Tips for Writing Feature Articles

Choosing a Topic

When most people ask about tips for writing feature articles, they usually first need help with finding a topic. Ask an editor what kinds of material he or she is looking for from the publication. It can be very tricky to come up with your inspiration unless you are very motivated by a particular topic.  

Look online to see if you can find subjects that are interesting, thoughtful, and exciting. Keep reading the news and checking blogs for content that might be interesting to write about in your own feature articles. 

Whenever you meet someone interesting that you would like to interview in a feature article, consider giving them your business card and asking them to keep you in mind for future writing as well. 

Writing a Good Feature Article

The best way to learn about writing, epecially in the world of feature articles, is to keep reading. The reality is, the more good writing you read, and the more you practice writing, the more fluent and coherent a writer you will become. Your goal should be to build up flexibility as a writer and be able to write about a variety of subjects.

Here are some more great tips for your writing: 

·         Make sure you quote people accurately and fairly. Taking someone’s words out of context might create buzz about the article, but it would not be fair representation.

·         Try to get multiple points of view in your articles. It can be fun to have a completely opinionated article, but striving for balance will help lots of people relate to your writing and want to read more about the friction between different opinions.

·         This being said, share your opinions!  Feature articles are more interesting for readers when a writer takes a stance with an expository style.

·         Find a photographer to take pictures – these can make your articles much more interesting. In fact, consider taking the pictures yourself!

·         Stick to a word count. Many editors have strict word counts so that articles can fit on the page with no stress – and so that they aren’t left with blank space at the end. Keep track of your words and augment / detract as necessary.

For more tips for writing feature articles, speak to an editor who can help you organize your thoughts.

Building an Audience: How to Get People Interested in Your Writing

When writing, you do not want to alienate any of your readers – keep in mind a general audience. Ask yourself the following questions:

·         What kinds of things would you want to read about?

·         How can I keep things interesting? 

From the get-go, let your friends, family, and colleagues know that you will be writing. Ask if they know connections that might be interested in seeing your work, or if they would like to be interviewed for the articles you write. Even if you have writer’s block in the future, you can very easily lean back on your contacts and networking to produce something spectacular – and you will learn a lot in the process as you build your connections. 

Share your writing widely. If you are doing print publications, consider photocopying bits of your work to forward to people you know and people you want to write for. You can also consider sending links to features articles which you write and publish online.

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