Characteristics And Context

'By reading or discussing and answering questions, you are sharing and clarifying ideas, whilst helping others to do the same.'

Session Objectives

Share and scrutinise each other's ideas
To listen, question and challenge others, whist giving feedback and pitching our Unit 9 ideas.
Focus on describing characteristics of chosen medium and how we will reach our chosen audience.

Learning Outcome 1: To identify, explore, analyse, articulate/discuss and explain the main characteristics of your chosen mediums: e.g. what makes something a poem; what makes something a documentary; what makes something a short story; what makes something a news feature/article etc…

Analysis ⬇️

analysis

/əˈnalɪsɪs/ - 'Detailed examination of the elements or structure of something.'

To me, analysis is the process of breaking something down into its component parts to understand how it works, why it works that way, and how it can be improved or leveraged. It’s not just about looking at data or information, but interpreting and drawing meaningful conclusions from it.

In this context, analysis helps me to approach pieces of writing or mediums with a critical eye. It’s a way to sift through information and focus on the most important aspects of a chosen medium.

Characteristics ⬇️

characteristic

/ˌkarɪktəˈrɪstɪk/ - 'A feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing and serving to identify them.'

In this context, characteristics refer to the distinct qualities, features, or properties that define that medium and make it unique. For example, identifying the characteristics of a short story can help to understand how to create a compelling and effective piece of writing whilst utilising the main components of your chosen medium.

Characteristics of Chosen Mediums

Discuss all the characteristics of your chosen mediums that you know and share thoughts and examples with others.

Feature Article:

'A feature article is a type of journalistic writing that goes beyond the typical news report to offer a more in-depth, nuanced, and often more personal exploration of a subject. Unlike hard news, which focuses on delivering immediate facts, feature articles emphasize storytelling, context, and analysis.'

In-depth Exploration

Feature articles provide a detailed, thorough exploration of a topic, often going beyond the surface-level facts. They include background information, context, and analysis. They often cover human interest stories, trends, profiles, events, or in-depth reports on social issues.

Narrative Style

Many feature articles adopt a narrative structure, which may involve storytelling techniques like anecdotal leads, descriptions, and character-driven approaches. This style can make the article more engaging and relatable to readers.

Human Interest

Feature articles often focus on human interest elements, showcasing personal stories, emotions, and experiences that evoke empathy and connection from readers. Even if the feature is about a broader topic, it may highlight individual perspectives to make the issue more tangible and impactful.

Creative Leads

Unlike news stories that start with a straightforward summary of the most important facts, feature articles often begin with a creative lead, which could be an intriguing anecdote, a vivid description, a thought-provoking quote, or a surprising fact to draw the reader in. The goal is to hook the reader and make them want to continue reading.

Incorporation of Quotes and Interviews

Feature articles often rely heavily on quotes from people—whether experts, participants, or ordinary individuals— to add authenticity and voice to the piece. Interviews are commonly used to enrich the article with various perspectives.

Descriptive Language

Writers of feature articles often use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture of the scene, people, or emotions involved in the story. This can include sensory details (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) that immerse the reader in the experience.

Focused on a Specific Angle

Feature articles usually zoom in on a particular aspect or angle of a larger story, event, or issue. The angle might focus on an underrepresented aspect of the topic or offer a fresh perspective.

Longer Length

Feature articles are typically longer than standard news stories. They can range from a few hundred to several thousand words, depending on the complexity of the topic. This length allows the writer to go into greater depth and explore the topic from multiple angles.

Balanced and Objective

While feature articles allow for storytelling and personal elements, they maintain a level of journalistic integrity and strive to present a balanced view of the topic. They often include multiple perspectives and sources. Though they may be more subjective than traditional news articles, they should not present biased or opinionated content unless clearly labeled as such (e.g., in an opinion section).

Well-Researched

A key characteristic of a feature article is thorough research. Writers spend time gathering facts, interviews, statistics, and other relevant data to ensure the article is accurate, credible, and well-rounded.

Strong Conclusion

Feature articles often have a conclusion that ties together the information presented, providing some resolution or insight. This could be a reflection on the topic's broader implications, a call to action, or a thought-provoking closing remark.

Varied Topics

Feature articles can cover a wide range of topics, such as profiles of interesting people, investigations into societal trends, explorations of cultural phenomena, travel experiences, or analysis of social issues.

