Welcome to the tenth module of your course, where we'll explore advanced techniques for writing compelling feature articles. These longer, more creative pieces are a cornerstone of entertainment journalism, allowing you to move beyond simple news reporting and craft immersive narratives.
In this first lesson, we will contrast the different structural blueprints you can use for your articles. You've already learned about the inverted pyramid structure for news writing back in Module 4. Today, we'll see how feature writing breaks away from that rigid format, using narrative structures like the hourglass and the classic story arc to build suspense, emotion, and reader engagement. Mastering these structures is key to elevating your writing from simply conveying information to telling a powerful story.
1. News vs. Features: Why Structure Matters
The fundamental difference between a hard news story and a feature article lies in their primary goal. A news story aims to inform the reader of essential facts as quickly as possible. A feature article aims to draw the reader into a world, exploring a topic with more depth, color, and a distinct point of view.
This difference in purpose directly dictates the structure.
To get a better sense of the feature writing mindset, start by watching this introductory video.
The Basics of Feature Writing (Journalism Lecture)
This video, "The Basics of Feature Writing" from Brett Atwood's channel, provides an excellent overview of what makes feature writing distinct from traditional, hard-news journalism.
Please watch the first segment, from the beginning until the introduction. Pay close attention to the words used to describe feature writing: "descriptive," "humanize," "color," "personality," and "creative." Then, skip ahead to the section contrasting story structures, from feature vs. pyramid. This part directly addresses how feature stories "unfold" to hook the reader, rather than summarizing everything at the start.
As the video explains, while a news story front-loads information, a feature story strategically reveals it, much like a novelist or screenwriter would. This requires a different set of structural tools.
2. The Foundation: The Inverted Pyramid (A Quick Review)
Before we explore the feature-writing toolkit, let's briefly revisit the structure you already know: the inverted pyramid. It’s the workhorse of breaking news.
Story Structures - The American Journalism Handbook
This section from The American Journalism Handbook offers a concise definition and explanation of the inverted pyramid.
Please read the section titled "The Inverted Pyramid." Focus on its core principle: the most important information comes first, followed by details in descending order of importance. This structure is designed for efficiency and allows editors to cut stories from the bottom without losing the main point.
The inverted pyramid is essential for news, but for the nuanced, character-driven stories common in entertainment journalism, it can feel repetitive and anticlimactic. A profile of a director or a behind-the-scenes look at a film's production rarely has a single "most important fact" that can be summarized in one sentence. It has a story to tell.
3. Narrative Structures for Feature Writing
Feature articles borrow structures from traditional storytelling to create a more engaging reader experience. They build tension, develop characters, and guide the reader toward a satisfying conclusion. Let's explore the most common alternatives to the inverted pyramid.
The following reading will introduce you to several powerful structures. We'll go through them one by one.
Story Structures - The American Journalism Handbook
This reading covers four key narrative structures used in journalism. We will analyze each one.
For now, you can read the sections on "The Martini Glass," "The Kebab," "The Accordion," and "The Pyramid." Don't worry about memorizing everything at once; we will break them down below.
Now, let's unpack these structures with entertainment journalism in mind.
The Martini Glass (or Hourglass)
This is a hybrid structure that combines the directness of the inverted pyramid with a chronological narrative.
- The Top (The Bowl of the Glass): You start with a summary lead, giving the reader the key facts of the story, just like an inverted pyramid.
- The Turn (The Stem): A transitional phrase signals a shift in the story (e.g., "The incident began when...").
- The Narrative (The Base): The rest of the story unfolds chronologically, telling the events from beginning to end, and often finishing with a "kicker"—a powerful quote or detail.
When to use it: This is perfect for stories that have a clear sequence of events. For example, a feature about the chaotic 24 hours leading up to a surprise album drop, or a blow-by-blow account of a dramatic awards ceremony.
The Kebab (or The Wall Street Journal Formula)
This structure is exceptionally useful for profiles and trend pieces. It hangs the "meat" of the story (the facts, data, and expert quotes) on the "skewer" of a personal anecdote.
- Anecdotal Lead: Start with a short story about a specific person to illustrate the broader topic.
