How to Write a Feature Article

 

Writing a feature article is not so much difficult if one knows certain rules or facts. The first one usually starts with subject or theme one should want to write about.

It may be about a certain place or object. In this case, one should go to that place to take notes on it. Later, he can compose it in a very proper way.

Suppose, you want to write about a certain old book shop whose owner you know personally or not. In this case, you should call him to make an appointment. It means when he will be available to make an interview for your subject (theme).

Then, you can collect some facts which are useful for your writing. You can later translate them into your targeted language which will be English. It will take a few hours_ maybe one or two hours maximum. It is also important you should ask him appropriate or suitable questions concerning his business. It should be aware that you should not give any difficult ones to confuse his mind.

The conversation should be free in informal, cozy and friendly ways. You can know a lot of knowledge from this kind of interview. You can thank him on everything you ask him about.

This is for writing an article based on interviewing someone to get facts which will later be developed into the feature article.

(1) The Feature Article Based on without Taking an Interview

Another kind is you have to go to the place you want to write. This time, you take notes on some interesting things which will be useful for your writing.

Suppose when you visit a museum, you need to get a pamphlet or something like that because it is very useful when you need a quote for your article. Then, your article will be more relevant in the contemporary context and the readers will love it anyway.

Here, a kind of inserting one of the quotes into the article follows in this way.

“It’s about U Thant House. I get a lot of knowledge from the pamphlet because I can read his life profile for my writing.”

(2) Taking Photos

You also need to submit your taken photos to the journal you work for. Sometimes, they use very few photos _ maybe two or three photos for your writing or story. But, you should bear in mind that your photos will be used for enhancing your texts which describe the subject very well. So, you should try to obtain any significant photos you can from the best perspective.

(3) Drafting

When you gather necessary facts on the subject you want to write, you can write down your first draft. You do not need to worry about what the story will become. You need to write down freely until you put all those facts into your story. You have to bear in mind that you need to read and write your first draft again.

(4) Rewriting

Rewriting should start after drafting. In your first draft, there will be illogical points existing in respective paragraphs. You will find inconsistencies in facts and sentences. You need to make them right again by rewriting. You can put extra facts if you want to write more of your feature article.

(5) Editing

This stage is to get final draft which will be ready to send to your editor. You need to edit your draft to be suited to your editor’s needs. The copy editor will check your story again by cutting or aligning your story to put into his newspaper or journal.

(6) Submission

When you finish your edited story, you can submit to your editor for consideration for publication of your story.

…

If you are as a freelance writer, you should be well-versed in its craft. You can write the feature article based on any situation. You will be a successful freelance writer.

Notes on how to write a feature article

1.       Kinds of the feature article

-Article based on interviewing

-Article based on non-interviewing

2. Taking photos

3. Drafting

4. Rewriting

5. Editing

6. Submission

Therefore, it should be noted that there are at least six steps involving in writing a feature article.●

Written by San Lin Tun (Freelance Writer)