Feature Article Examples

This article, "‘I’m not afraid of death’: the man who spent 70 years in an iron lung" from The Guardian, profiles Paul Alexander, one of the last people in the world to live in an iron lung due to polio. Written by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, it provides a detailed look at Alexander's life, his resilience, and the challenges he faces as one of the few remaining individuals dependent on this now-outdated technology.

Through vivid descriptions and personal quotes, the article captures Alexander's resilience, humor, and achievements despite his physical limitations. It provides historical context on polio and the now-rare iron lung, linking his experience to the COVID-19 pandemic to add timeliness and relevance. With a balanced tone that respects Alexander’s dignity, the article engages readers emotionally while informing them about the broader medical history. This thoughtful structure and blend of detail make Alexander's unique story both inspirational and impactful, which Is something I would like to incorporate into my own article.

This BBC article examines the potential global impacts of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. It highlights how U.S. foreign policy could shift under either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, especially regarding NATO, Middle East diplomacy, and relations with China. Experts discuss concerns about stability and the U.S.'s role in climate action, humanitarian aid, and military support. The article emphasizes the global ripple effects of U.S. leadership, with allies and rivals alike awaiting the direction the country will take on key issues.

It includes insights from experts, addressing concerns about military spending, climate action, and humanitarian issues. The piece highlights the importance of U.S. leadership in shaping international stability, providing a timely analysis of how the election could impact global dynamics. This article also includes a range of important feature article characteristics including a strong conclusion, effective research and an in-depth perspective into a specific topic. RTeading this has sparked ideas for my own article and inspire me to replicate the range of journalistic tools throughout.

Short Story:

'A short story is a brief work of fiction that typically focuses on a single incident, character, or theme. Its concise length—usually ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words—forces the writer to distill the narrative to its most essential elements.'

Length

Short length is one of the defining features. Unlike novels, which can explore extensive plots and character development, short stories focus on a singular idea or event, and the narrative unfolds quickly. They are typically between 1,000 and 7,500 words, though they can sometimes be shorter or longer.

Focused Plot

Short stories generally focus on a single plot or event, often exploring a single moment of change or a pivotal experience in the protagonist's life. The plot is typically simple and straightforward, often revolving around a conflict or crisis that is resolved by the end of the story.

Limited Number of Characters

Due to the short nature of the story, there are usually only one or two central characters, though there may be a small supporting cast. Character development is typically focused and limited, with only the most important aspects of the character's personality or situation explored.

Single Theme or Idea

A short story tends to revolve around a single theme or central idea, like love, loss, redemption, or a moral lesson. The writer might explore a particular emotion or experience, presenting it from a specific angle or through a particular lens.

Strong Hook

Short stories often start with a hook—a compelling opening that grabs the reader's attention immediately. The story may begin with an intriguing question, a vivid description, or a dramatic event that immediately sets the tone and invites the reader to continue.

A Single Conflict

Short stories usually center around a single conflict—whether it's internal (e.g., a character's emotional struggle) or external (e.g., a conflict with another character, society, or nature). The resolution of this conflict typically comes swiftly and concisely, often with a twist or unexpected outcome.

Character Development

While the character development in a short story might not be as extensive as in a novel, the protagonist usually undergoes some form of change or realization. This could be a personal epiphany, a shift in perspective, or a decision that alters the course of their life, even if only subtly.

Setting and Atmosphere

The setting is usually described in just enough detail to ground the story and create a specific atmosphere or mood. Because short stories have limited space, the setting often plays a crucial role in influencing the tone or meaning of the narrative.

Point of View

Short stories often experiment with point of view, using first-person, second-person, or third-person narration to create different effects. The choice of point of view helps shape how the reader understands the protagonist's thoughts and feelings, or how they experience the story’s events.

Immediate Emotional Impact

Because of their brevity, short stories often aim to create a strong emotional impact on the reader, whether that’s through a poignant ending, a character’s growth, or an intense moment of conflict.

Short Story Examples

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses strong short story characteristics such as a central conflict centered on the protagonist's mental deterioration, which drives the plot. The character's internal struggles are vividly explored, making her experience the focal point of the story. The yellow wallpaper serves as a powerful symbol of her growing obsession and confinement.

The story's unpredictable ending leaves a lasting emotional impact, demonstrating Gilman’s skill in combining symbolism, psychological depth, and narrative tension to create a memorable, thought-provoking piece. This is something that I would like to replicate in my own short story writing, as I find the author's use of perspective and symbolism an effective way to portray a character and as I plan for my own short story to be very character-central, I admire these aspects and hope that I can convey these themes in my own writing.

