How to Write a Lead: 10 Dos, 10 Don'ts, 10 Good Examples.

Or write it and then go back to it when you’ve finished the rest of the feature. A lot of the time, the first paragraph that we write will turn out to be drivel, and either we’ll look at it in horror and cut it ourselves, or the editor will do it for us. Your first or in most cases, second, paragraph will ideally explain the feature in a nutshell, so that the reader knows what they are.

I find that one of the biggest challenges journalistic writing have to face is their first feature story. The process involves an awful lot of tact, fairness, honesty, and integrity. You’re painting a picture of this person to your community. While you want to do them justice, you also want to present an unbiased piece. After all, you’re still writing for a newspaper.

Feature writing can stand alone, or it can be a sidebar to the main story, the. Write a lead that invites an audience into the story. A summary may not be the best lead for a feature. A lead block of one or two paragraphs often begins a feature. Rather than put the news elements of the story in the lead, the feature writer uses the first two or three paragraphs to set a mood, to arouse.

A feature is an in-depth look at a topic, product or industry--it's a complex story designed to be read at a leisurely pace. And a feature can benefit your company by linking your brand or product.

Like a newspaper feature, a magazine feature is delivered in a style that is more entertaining or thought-provoking, weaving a story, even when delivering the news. Features can come in a variety of formats including how-to, profiles, interviews, behind the scenes, and color pieces that shed light on a topic. How to Write a Feature.

Feature Leads vs. Hard News Leads. Hard news leads put all the important information into the first paragraph, known as the lead. This usually includes the who, what, where, when and why of the story. Example: One person was killed and three injured when a car and truck collided yesterday on an icy section of Street Road in Bensalem, police said. WHO: ONE DEAD, THREE HURT. WHAT: CAR-TRUCK.

Feature Leads. The best rule in feature writing is to observe no rules, aside from those of basic journalistic style and structure. The best lead for the feature story is a natural extension of the story - nothing forced or contrived without consideration to the tone or subject of the story. More bluntly stated, the best lead is the lead that is relevant, grabs the reader's attention and fits.

Why should you write feature article leads? The New York Times runs 33% feature leads. Lead by example: The New York Times grabs reader attention with such feature leads as description, juicy details and examples. And, unlike you, it’s a news organization.

Feature Story Ideas 1. Modern day heroes 2. Unusual pets 3. Unusual jobs (or students who meet famous people as a result of their part-time job) 4. Making a comeback—students or faculty who have overcome incredible odds. 5. The rescue team—librarians who save your necks during research paper time. 6. The library—how much is lost each year.

What is a delayed lead? It is a type of lead that can take several sentences and paragraphs to write as opposed to hard news leads which are just a concise sentence. Delayed leads are mainly used in feature stories, and they take several paragraphs to begin the story of the feature.

This fantastic pack includes six different checklists which focus on different features of a story that are expected to be included whilst writing a story. The different features of a story which are included are story characters, story events, story openings, story problems, story tensions and story resolutions. Each checklist features various writing prompts that children can tick off once.