Lead, Body & Ending of

Feature Story

Presented By:

Jessa Mae PadillaRomalen PanizaJade Parochelin

April Grace PadillaKate Naelga

Christian Dale ParciaCarl Angelo Narida

Group 4 BAJ-3A

ASSOCIATION OF FEATURE WRITERS

Feature Writing

Tells the reader a story. It has a beginning (lead), middle

and end.

It uses quotes liberally and allows the reader to see the

story through detailed description and vivid writing.

Lead

The opening sentence must grab and hold the reader's attention

by using specific, interest-arousing words.

The lead must catch the spirit of the story and create the proper

tone: serious, sarcastic, ironic, flippant, melancholy.

The lead should open with the specific, then go to the general.

Leads

Can be and often are longer than one sentence

Your chance to grab the reader’s attention

Should be specific to your story

Should not be filled with clichés

Should be in third person

Must fit the mood or tone of the story

Things To Avoid in Writing Leads

News or editorials leads. Avoid first and second person.

Stating the obvious.

Using clichés.

“Imagine this…” leads

Types of Lead

1.) Summary Lead

2.) Narrative Lead

3.) Descriptive Lead

4.) Quotation Lead

5.) Direct Address Lead

6.) Combination Lead

Additional Leads

7.) Staccato Lead

8.) Punch Lead

9.) Contrast Lead

Types of Lead

1.) Summary Lead –gives the gist of the story and lets the

reader decide if he is interested enough in the subject to read

the rest.

Example

Since its discovery in 1979, AIDS (Aquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome) has become one of the fastest killers of the twentieth century.

Like ancient leprosy, AIDS appears to be the most dreaded ailment of

our time.

-”AIDS: The New Leprosy of our times?”

(The Manila Commentataor, 14 May 1984)

Types of Lead

2.) Narrative Lead – draws the reader into the story by

allowing him to identify with the person in the midst of the

action. Narrative leads are especially effective in telling

stories.

Example

More than 15 years ago, a young couple, both of Spanish

descent, embarked on their honeymoon trip in the verdant

hills of Mindoro, little knowing that the journey would

practically change the course of their lives.

-”What is Manda Elizalde Like?”

(The Manila Commentator, 23 April 1984)

Types of Lead

3.) Descriptive Lead – conjures a mental picture of the

subject for the reader. While applicable to another types of

feature, the descriptive lead is effective in writing personality

profiles. Its skillful use can make the subject “come alive.”

Example

Kuh Ledesma is wearing no make-up, and her hair is severly pulled back

into a bun, showing a widow’s peak on top of an oval face. She flashes a

welcoming smile hoping to make a newcomer feel at ease, and also,

perhaps to belle rumors about her naughtiness and her aloofness to the

press

Types of Lead

4.) Quotation Lead – A profound quote can make an

interesting lead particularly if the speaker is well-known in the

community. This quote should give insight to the speaker.

Example

“ Hindi sa nagmamayabang ako,”Eva Estrada Kalaw begins, “but

personally, if you take up point by point how we match Marcos’ group, I

am the most qualified among the three presidential candidate.”

-’I am the most qualified’ – Eva Kalwaw

(National Midweek, 27 Nov 1985)

Types of Lead

4.) Question Lead – can be effective if it succeeds in

challenging the reader’s knowledge or curiosity.

Example

Who says the Japanese aren’t doing enough to promote

imports?

-”Doorstep Imports”

(Asiaweek, 18 Jan. 1987)

Types of Lead

5.) Direct Address Lead – it is when the writer communicates

directly with the reader.

Invariably, the direct address lead is characterized by the word

or pronoun, “You,” inserted somewhere in the first paragraph.

The advantage is obvious.

The reader involuntarily becomes part of the story. It implies

that there is something in the story that concerns the reader.

Example

So you think you know the law. Maybe. But chances are you have

broken the law several times today.

-”Breakers of the law”

(Panorama , 4 Nov. 1987)

Types of Lead

6.) Combination Lead – Some leads are a combination of two or

more types of leads, using the best elements of each. For example,

quotation leads are often combined with descriptive or narrative leads.

Example

(Quotation and Narrative Leads)

“God is not nice,” a wise Jewish rabbi once said, “He is not an uncle.

God is an earthquake.”

It may not have seemed so at first to Sonia Roco, when the first strong

tremor brought the roof of the Hotel Nevada crashing down on her and

27 others. Trapped in the rubble, surrounded by darkness, the cries of

the injured and the eerie silence of the dead, she had begun to pray

-”Sonia Roco: Life is a Gift”

(Sunday Inquirer Magazine, 16 Nov. 1997)

Types of Lead

7.) Staccato Lead- Consists of a series of jerky, exciting

phrases, separated by dashes or dots, used if the facts of

the story justify it.

Example

Midnight on the bridge . . .a scream . . .a shot . . .a splash . . .a second

shot . . .a third shot. This morning, police recovered the bodies of Mr. and

Mrs. R. E. Murphy, estranged couple, from the Snake River. A bullet

wound was found in the temple of each.

Types of Lead

8.) Punch Lead - Uses a blunt, explosive statement to

summarize the most newsworthy feature.

Example

The dream is over.

The Beatles are back!

Awesome.

That's the best term to describe the Rattler girls' basketball team, which

notched its 15th consecutive win Friday night.