Reflection

Discussing the characteristics of my chosen mediums with my peers helped me understand why I picked these specific mediums and how they could effectively convey my chosen theme. Initially, I found that I struggled to name some of the key characteristics of a short story as it was something that I hadn't explored within my writing for a while. I tackled this issue by brainstorming ideas with my tutor and help from my peers which eventually led to me re-evaluating what makes a short story and writing these thoughts down. In order to brainstorm further, we came up with examples of a short story as I group. This is when I came up with the example of 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman as I think it is a great representation of a short story and contains a range of key elements, such as a strong opening and plot, effective character development throughout a limited number of words and a strong emotional impact.

As a group, we also discussed the key characteristics of a feature article alongside a range of examples. I found that during this talk, I gained a new insight from my friend Ella, as she mentioned that a non-fiction medium could represent my theme of social and cultural differences in a unique way. I agreed and mentioned that the contrast from a fictional short story to an article could be an effective contrast and promote the message behind my themes that highlight the real-life struggles behind the theme as a whole.

Why these Mediums or Forms?

For my two mediums for this Unit 9 Project, I chose to do a feature article and a short story.

I think that these two specific mediums are polarising enough to convey the same theme in a different manner, but simultaneously carry the same tone effectively. Below I have gone into greater detail about my process when choosing these mediums.

Expanding my knowledge of feature articles and short stories is essential for this project because it will allow me to further understand and improve my skills in narrative techniques, structure, and style, enhancing both creativity and clarity. Feature articles teach how to engage readers with factual depth and storytelling, while short stories develop character, theme, and plot skills.

To deepen my knowledge, I plan to explore resources like writing guides, journalism websites (e.g., The Guardian or BBC for feature articles), and collections of classic and modern short stories by acclaimed authors. Online courses, literary magazines, and writing workshops could also be valuable resources.

After discussing this with my peers, I found that they agreed with my reasonings for expanding my knowledge in these mediums, and recommended that I could look back at feature articles that I have previously written for The Canterbury Post and identify effective skills that I have used in my own writing.

Themes

Discuss with your peers. Why this theme? Challenge your team members to think about the reason. Ask questions and record answers.

Why these mediums with this theme? Give examples and inspirations/influences.

Discussion

After discussing my themes with my peers, I decided that I would choose the theme of social and cultural differences. I think this theme can be interpreted in a range of different ways and leaves a lot of room for me to explore my ideas through sub-themes. My peers challenged me to think in greater depth about why I think this, and I responded by saying: There are many ways that social and cultural differences can be displayed through writing, though I think the sub-theme of how women are raised and how this can affect them is particularly powerful.

Inspirations/influences

Below display my inspirations and influences, and how these inspirations have helped me choose my mediums with a specific theme.

Reading Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo has been incredibly inspiring and has played a big role in helping me choose the mediums for my project. The novel’s exploration of diverse women’s lives—each shaped by different cultural, social, and economic backgrounds—really resonated with the theme I want to focus on. Evaristo’s ability to weave together multiple narratives while addressing complex issues like privilege, identity, and inequality showed me how powerful storytelling can be in capturing the nuances of lived experiences.

The book also inspired me to consider how to best convey these themes in my own work. Evaristo’s unique style, blending perspectives and voices, gave me the idea to use a short story as one of my mediums. Fiction feels like the perfect way to bring personal and emotional dimensions to my project, just as she does so effectively in her novel. At the same time, the book’s focus on interconnected experiences encouraged me to also include a feature article. This format allows me to ground the theme in real-world examples and analysis, making the discussion both accessible and thought-provoking. Together, these mediums let me balance the creative and analytical sides of the topic, much like how Girl, Woman, Other manages to be both deeply personal and socially insightful.

The BBC article about the women's rights protests in Afghanistan underlines the resilience and struggles of women facing systemic oppression, making it a powerful resource/inspiration for my project. It highlights the stark differences in experiences between women in privileged and underprivileged areas—something central to my theme.

Reading this article has inspired the analytical side of my project, particularly in the feature article. It provides a real-world, current example of how women navigate oppressive systems, fight for rights, and deal with the cultural and social limitations imposed on them. It’s also a reminder of how geography and political circumstances compound inequality, which has enriched my analysis of privilege and lack thereof. This article really inspires me when I think about the short story I want to write. The resilience and courage of the women it highlights could help me shape characters who face similar struggles but find ways to assert their agency and make their voices heard. There’s so much raw emotion in their fight for basic rights, and I think that could bring a powerful sense of realism and urgency to my story. It also helps connect my theme to broader, global struggles, making the project feel even more meaningful and relevant.

