Feature Writing INTROS October 24, 2013

Feature Writing INTROS The work of the intro is to continue the work of the headline by holding the readers’ attention. It also:- gives them a taster of what is to come persuades them to keep reading conveys what the piece is about The intro can also be used to establish the writer's angle.

Feature Writing INTROS It needs to convince the reader that there is something of value and/or interest to them to spend their time reading it. When writing the intro you need to think of your cold, bored, stressed, otherwise distracted reader - and you need to be able to get through to them!!! So, how do you do this? You target it to their requirements.

Feature Writing INTROS You must be able to interest your reader – the editor and the subs are paid to read your work, the readers are not! Don’t lose them in the opening paragraph! Write like a reader – don’t give them anything that they might consider trite, banal, convoluted, negative, patronising or irrelevant. Think about what you write from the perspective of the reader. Do not write anything which can be dismissed with the comment ‘So what?’

Feature Writing INTROS In a news story intro you will get straight to the point of the story. For example, Gun crime and drugs dominate life in Los Angeles’ downtown residential areas, a leading LAPD chief said today. But in feature a different approach can be taken.

Feature Writing INTROS Sesame Street lied. America’s not full of black and white kids, all learning together in multi-racial harmony. Down in LA, Big Bird’s toting an AK and the Cookie Monster’s doing crack. Big Issue

Feature Writing INTROS This is a more descriptive, narrative style that sets the scene, and has a punchline that adds shock and drama and will make the reader want to read on. The essential facts of the story remain the same, it is how they are presented that is different - that is the difference between features and news intros.

Feature Writing INTROS The power in this intro comes in its opening sentence, with the strong and unexpected verb ‘lied’. The powerful start is followed with rich examples that conjure up funny, dramatic pictures – ones that most of us can relate to – and, perhaps most importantly, be horrified by. There are lots of ways in which to write an intro, what is important is that you get it right for the piece and your publication.

Feature Writing INTROS Use striking facts/figures/dates For example, "It is almost 30 years since Denis Healy left the shadow cabinet and ten since he quit the House of Commons, but he's still as well-briefed as ever he was as Labour's Defence Secretary ( ), Chancellor ( ), or shadow Foreign Secretary ( )..." There are a lot of figures here, but it shows that in his time as a politician he held fairly senior posts and is a knowledgeable person. Readers will want to read on because they will want to know his thoughts on whatever subject is being discussed.

Feature Writing INTROS Anecdotes Start by telling a story. For example, ‘It was 6am and the darkened cul de sac was still lit by the moon, and some twinkling fairy lights, when Rose Blair pulled out of her driveway and slammed straight into her neighbour’s parked car.’ It builds a picture in your mind that you can relate to and then goes on to tell the rest of the story.

Feature Writing INTROS Atmosphere/description Here readers are made familiar with a situation, you are painting a very vivid picture for them. Often it is because you are taking them from the familiar to the unfamiliar and you need to do so with ease and without them protesting! You supply the reader with significant but tantalising glimpses, promising more, doling out only so much at a time to keep the reader interested...

Feature Writing INTROS For example, "She was small, bare-headed and wearing a brown poncho. Full faced, it was the warmth of her eyes that you noticed; but in profile, the strong nose and lips gave her a distinct look. She walked slowly on the path above the mine. She was very pregnant. She said little, there was nothing in her manner to suggest that for several years Domitila Barrios has been a household name in her own country, Bolivia, and was now one of the best know leaders in South America." This piece from The Guardian paints a very vivid picture not only of the person but of the place.

Feature Writing INTROS Analogy You can give things/animals/situations etc. human characteristics to draw the reader in. For example, "It was a cold, angry day...” “He prowled around the room looking for his spectacles…”

Feature Writing INTROS Significant Quote A profound literary quote will get your readers attention - but keep it brief and deal with its relevance to the story. For example, "You can be a 60-year-old anything, except a 60-year-old actress," Faye Dunaway says with some bitterness. Quotes are sometimes a good way to start a piece - but they need to be really strong quotes.

Feature Writing INTROS QUOTES Getting good quotes out of people demands that they be asked good questions - but there are just some people who say really good things. You need always to be alert to what people are saying.

Feature Writing INTROS When using quotes they will usually need to be quite memorable, as in the range that we have just looked at. TASK: Come up with a strong quote that would make a great start to a feature piece. Remember you need to think of the context of the story. What quotes can you think of that would be good to start off a feature on the following story ideas? HalloweenBaking cakesChristmasReligious issues

Feature Writing INTROS Questions This can be a useful way of getting the reader to go beyond the first par - but you do need to be wary of the question. For example, if you write ‘Have you ever had a really disastrous holiday?’ If the answer is no - they just won’t necessarily read on.

Feature Writing INTROS Questions However, if the question is part of theme of the story it would work much better. For example, “What d’yer want?” demanded the filthy-looking blond youth with a greasy ponytail, rising from a blazing campfire and barging into us truculently. (Jones, 2004)

Feature Writing INTROS While there are quite specific ways in which to begin a feature piece - there are also different styles of writing that can be used. There are a range of common techniques employed by features writers to keep readers interested - or simply to get the point across and keep the reader reading beyond the first paragraph.

Feature Writing INTROS Delayed drop intro This is when a key point from the past is brought to the top of the story, out of news order, to highlight the present. It should focus more intensely on what is happening now. (This technique can also be used in news reporting - but is more usual in features.)

Feature Writing INTROS Specific Human Intro This is a useful intro when you are writing about a large group of people. It is hard to relate to a large number of anonymous people. You can establish the reader’s interest by focusing your intro on one person typical of a group.

Feature Writing INTROS Common denominator intro When you are dealing with a subject that is not widely know about or easily understood, you can draw reader’ attention by showing how it affects them or by relating it to something of wider concern.

Feature Writing INTROS One sentence intro This is an intro where the first sentence commands attention and signals the direction of the thinking in the piece. It often combines an element of the unexpected with succinct phrasing.

Feature Writing INTROS So, while there are a range of ways in which you can write intros, the challenge remains the same every time you start to write a piece - how do you get the reader to want to read on? The content should ensure that - but your telling of ‘story’ is the essentially what achieves this.

Feature Writing ENDINGS If the intro is important, then the ending is just as important. Readers needs to be left with something memorable - they need to know that there is closure in the story. You can achieve this by almost taking the reader back to the start of the story - although you should NEVER round it off in the same way you would an academic essay.

Feature Writing ENDINGS But it is acceptable to provide some reference to the point at which you started. The key to a good ending is a good beginning and a good middle! This requires that you have thought about and planned the structure that the piece will take - if this is well done the ending will almost happen by accident!