A Good Feature is a Good Story

A feature is unlike writing a story in the inverted pyramid style. A feature is usually a long, in-depth story about an subject or issue.

In a feature, the lead should draw the reader in and make them want to read more. The lead does not need to include who, what, when, where, why, and how like in a straight news story.

When writing a feature, you should choose a single subject and make them come alive through your writing. The story should reflect the person’s character and personality.

Although you would include some biographical information, you do not want the entire feature to become biographical.

In a feature, almost half of the story should be direct quotes from your subject and contractions may be used to set a more informal tone. On the other hand, a feature should be written in third person like any other news story.

The final paragraph of the feature should bring the entire story to a close and complete the feature. There are two ways to do this; refer back to the lead or use a quote or reference to the future.