Feature Writing Lesson Three

Top tips on how to write a feature article

Tips from a feature writer

Top Feature Writing Tips

• Inspiration for stories can come from anywhere!
• The more you read, the better you write.

• Do your research and always check your facts.

• Think about how you would tell the story to your friends. That's often the top line.

• Be brave and don’t be afraid to ask the difficult questions.

• Build relationships and be friendly. Always be respectful.

• Think of what photographs can be used in a story spread. You might have written the most beautiful piece but without images it won’t appear.

• Ask your questions sensitively and really try to listen to what the person is saying.

Don't jump straight in

The research stage can be the most interesting stage and the most rewarding, assuming you’re given adequate time •You should soak up books and articles on the subject – accumulate specialist knowledge •But this may be challenging due to deadlines – usually requires research at a very fast speed •There can be a relentless churn of stories, many come from high pressured environments

Research your topic

• You need to read other magazines and your competitors
• Other magazines can be scrutinised – are they giving their readers a better service?
• Could you do a better job? Have they missed a trick? Is there a new angle to the story you could take? Use your curiosity
• And not just magazines – look at all media sources, B2B, social media like Facebook, Twitter, community news
• “All journalism feeds off other journalism”
• But there is a drawback to this approach you should be aware of. What might this be?