feature writing (1).ppt

7/30/2019 FEATURE WRITING (1).ppt

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FEATURE WRITING

The Art of Telling Stories


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FEATURE WRITING ISFeatures are told in a less hurried and generallymore creative way than straight 5W and H

news.

You dont use the inverted pyramid and dont

have to start with the most important details.

You choose a unique subject, or unique angleto hook in the reader.


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THE BEGINNING. LEADS

*Must grab and hold the readers attention. Use specific, interest-arousing words.

*Must catch the spirit of the story and create the proper tone:

serious, sarcastic, ironic, flippant, melancholy.


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LEADS

Can be and are often longer than one sentence

Should be specific to your story

Should NOT be filled with clichs

Should be in third person

Must fit the mood or tone


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More Types of Leads Narrative Tells a story

Descriptive Describes a scene, person or subject

Direct Quote Use sparingly, MUST be a powerfulquote

Startling Statement

Contrast and Compare (then and now

Twist


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EXAMPLE: Narrative

Tells a Story


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EXAMPLE: Narrative

Tells a Story


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EXAMPLE: Descriptive

Describes a Scene/Person


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EXAMPLE: Direct Quote

Use sparingly, Must to

Powerful1.

2.


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EXAMPLE: Startling

Statement Creates Drama


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EXAMPLE: Startling

Statement Creates Drama


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EXAMPLE: TwistSets theReader up for one Mood and then

twists it, surprises


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EXAMPLE: Another Twist


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Cont.


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Cont.


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Do not Imagine

this


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Try this instead


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AFTER A STRONGLEAD

You need a strong nut graph


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What is a nut graph?

Basically it is a summery of what the

story is going to be about. Its the 5 Ws

and H that you didnt answer in the lead.

Its the THESIS sentence of your story


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AFTER A STRONG LEADAND INFORMATIVE NUT

GRAPH


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Transition Jeb still needs four more

surgeries, but none of them will help

him regain his sight.

Direct QuoteI am glad that they are

going to make me look more like my old

self, Jeb said. But I am upset about my

eye. I wanted to be a pilot and now that

dream is shattered.

TransitionJebs said his little brother,Shane, found the gun in his fathers

dresser bureau on that summer day.


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SO HOW DO YOU END AFEATURE STORY?


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End Your Story with

A Powerful Quote

OR

Tie the End back to the lead!


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For example:

(Lead) Dont be mad. I took some pills, KarenKeaton cried as she stooped over the toilet.

A few hours later, the 14-year-old freshman died

after a series of coronary arrests.

(Ending) Since the death of her oldest daughter,the Keatons have found themselves becoming more

protective. I find myself watching for things, Mrs.

Keaton said. Im not sure for what. Im just watching.


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For Example:(Lead) A group of candystripers stand around the

nursery, holding incubator babies. Its loving time.Another young girls steps in with her mother and picks

up a baby, too. She is not in a uniform, but a in a

hospital gown, for the baby she holds is her own and

its her loving time.

Its also time to say good-bye.

I sat in that rocker and held him and rocked him and I

cried and cried and cried, Amber, a senior, said. Iwanted that moment to last forever so I could always

hold him and always be there for him.

But I knew I couldnt. Thats what hurt.


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For example:

(Ending) This was evident as she stated the one

word that described the whole ordeal:

Pain, she said, tears streaming down hercheeks and falling onto her sweater.

True pain.


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Now, Lets Critique

Some Feature Leads

With your partner, read each of the student-

written leads on the handout and determine

which you think are the strongest and which need

more work.

Be prepared to give reasons for your choices.

Also, be prepared to suggest how to improve the

leads that you consider weak.


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Transition/Quote Formula

If you have quotes (sources), try something called the

transition/quote formula T: Jeb still needs four more surgeries, but none of

them will help him regain his sight.

Q: I am glad that they are going to make me lookmore like my old self, Jeb said. But I am upset

about my eye. I wanted to be a pilot and now that

dream is shattered.

T: Jebs said his little brother, Shane, found the

gun in his father dresser bureau on that summer

day.Q: I think he was just curious, Jeb said. I didnt

think the gun was loaded so I just told him to put it

away. And then, bam, my life changed forever.


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The Billboard

After the lead, write the billboard

paragraph.

The billboard is a summary of what thestory is about.

Its the 5 Ws and H that you didnt answer

in the lead.


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Sample

He heard the shot and then felt the pain, but only for

a moment. Within seconds, junior Jeb Smith blacked

out and went into shock.

I dont remember much of the shooting, he said. I

remember it felt like someone punched their fist right

through my face, but then I went black.

Last summer, Jebs five-year-old brotheraccidentally shot him in the face with his fathers

loaded 57-magnum. Jeb lost his right eye and part

of his right ear in the accident but suffered no

permanent brain damage.

I was extremely lucky, Jeb said. The doctor said

the bullet missed my brain by an inch. I still have a longway to go with my reconstructive surgery, but I am just

glad I am alive.

Lead

Billboard

Transition/QuoteBody


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Now, Lets Critique

A Feature Article

Read the article Its a Fork, Its a Spoon that is

on the cappycreative.com website with your partner

Discuss and critique it, then complete the Response

Sheet

In the future, you will use this Response Sheet when

reviewing articles to tell the writer what to revise for the next

draft.

Reviewers do not have to agree on all comments, but allopinions should be included for the writer to consider later.


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Stage 1 (pre-writing) iscomplete!

We used our story journal

and selected a topic or

wrote down a new one that

will be the subject of our first

feature article. We have a topic spider with

main subject in the middle

and leg ideas (subtopics).

On to Stage 2 (drafting).

Here, well look at what a

feature story is and how tocraft it.


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For a Strong Feature

Remember this.

GO STUDD


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G Great

Q Quotes

S Strong Lead

T Transition/Quote Formula

U Unique Angle

D Description - Show Dont Tell

D Detail

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