What makes a good feature?

A good feature story won't be quite as heavy as a hard news story. What it should be is a story that piques human interest, one that will keep the readers coming back for more.

By using quotations and injecting dialogue into the piece, it makes the situation a journalist is reporting on seem more realistic. The quotes you see, the dialogue you read, all came from real people just like you and me, it gives the story more life.

Reporting a feature story is more than just facts, features are more flexible in topics that can be covered and how exactly to cover them. There still are facts, and there still is an interview process, just as any hard news story has, but features are more popular with readers, as their best interest should always be in mind while writing one.

Features also utilize the senses, which help enhance the imagery of the story. This literally paints a picture of the story in the readers' minds, it makes it seem as if the reader themself is in the story. Interview subjects have names, faces, voices, real human qualities, as opposed to just being a witness, a victim, or whatever the subject of the hard news story may be.

Creativity is key when writing a feature story. Use details, use dialogue, foreshadow your events, why not throw in an anecdote or two? Make it interesting, and readers will find it interesting to read.