Feature writing calls upon some of the same skills used in news writing, especially reporting and interviewing. But to create an engaging feature, writers must build upon those skills through storytelling methods often associated with fiction writing, such as description, character and dialogue. There’s a reason why this works. A well-told story invites in readers. Through the story, readers see the experiences of another person or place, a process that creates emotion, meaning and understanding. In other words, these storytelling techniques help writers construct memorable features that make an impact.

After watching this video you should be able to:

• Recognize a feature from a group of stories

• Identify the elements that set a feature story apart

• Explain the reporting process for a feature story

• Explain the writing process for a feature story

• Create a sample plan for reporting and writing a feature story