, which can quickly become irrelevant, feature stories stick around longer even if they have been published for a long time. Different types of feature stories are:
opinion on trending topics
personality profiles
humorous pieces
anecdotes
human interest stories
Feature stories don’t simply present dry facts, they provide a different take on reality from a different angle.
Steps in feature writing
brainstorming
finding the angle
creating an outline
researching
going through the facts to produce an enticing story
creating a punch line to leave an impression
Tips on writing the feature story
Creating the title/headline
hook the reader
highlight the main idea of the story
use important keywords
Creating the introduction
The introduction sets the tone of the whole story
It can have an unusual statement to keep the reader’s attention
It can invite the reader to take a stand especially if it is a controversial topic
It should have the important background information
It should intensify the appeal to keep the reader hooked
Creating the body
It should have additional facts and statistics
It can have opinions from authorities
It can have sound bites from interviews
It can have personal opinions
It can be visual using photos, diagrams, and graphs
Putting a conclusion
The conclusion leaves the impression to reader
It should remind the reader what the story is about
It can suggest a course of action and/or change of attitude or views
Remember…
When writing a feature story, it should:
be well-researched and well-written
inform
entertain
have authority
present viewpoints
Any other tips you can add? Share with us how you write feature stories.
*** Writer’s Block Philippines spearheads feature writing workshops and more. To know more about their workshops, email writersblock.ph@gmail.com or contact 0917.397.9927. You can also check out their website, www.writersblockphilippines.com for future workshops.
For media partnerships, possible features or other inquiries, you can find answers on our "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) page here - WhenInManila.com/faq
Basics of Feature Writing: The Art of Telling Stories
A feature story aims to educate and entertain the readers. It reflects the best in a writer. It can be personal, colorful, and opinionated, but without deviating from the facts. It may be longer and in-depth compared to a straightforward news story. It carries feelings and impressions. It should be able to grab the reader’s attention instantly and hold that attention.
Writing a feature story is not always easy. It comes with a lot of elements that should come together to make it whole. Also, the style of writing a feature may vary depending on the writer or the subject. However, at the very heart of it, the purpose is the same – it aims to explore a range of issues, opinions, experiences, and ideas while captivating the audience.
On July 1, we attended the Feature Writing 101 workshop hosted by Writer’s Block Philippines. We learned tips and tricks about feature writing to help us improve how we share stories on WhenInManila.com. Here, we’d like to share what we’ve learned with you.
Tips on writing the feature story
Remember…
When writing a feature story, it should:
Any other tips you can add? Share with us how you write feature stories.
*** Writer’s Block Philippines spearheads feature writing workshops and more. To know more about their workshops, email writersblock.ph@gmail.com or contact 0917.397.9927. You can also check out their website, www.writersblockphilippines.com for future workshops.
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For media partnerships, possible features or other inquiries, you can find answers on our "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) page here - WhenInManila.com/faq