- Nut Graf: A paragraph that explains the "so what"—the larger trend or issue that the person's story exemplifies.
- The Meat: A series of paragraphs that explore the broader topic with facts, statistics, and quotes from experts.
- Closing Anecdote: Return to the person from the beginning to provide a satisfying conclusion, bringing the story full circle.
When to use it: This is your go-to for many entertainment features. Imagine writing about the rise of fan-fiction authors getting book deals. You'd start with the story of one such author, explain the trend in the nut graf, detail the publishing industry's shift, and end by returning to the author as they sign their first contract.
The Accordion
This is a more dynamic version of the Kebab, ideal for in-depth profiles or complex topics. It involves "zooming in" on a person's story and "zooming out" to the bigger picture, repeatedly.
- Zoom In: Share an anecdote or detail about your central character's experience.
- Zoom Out: Connect that specific experience to a broader context, using data or expert analysis.
- Repeat: Continue this pattern, using different moments from your character's life to explore different facets of the main topic.
When to use it: Imagine a profile of an older actress discussing ageism in Hollywood. You could "zoom in" on her story of being passed over for a role, then "zoom out" to industry statistics on casting for women over 40. Then, "zoom in" on her decision to start her own production company, and "zoom out" to a broader trend of actresses taking control of their careers.
The Pyramid (Classic Narrative Arc)
This is storytelling in its purest form and the opposite of the inverted pyramid. It saves the most important information for the climax.
- The Setup: Introduce characters and a setting, creating intrigue.
- Rising Action: Build suspense and conflict by revealing information incrementally.
- Climax: The story reaches its peak—the central conflict is confronted, and the most crucial information is revealed.
- Resolution: The story winds down, offering a conclusion.
When to use it: This structure is best for long-form narrative features where the journey is the destination. Think of a deep-dive investigation into the making of a famously troubled film. You wouldn't start by saying "the film failed because the director was a tyrant." Instead, you would build the story scene by scene, letting the reader discover the reasons for the failure along with you.
4. Choosing Your Structure
There is no single "best" structure. The right choice depends on your story's purpose, the material you've gathered, and the effect you want to have on the reader.
Story Structures - The American Journalism Handbook
This final section of the handbook provides practical advice on making this decision.
Please read the short section titled "Selecting a Structure." It summarizes the key factors to consider: purpose, length, themes, and evidence.
Practice Exercise
Let's put this into practice. Read the following story idea and decide which structure you would use and why.
Story Idea: You're writing a 1,500-word feature on the recent revival of classic horror movie franchises. Your reporting has uncovered an interesting angle: while studios are banking on nostalgia, many of the original creators are not involved and receive no compensation for the new projects. You have a great interview with the 75-year-old writer of a beloved 1980s slasher film who now lives in obscurity while a new sequel to his movie is breaking box-office records.
Which structure would you choose (Martini Glass, Kebab, Accordion, or Pyramid)? Write 2-3 sentences justifying your choice.
See a possible answer
Both the Kebab and Accordion structures would work very well here.
You could use the Kebab structure by starting with an anecdote about the 75-year-old writer, using a nut graf to explain the franchise revival trend, providing the "meat" of the story about the business and legal side of these deals, and then closing by returning to the writer for a poignant final quote.
The Accordion structure would also be effective, allowing you to "zoom in" on different aspects of the writer's life (his original creative process, his financial struggles now) and "zoom out" to discuss the corresponding industry trends (the 80s horror boom, current intellectual property law).
Key Takeaways
- The inverted pyramid prioritizes efficiency for breaking news by putting the most important information first.
- Feature structures prioritize reader engagement and narrative flow.
- The Martini Glass/Hourglass blends a news summary with a chronological narrative.
- The Kebab and Accordion use a central character or anecdote to humanize a broader trend or issue, making them perfect for profiles.
- The Pyramid structure uses a classic narrative arc (setup, rising action, climax) to build suspense in long-form stories.
- Your choice of structure should be a deliberate decision based on the story you want to tell.
In our next lesson, we'll take the next logical step. You will choose one of these narrative models and use it to outline a full feature article, giving you a blueprint for your writing.