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Last updated on
8 September, 2007

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Newspaper Feature Articles
Getting Human Interest Articles Into Print
with Elsie Walker

REGISTRATION:

COST, LENGTH, PREREQUISITES:

No prerequisites.

Regular course: $100 / 4 weeks. Click here to register

Extended schedule: $125 / 8 weeks. Click here to register

For questions about this COURSE, e-mail Elsie Walker at

Learn the basics of writing feature articles for newspapers. Learn what features articles are (or are not), how to get ideas for them, what makes a good feature, interviewing tips, and the anatomy of a feature.

By the end of the course students will:

• Know what a feature is and the difference between writing them for newspapers vs magazines
• Have learned some ways to develop story ideas for local newspapers
• Know the anatomy of a feature
• Have written a short feature

Week One: We start by laying some groundwork for our topic. We'll look at what a feature article is and isn't and how writing for magazines differs from writing for newspapers. I'll share a few of my published feature newspaper articles with students as examples. We'll end with a reading on idea generation for articles. For homework, students will pitch a few ideas for a short feature. Acting as "editor", the instructor will assign one of the topics.

Week One assignment: Come up with 2 - 3 article ideas; write a paragraph or two telling something about yourself and why you took the class

Week Two: We'll talk about getting information for an article. Readings will talk about the different methods of interviewing (in-person, by phone, and e-mail) and the anatomy of a feature (lead, body and closing). Also, there will be a short reading on interviewing children. Students will begin to gather information to write an article on based on one of their previously submitted ideas. Students should be able to do enough initial information gathering to be able to determine the angle for the story and to write a tentative lead.

Week two assignment: Begin interviewing source(s) needed for article, give angle and tentative lead for the feature.

Week Three: This week we'll look at the steps in getting words down on paper and what to do when the words won't flow (writer's block). Students will take their leads (revising it if necessary based on any additional information gathered) and then make a brief outline of what they want to cover in the rest of article.

Week three assignment: Continue interviews (if needed) and make an outline of your feature, revising lead if needed.

Week Four: This last week is workshop. Based on feedback from the last assignment, the student will write his/her article and get the instructorês feedback on it.

Week four assignment: Write the feature.

Elsie Walker is a freelance writer with over 1000 published articles to her credit. Her professional background includes working as a technical writer for Prudential Healthcare, ADP, and Honeywell (the latter as a consultant). Her magazines credits include articles in: Succeed (continuing education), Hope (general interest), College Bound (education), Byline (writer’s trade magazine), Fiddler Magazine (special interest), The Quiet Hour (religious devotional), Sussex County Magazine (travel) and many more. In the past few years, she has moved on to doing mostly newspaper work, first for the Recorder Publishing chain and then for Gannett. Now she writes for five New Jersey newspapers including The Animal Companion (a specialty paper which focuses on animals, animal rescue and rehabilitation groups, etc.)

Elsie has also been a corporate trainer and a member of Toastmasters, International (an international public speaking club). Currently, she is an English instructor for the University of Phoenix online.