A featured story takes a deeper look at the world and its people. Often longer than news stories, they use descriptive and creative devices to keep readers engaged. Feature stories can range in tone from humorous to serious to saddening. Whether it’s an interview with a celebrity, a profile of someone who’s overcome a challenge, or a history of a company or foundation, a great feature story engages and entertains its audience.
The best features combine deep reporting with vivid storytelling. They transport you to a protest in India or a film set in Hollywood, or to a quiet diner where one conversation changes everything. They show you a world full of rich detail and emotion, so that by the end, you can’t wait to read the next paragraph. But while great research and compelling human interest can elevate your subject, they can’t make up for weak structure or dull prose.
Unlike hard news articles, which usually focus on events and facts, feature stories are more about people and emotions. That means that while a news article might interview economists on the causes of the housing crisis, a feature story will interview families battling to keep their homes.
The best way to make a feature stand out is to write a strong narrative that captures your reader’s attention from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the final word. This can be done by dropping your reader into a scene they can picture in their mind, or by asking an intriguing question that makes them want to keep reading. It can also be accomplished by using a variety of storytelling tools, including description and setting, anecdotes, and colorful quotes.