21st Century Feature Writing

Relying on the basic principles of journalism, Feature Writing makes feature writing accessible for students through a combination of student and professional examples.
While most other texts focus on high-level professional feature writing, Feature Writing focuses on entry-level writing, a skill that students will need to develop for their early careers. Each chapter covers specific aspects of feature writing and reviews the applicable principles of journalism. This student-friendly text speaks to readers in conversational yet informative, organized prose. Students will gain confidence as they study features written at an accessible level as well as gain insight from exemplary professional writing examples.
Features

• Provides over 40 examples of feature writing, demonstrating a variety of feature stories and how they are written.
• Features student-written examples in every chapter, allowing students to see other students' work and gain confidence in their own writing abilities.
• Includes Chat Room sections that provide questions and activities to help students analyze feature writing and develop their own feature stories.
• Includes Help! sections at the end of each chapter that highlight and define important terms and concepts.

About the Author Carla Johnson, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame (1988), worked for 25 years as a special assignment and freelance feature writer for newspapers and magazines, at the same time teaching journalism at the high school and college levels. She has also worked as publicity director for Lake Michigan College and been lead arts reviewer for The South Bend Tribune. For the past 14 years she has been a full-time faculty member at Saint Mary's College in Indiana, teaching courses for both the English and Communication departments, including Writing for Advertising and Public Relations, Feature Writing, Media Writing, and Magazine Writing. As Professional Writing Specialist and Internship Coordinator for the English department, she oversees students' professional writing experiences and teaches seminars in professional writing, publishing, and portfolio building.

List of contents

Every chapter concludes with “View” and “Help”I. THE FEATURE STORY.
1. Dimensions of Feature Writing.

What Makes a Feature Different?

Emotion, Human Interest, and Personal Style.

Click Here: It's the Way You See It.

Sidebar: Model Features for Writers.

“Flight in bomber evokes wartime memories,” Andrea Dominello.

Chat Room, Create.

“Making Stone Soup,” Molly Donnellon.

Chat Room, Create.

Special Section: The Professional Writing Portfolio.

“The Internship Payoff,” Nellie Williams.
2. Feature Writing as a Process.

Idea Generation.

Research.

Organization.

Context.

Drafting and Revision.

Click Here: Outline for the Donahue Story.

“Troy Donahue,” Carla Johnson.

Chat Room, Create.

“Men's Pickup Lines, Then and Now,” Renée Donovan and Sara Pendley.

Chat Room, Create.

“I Am an American: Ken Takaki and World War II,” Evelyn Gonzales.

Chat Room, Create.
3. The Style and Structure of the Feature Story.

Feature Structure.

The Lead: How Do I Begin?

How Do I Continue?

How Do I Stop?

Publication Style.

Personal Style.

Click Here: Stylus-Engraving Your Mark.

“Colm Feore,” Carla Johnson.

Chat Room, Create.

“After the Cheering Stops,” Eric Hansen.

Chat Room, Create.

“A Moveable Moscow: A Good Hotel Near Red Square,” Jennifer Kaye Jones.

Chat Room, Create.
4. Research.

Public Records.

Library Resources.

The Internet.

Personal Observation - Voices, Body Language, Clothing, Hair Style and Props, Proxemics

Click Here: Those Useful Citations, Max J. Skidmore.

“Injustice Undone: Part 1: The Crimes,” Matthew S. Galbraith.

Chat Room, Create.

“Roxie Hart,” Carla Johnson.

“Sean Savage,” Holly M. James.

Chat Room, Create.
5. Interviews.

Types of Interviews: Face-to-Face, Telephone, Electronic, Group, Extended.

Preparation for the Interview.

The Time Factor.

Conducting the Interview.

Ending the Interview.

Click Here: A Question of Ethics.

“James Earl Jones,” Carla Johnson.

Chat Room, Create.

“Working Man: Tom Wopat,” Carla Johnson.

Chat Room, Create.

“Something Old, Something New,” Kate Dooley.

Create.
6. Attitude and Interpretation: Details.

Attitude and Tone.

Interpretation: Voices, Body Language, Proxemics, Environment and Personal Appearance.

Organization of Material.

Quotations.

Travel Features.

