Human Interest: Many feature stories focus on an issue as it impacts people. They often focus on one person or a group of people. Profile: This feature type focuses on a specific individual’s character or lifestyle. This type is intended to help the reader feel like they’ve gotten a window into someone’s life. Often, these features are written about celebrities or other public figures. Instructional: How-to feature articles teach readers how to do something. Oftentimes, the writer will write about their own journey to learn a task, such as how to make a wedding cake. Historical: Features that honor historical events or developments are quite common. They are also useful in juxtaposing the past and the present, helping to root the reader in a shared history. Seasonal: Some features are perfect for writing about in certain times of year, such as the beginning of summer vacation or at the winter holidays. Behind the Scenes: These features give readers insight into an unusual process, issue or event. It can introduce them to something that is typically not open to the public or publicized.
Schedule about 30-45 minutes with this person. Be respectful of their time and don’t take up their whole day. Be sure to confirm the date and time a couple of days ahead of the scheduled interview to make sure the time still works for the interviewee. If your interviewee needs to reschedule, be flexible. Remember, they are being generous with their time and allowing you to talk with them, so be generous with your responses as well. Never make an interviewee feel guilty about needing to reschedule. If you want to observe them doing a job, ask if they can bring you to their workplace. Asking if your interviewee will teach you a short lesson about what they do can also be excellent, as it will give you some knowledge of the experience to use when you write.
Be sure to ask your interviewee if it’s okay to audio-record the interview. If you plan to use the audio for any purpose other than for your own purposes writing up the article (such as a podcast that might accompany the feature article), you must tell them and get their consent. Don’t pressure the interviewee if they decline audio recording.
Another good option is a question that begins Tell me about a time when. . . . This allows the interviewee to tell you the story that’s important to them, and can often produce rich information for your article.
Start by describing a dramatic moment and then uncover the history that led up to that moment. Use a story-within-a-story format, which relies on a narrator to tell the story of someone else. Start the story with an ordinary moment and trace how the story became unusual.
Check with your editor to see how long they would like your article to be.
Consider what you absolutely must have in the story and what can be cut. If you are writing a 500-word article, for example, you will likely need to be very selective about what you include, whereas you have a lot more space to write in a 2,500 word article.
Start with an interesting fact, a quote, or an anecdote for a good hook. Your opening paragraph should only be about 2-3 sentences.
Be flexible, however. Sometimes when you write, the flow makes sense in a way that is different from your outline. Be ready to change the direction of your piece if it seems to read better that way.
You can choose to incorporate or not incorporate their suggestions.
Consult “The Associated Press Stylebook” for style guidelines, such as how to format numbers, dates, street names, and so on. [7] X Research source
If you want to convey slightly more information, write a sub-headline, which is a secondary sentence that builds on the headline.