Why this Theme?

Write a paragraph or two on your choices and ideas from the discussion, and why you want to investigate this theme using these forms and mediums further for this project.

Then write down what you will do to research this area/themes/subthemes - where will you look and who will you ask?

Ideas from Discussion

I want to investigate the theme of cultural and social differences, specifically how growing up in privileged versus less privileged areas affects women, because it feels deeply relevant and important to understanding the world we live in. Women’s experiences are so often shaped by a combination of gender, class, and culture, and exploring these layers can reveal how opportunities—or the lack of them—impact self-perception, education, careers, and relationships. This theme matters to me because it highlights both the systemic barriers women face and the resilience they show in overcoming them. I think it’s a topic that can spark empathy, challenge assumptions, and push for greater awareness of inequality.

I want to explore this theme using a feature article and a short story because they offer such different but complementary ways to tell these stories. A feature article allows me to dive into the facts, share real-world examples, and ground the discussion in research and interviews, making it educational and impactful. On the other hand, a short story gives me the freedom to explore the human side of this issue. Fiction can really make people feel the weight of these experiences, creating an emotional connection that data alone can’t. Together, these forms let me analyze the issue from both an intellectual and an emotional angle, which feels like the best way to do justice to such a complex and personal topic.

Research Ideas

Below details my initial ideas for research for unit 9, including what I will do to research my main theme, sub-themes, where I will look and who I will ask. ⬇️

Google Survey

I could create a google survey and send this out to my classmates and any other willing participants - this would be a good piece of secondary research and provide me with a rage of statistics from people from different backgrounds which would ultimately help me with creating diverse characters and story lines for my short story. I am not sure what kind of questions I will ask yet, though I am in the process of brainstorming.

Interviewing People

I am planning to find interview opportunities from multiple sources - preferably from women from different backgrounds who have experiences growing up in an oppressive country and can identify the differences between their situation now compared to their life before. This will help me gain a greater insight into the people and experiences I am writing about to foster authenticity.

Reading Articles and Short Stories

Reading a range of articles and short stories would be an important aspect of my research as it would allow me to identify the effective characteristics of a professional short story/articles - therefore effectively incorporating the right information into my own work. I can also expand my knowledge into the importance of cultural and social differences and gain new perspectives from published writers.

Demographic Research

Incorporating demographic research is something I will complete also through google surveys. I think this is important as it will identify my target demographic, which could help when shaping my theme as I would be more aware of who I should aim my pieces towards. This is also a good example of secondary research and will provide me with first-hand statistics from a range of different people.

Project Pitch

"Now you have chosen two mediums – or have a short list – and a theme – tell you group your decision, your ambitions for the work, and why you want to explore these forms/mediums and theme?"

Below is a link to my project pitch that I shared with my classmates, as well as screen grabs from the pitch itself, and a refection.

project pitch.pdf

Reflection

I found that pitching my project ideas to my classmates was a highly effective task as it helped to refine my ideas through feedback. I found that I was also able to understand my own ideas in greater depth as I verbally explained my thought process which sparked new concepts in the process. The feedback that I received from my peers included:

My classmate Ella said that she was intrigued by my theme and the way that I was planning to convey such ideas through a short story and a feature article - the contrast between a fiction and non-fiction piece seemed like it would allow me to portray characters in two different/unique ways.
My classmate Josh questioned how I would portray the perspectives and experiences of my characters without having experienced such circumstances myself. This question allowed me to tap into my own creative process and explain that I was hoping to interview multiple people whilst writing my pieces in order to gain insight and get inspiration.

Overall, I found pitching my ideas helpful as the process helped to build communication skills, and allowed me to clearly and effectively convey my ideas to others. It also fostered collaboration, as my peers offered suggestions and insights that helped to improve my project ideas.

Tutor feedback

"You have impressively identified the major elements of feature writing within the industry examples showing evidence o learning and impact of research

Excellent research into themes and the forms - insightful use of primary research in all areas of interest and concern.

Will you be reading more than one short story?

Again, you have identified the important characteristics in The Yellow Wallpaper.

An excellent log of your journey so far looking into your chosen mediums. the analysis is enthusiastically and intelligently written and evidenced. Great work so far.

Looking forward to reading your first drafts. "

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