196 / Types of Writing
lessons. The story of a Japanese-American citizen’s imprisonment in the United States
during World War II helps readers see the complexity of human emotion during war.
Published on December 7, the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the story
takes on added emotional impact.
The News Feature. A human-interest focus on breaking news results in a news fea-
ture, an article that adds personal involvement to what may otherwise be a distant,
seemingly unimportant current event. An interview with the parents of a soldier
wounded in war brings personal emotion into the report of an event in which read-
ers may feel no other involvement.
Determine the kind of feature you plan to write.
STEP 4: Prewriting—Choosing the Single Focus
When you have determined your purpose (and, thus, the kind of feature you plan to
write), force yourself to write a single sentence that explains the specific focus the
article will take. Although this sentence probably will not appear in the article, it will
help you frame your thoughts. The sentence may look something like this:
Tara’s mouse-like dolls began as whimsical gifts from her sewing room but
have become a million-dollar-a-year international business.The feature article, a human-interest piece, will explain how Tara achieved success.
STEP 5: Writing—Determining the Organization
Decide how you can best present the information in your feature. Will an order
of importance be best? [See order of importance in the Glossary.] Will a flashback
[see flashback in the Glossary] work better? Will chronological order be better? [See
chronological order in the Glossary.]
Choose the approach most effective for your purpose.
STEP 6: Writing—Drafting the Lead
The lead, or introduction, must catch the reader’s attention and make him or her
want to read more. Use any attention-getting device [see attention-getter in the Glos-
sary] suitable to your topic. Make sure, too, that the lead sets the tone for the article.
[See tone in the Glossary.]
STEP 7: Writing—Drafting the Body
Following the organizational pattern you selected in Step 5, develop the body of the
feature article. Keep in mind the creative nature of the feature and realize that your
best tool for writing is an inquisitive mind. Strive to achieve an easy writing style.