Feature Writing: The Pursuit of Excellence

CHAPTER one

The Newspaper Feature Story 

The Feature: Helen’s Story  

An Overview  

Newspaper Feature Story Types: News and Timeless Features  

Categories and Appeals  

Newspaper Feature Writers: The Right Stuff  

A Profile of the Pulitzer Winners  

The Anatomy of a Newspaper Feature Story  

“Mrs. Kelly’s Monster”  

by Jon Franklin of the Baltimore Evening Sun

A Pulitzer Prize Winner

The Future: Trends in Newspaper Feature Writing  

CHAPTER TWO

The Newspaper Feature Story Idea  

What Newspaper Readers Want to Read  

How to Get Ideas  

Focusing Ideas  

Ideas That Didn’t Work  

Ideas That Worked  

“Life on the Land: An American Farm Family”  

“Life on the Land: An American Farm Family”  

by John Camp of the St. Paul Pioneer Press

A Pulitzer Prize Winner

“Pearls Before Breakfast”  

“PEARLS BEFORE BREAKFAST”  

by Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post Magazine

A Pulitzer Prize Winner

CHAPTER Three

The Magazine Article and Article Idea  

How a Magazine Article Differs from a Newspaper Feature  

Staff Writer Versus Freelancer  

Three Necessary Skills for the Freelance Writer  

Stalking the Elusive Article Idea  

Matching Ideas to Markets  

“Like Something the Lord Made”  

by Katie McCabe for The Washingtonian

A National Magazine Award Winner

“Death of a Playmate”  

by Teresa Carpenter for The Village Voice

A Pulitzer Prize Winner

Taking the Next Step  

CHAPTER four

Researching for Newspaper Feature Stories and Magazine Articles  

Newspaper Reference Rooms AND COMPUTER FILES  

Magazine Reference Resources  

Computerized Research  

Using Search Engines and Directories  

WRITING FOR THE INTERNET  

  On the Decline of Print Journalism

  Freelancing for the Internet

Turning Research into the Finished Article  

“WHERE BUSINESS TRAVELERS LIVE”  

by Joe Brancatelli

“WHy we hate the airlines and lobve diet coke”  

by Joe Brancatelli

 

CHAPTER five

Interviewing for Newspaper Feature Stories and Magazine Articles  

Kinds of Interviews  

Getting Ready to Interview  

Who to Interview  

Asking for the Interview  

Persuading People Who Don’t Want to Talk  

When and Where to Interview  

Researching the Interviewee  

Conducting the Personal Interview  

Making Friends  

Asking Questions  

Attribution Guidelines  

Gathering Material  

Fixing Quotes  

Description  

Excerpt from “The Boy Behind the Mask”  

by Tom Hallman Jr. of The Oregonian

A Pulitzer Prize Winner

Excerpt from “Crossing Over”  

by J. R. Moehringer of The Los Angeles Times

A Pulitzer Prize Winner

Closing the Session  

The Interview Story  

 “Zepp’s Last Stand”  

by Madeleine Blais of The Miami Herald

A Pulitzer Prize Winner

CHAPTER six

Writing the Newspaper Feature Story  

Beginning the Process  

Story Structure  

Writing the Lead  

A Dozen Lead Categories  

Excerpt from “Angels and Demons”  

by Tom French of the St. Petersburg Times

A Pulitzer Prize Winner

Excerpt from “How Super Are Our Supercarriers?R