Fundamentals of

Writing Feature Articles

The AngleWhose story is this?

What perspective are you coming from?

Whose voice should your readers listen to?

DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE GOING TO LET

YOUR SUBJECTS TALK OR YOU WILL DO THE

TALKING FOR THEM

Conduct interviews. Go out. Talk to

people. “Choose someone who touches

some corner of the reader’s life.” –

William Zinsser

Play with quotes – select, reject,

transpose their order.

“When you get people talking, handle

what they say as you would handle a

valuable gift.” – Zinsser, 1998

The ToneHow do you feel toward your

subject, your topic?

How does your subject feel

about the topic or the issue

you are writing an article

about?

In feature articles,

CONSISTENCY IS A MUST.

Develop one voice that readers

will recognize when they hear it

on the page.

Let your words reflect

whatever emotions you have.

Your words should serve as

containers for emotions our

hearts can no longer contain.

The words we are going to use

should be in congruence to the

emotions we would want to

impart.

Avoid Breeziness, condescension and clichés!Avoid writing crude, corny and verbose paragraphs!Write with respect for the language at its best and for readers at their best! Be fresh! Be free! Be vogue!Reach for fresh imagery and avoid phrases that are trite!Remember these three words: Surprise. Strength. Preciseness.Simplify your sentences!

“ Ever stay up late babysitting for a sick porker? Believe you, me, a guy can lose a heckuva lot of shut-eye. I did that gig for three nights back in September and my better half thought I’d lost my marbles. (Just kidding, Pam!) Frankly, the whole deal kind of bummed me out. Because, you see, the pig up and died on me. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t feeling in the pink myself, so I suppose it could have been yours truly and not old porky who kicked the bucket. And you can bet your bottom dollar Mr. Pig wasn’t going to write a book about it!”

“ I spent several days and nights in mid-

September with an ailing pig and I feel

driven to account for this stretch of time,

more particularly since the pig died at last,

and I lived, and things might easily have

gone the other way round and none left to

do the accounting.”

Revise your articles.

Establish a certain tone.

Focus on one angle! Get rid

of your clutters! Devise

fresh sentences and images.

Thank you for listening! – Mam Jawe