Types of Lead

9.)Contrast Lead - Compares extremes - the big with the little,

the comedy with the tragedy, age with youth, rich and poor - if

such comparison is applicable to the news event.

Example

His wealth is estimated at $600 million. He controls a handful of

corporations, operating in more than 20 nations. Yet he carries his lunch

to work in a brown paper bag and wears the latest fashions from Sears

and Roebuck's bargain basement.

After a strong lead…

You need a strong nut

graph.

Nut Graph

Nut Graph - is a summary of what the story is

going to be about. It’s the 5 W’s and H that you

didn’t answer in the lead.

It’s the thesis sentence of your story.

Varsity football Coach Seamus Shift loves to

joke with his players, so earlier this month when he told

the varsity football team a woman would be replacing

him as head coach, the players laughed.

“But when he didn’t laugh, we knew it was

true,” varsity quarterback junior Emmanuel Dyson said.

And it is true.

Former women’s professional football player

and current varsity football coach at St. Mary’s

Preparatory Academy in Florida, Nina Colt will replace

Shift as varsity football coach for the 2011-2012 school

year. She will shadow Shift next week to meet the

players and assistant coaches.

“I want my players to be more than jocks,” she

said. “I want them to be outstanding young men in

society. Of course, I want to win games, but winning

will never come before individual success in the

classroom and in the community.”

NUT

GRAPH

After a strong lead and an

informative nut graph…

Use the Transition/Quote

formula

Shift, Principal Ed Day, a teacher and two parents were on the

committee that hired Colt. Shift said she was everyone’s

number one candidate.

“When I leave in May, this program will be in great hands,” Shift

said. “Coach Colt will bring new energy to our football program.

I have no doubt that she was the right person to

hire.”

When she applied, Colt said she didn’t think she had much

of a chance.

“After the panel interview, I felt pretty confident, but I

didn’t want to be cocky,” she said. “Hiring a female varsity

football coach in Texas is a big step for a school district.”

Day said he didn’t hesitate about hiring a woman as the

varsity football coach.

Colt’s hire marks the third female varsity football coach at a

Texas public school.

“She was the best candidate by far, and I know she will take

our team forward,” Day said. “All of the other candidates were

selling themselves. Coach Colt was the only one who talked

about students and what she’d do for them.

Transition

Direct Quote

Transition

Direct Quote

Transition

Direction Quote

So how do you end

a feature story?

End your story with …

-A powerful quote

Or

- Tie the ending back to the

lead

Types of Ending

1.) Summary Ending

2.) Climax Ending

3.) Un-ending Ending

4.) Stinger Ending

Types of Ending

1.) Summary Ending - simply ties up the loose ends of the

story and points back to the lead.

Example

All in all, everything is a happy combination for Joe

Clemente. And this includes staying around for a long time

to come and doing what he loves doing, at the risk of even

going at it alone.

-”Joe Clemente-In uniforms there is challenge and strength”

(Asia W,Vol.No.3)

Types of Ending

2.) Climax Ending – this ending is popular in stories written

in chronological order, like the narrative feature. It is similar

to the traditional literary format (“… and they lived happily ever

after.”) except that, in the feature story is clear, rather than

continuing in literary from up to the end.

Example

The dusk deepens across the lawn. The party is over. It has

been a long day…

-”The Twilight of the General”

(National Midweek,1 Jan. 1986)

Types of Ending

3.) Un-ending Ending – Paradoxically, the writer purposely

ends by emphasizing a key, unanswered question. He ends

the story just before the climax to leave his readers

speculating on the ultimate conclusion

Example

Observes are waiting to see if Peking and Hanoi will keep up

the level of conflict, or whether last week’s clashes will

become just another Incident in this secretive war.

-”Fresh fighting on a troubled border”

(Asiaweek, 18 Jan. 1987)

Types of Ending

4.) Stinger Ending - A starting, surprising ending that joits the reader.

The writer uses the body of the story to set up the reader for the

unexpected conclusion. The stinger ending is similar to the modern

movie trend where the “good guy” loses out to the “bad guys”.

Example

And so Ricky, the shy, lovable Ricky who couldn’t

hurt a fly turned out to be the ruthless, vicious serial

killer wanted by the law

-”Unlikely Suspect”

(Graphic, 23 Sept. 1982)

Feature Writing

For a Strong Feature Story

remember this …

GQ STUDDG reat

Quotes

Strong Lead

Trasition/Quote Formula

Unique Angle

Description – Show Don’t Tell

Detail

Things to Avoid in Feature Writing

Using a news lead

Writing in the passive voice

Using too many adverbs and adjectives instead of specific nouns and

powerful verbs

Messy handwriting

Story doesn’t flow – doesn’t use T/Q Formula

Lack of strong quotes

References

Estrada, Eufemia C. & R.P. Nem Singh (1987). Basic Journalism, Manila,

Philippines: National Bookstore, Inc.

Genove, M. (2004). Feature Writing for Filipinos. Quezon City: A New

Day Publishers.

Malinao, A. (2008). Feature, Editorial and Opinion Writing. Mandaluyong

City: National Bookstore

Thanks a lot!Mabuhay

From Islands Philippines!

JDMPresentations

SY. 2017-2018 (1st Semester)

JRN228 – Feature Writing