Click Here: About Attitude and Tone.

“Marin Mazzie: Living Her Dream,” Carla Johnson.

“Rent Reclaims Broadway for U.S.,” Carla Johnson

Chat Room, Create.

“Sweet Onion Charm, ” Holly M. James.

Sidebar: “Vidalia Onion Festival: April 10-14, 2003,” Amelia Michalski.

Chat Room, Create.

“Chicago: City of Cheap Thrills,” Emily Ford.

“Two Beaches,” Tara Blanchard.
II. FEATURE FORMATS.
7. The Magazine Industry.

The Magazine

The Magazine Feature.

The Magazine Feature Market.

Click Here: Crafting a Query Letter, Kristina V. Jonusas.

Sidebar: Resources for Magazine Writers.

“Sports Massage is His Passion,” Susanne M. Alexander.

Chat Room, Create.

“A Writer's Words,” Ann Basinski.

“Disaster Search and Rescue Dogs,” Kristin Mehus-Roe.

Chat Room, Create.
8. The Newspaper Industry.

The Newspaper.

The Newspaper Feature: Historical Features, Business & Trend, Color Features, Sports, Lifestyle.

Click Here: Check Facts or Fail.

Sidebar: Resources for Newspaper Writers.

“Free Falling,” Denise McGuire, Katie Miller.

“Dining High,” Christina Reitano, Holly James.

“The Newest Member of the Footwear Family,” Jennika Kirkbride.

“Marz Sweet Shop,” Carla Johnson.

Chat Room, Create.

“A Slice of Comfort,” Molly V. Strzelecki.

Chat Room, Create.
9. The Internet.

The Internet Industry.

Internet Story Structure: The Package.

Linear vs. Non-Linear Writing.

Writing the Internet Feature.

The Roundup.

The Writer Online.

“#1 Reason to Visit South Bend-The Cake Nazi,” Mary Ellen Brown.

“#2 Reason to Visit South Bend-There's no right way,” Sara Pendley

“#10 Reason to Visit South Bend-You can fiddle away at Fiddler's,” Renée Donovan.

Chat Room, Create.

“Smiling in Terror: An Interview with MC Paul Barman,” Nick Roskelly.

Chat Room, Create.
10. The Public Relations Feature.

The Purpose of Public Relations Writing.

Public Relations Proposals and Research.

Types of Public Relations Features: Newsletters, Annual Reports, Backgrounders, and Biographies.

The Release Format.

Click Here: Public Relations Speechwriting.

Click Here: Direction Sheet, Kaitlin E. Duda.

“Tune into Reality,” Kaitlin E. Duda.

Chat Room, Create.

“John of the Archives,” Sarah K. Magness.

Chat Room, Create.
11. Special Feature Formats.

Opinion Pieces.

Reviews.

Click Here: More on Those Pesky Pronouns, Nick Roskelly.

“8:16 a.m.,” Megan Colvin.

Chat Room, Create.

“A Leader Much Like Ourselves,” Carla Johnson.

“Looking to Get Hitched,” Molly V. Strzelecki.

“Judeo Jerry,” Carla Johnson.

Chat Room, Create.

“Some Like it Hot,” Carla Johnson.

“Chicago,” Marianne Orfanos, Laura Coristin.

“Common's Electric Circus (MCA),” Nick Roskelly.

Chat Room, Create.
Bibliography.
Index.

Summary

Relying on the basic principles of journalism, 21st Century Feature Writing makes feature writing accessible for students through a combination of student and professional examples.
While most other texts focus on high-level professional feature writing, 21st Century Feature Writing focuses on entry-level writing, a skill that students will need to develop for their early careers. Each chapter covers specific aspects of feature writing and reviews the applicable principles of journalism. This student-friendly text speaks to readers in conversational yet informative, organized prose. Students will gain confidence as they study features written at an accessible level as well as gain insight from exemplary professional writing examples.

Product details

• Authors: Carla Johnson
• Publisher: Pearson Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.01.2004
• EAN: 9780205380152
• ISBN: 978-0-205-38015-2
• No. of pages: 224
• Weight: 420 g
• Series: Allyn & Bacon; Allyn & Bacon
• Subject: Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Journalism