Writing A Feature Story

 A feature article is an essay based on fact. It is never

fictitious.

 Feature stories, like news stories, are

written to inform but they enlarge news in
a leisurely and entertaining way.
 They are written to add life to the paper

and therefore their style lends more to the

creativity of a writer.
 COMPARISON NEWS FEATURE
1. Definition Report an event An essay based
on facts
2. Main Purpose To inform To entertain
using present
human interest
stories
3. Timeliness Timely Timely
4. Length Short Depends upon
the needs
5. Use of words Simple precise, May be
concrete descriptive,
flowery, colorful 2
 COMPARISON NEWS FEATURE
6. Use of Short, simple, 15- May be longer
sentences 25 words average
7. Paragraph No topic sentence, With topic
one idea, one sentence, longer
paragraph

8. Use of literary Journalistic, direct Literary, can be

devices to the point, no journalistic; idioms,
idioms, figures of figures of speech
speech used freely

9. Use of Uses adjectives As much as

adjectives/opinion sparingly; opinion, desired
3
never
 COMPARISON NEWS FEATURE
10. Parts Lead, (Bridge), Introduction,
Body body, ending
11. Style Follows style- Composition style
sheet newspaper or newspaper
style style
12. Structure Inverted pyramid Suspended
interest or
pyramid structure
13. Title/Headline Short (subject- Any length as
verb; telegraphic long as it is
sentence form) appealing to the
reader/topic 4
 A school celebrates its Foundation Day.

Straight or featurized  A Feature article

news story
= brief history about
= will say how the the school may be
occasion was published as a
celebrated, who the sidebar to the
guest speaker was, and banner news.
what his message was = namesake of the
about, the highlight of school, usually a
the activities and the national hero, may
different contests held. be published.
Remember:

= a feature article should be interesting and

entertaining because it reveals something new about
people, things and events. Or it revives a memory.
  Topics for feature stories

1. Personalities - character sketch

usually short; may be about a
student leader, a successful
alumnus, a teacher, a school
staff member or even about a
security guard.

7
2. Experience and adventure
3. Description
4. Narratives
5. Developmental Feature Articles = developments that affect
mankind

6. What to do and how to do articles

 How to introduce the feature article?
1. Rhetorical question
Who says that age is an obstacle to education?

Take it from Danilo Marcelo of Arayat, Pampanga who stopped going to school seven years ago after finishing the elementary grades. This year, at 24, he enrolled as a first year
evening student at Abada High School.

Title: Age Not a Hindrance to Education

 How to introduce the feature article?
2. Startling statement

“Hindi pa kami laos!”

Thus exclaimed the young once teachers,
administrators, parents, community and
barangay members as they set aside one
special day during the school’s celebration of
Community Week to have a share of the
festivities, and of course to display their hidden
talents.
Title: Hindi Pa Kami Laos
 3. Narrative opening

Mrs. Adelfa Prado, a fourth year evening student, sends herself and her six
children to school, acting as mother and father at the same time.
Everyday, Mrs. Prado divides her time as half time tindera tending her sari-
sari store during the day and as a half-time student studying at night.

Title: Half Here, Half There

4. Quoted remarks

“I earn while I learn.” He smiled at me as the interview reeled off. “How

can you work, have a part time job, and at the same time go to school?”
“Well, it is easy,” he explained. “I don’t do all of these at the same time.”

Title: I Earn While I Learn

5. An old maxim, an aphorism, or a salawikain

“Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink. ”

This quotation from the Rime of the ancient Mariner
by Samuel Coleridge does not hold true any more.
Today, even flood water can quench the thirst. How?

Title: Drinking Water, Anyone?

6. History or background of the subject

Muslims throughout the world, including our

Filipino Muslim brothers, observe the holy month
of Ramadan starting Sept. 17. Ramadan is the
ninth lunar month of the Muslim calendar. It is
observed by Muslims just as the Lenten Season
is commemorated by Christians.

Title: Knowing Our Muslims Brothers

7.Problems to be discussed in article or fact to be established

There is an answer to the rising cost of vegetables: raise your own.

Title: Backyard Gardening

Are those the only effective openers of

feature stories?
No! There are still many other ways.
Continue discovering!
  Ending the Feature Article

1. A summary of the whole article

Take it from the experts: Smoking is definitely
harmful to health. Smoking may make you feel manly,
but you may not live long enough to be one .

Title: Don’t Smoke Your Life Away

2. An announcement of the main point for the first time

Therefore, a major part of the development communication

effort should be directed at strengthening the character of the
people, and developing in them moral values, particularly self-
discipline, self-reliance, strength of character and fortitude.

Title: Developmental Communication

3. A question left in the reader’s mind

“The hands of the new Filipino toil for the love of

creation. They turn the wheels of progress and
hold high the torch of freedom - freedom from
want and hunger.
Do you have these kinds of hands?
Title: The New Filipino
4. Suggested results or significance

Let us conserve our forests now if we want to save

the future of our country and of our children.

Title: The Rape of the Forest

5. A forecast or prophecy
In six and a half centuries from now, if population
explosion would not be checked, there would be one person
standing on every square foot of land on earth. By that time,
people would be devouring one another, for there would be
no more space or plants to grow.

Title: A Tale of Horror - Population Explosion

6. A repetition of the introduction

Asked if he had any formal training in

photography, Domingo Layson finally
answered, “Ah, it is now the reverse. It is here
where I learn as I earn, not I earn as I learn.”
(The lead of the feature article is, “I learn
while I earn”)

Title: I Learn as I Earn

7. A repetition of a sentence or slogan, or a reference to the title

After four years of working as a houseboy, working during the day

and going to school at night, Jose Fallar will soon graduate as a first
honor student.
Now, who says that poverty is a hindrance to education?

Title: Poverty Not a Hindrance

8. An appropriate quotation

Nestor claims that he is poor. But when

asked why he gave his last centavo to the old
man, he answered:
“Not what we give, but what we share for the
gift, without the giver is bare, who gives himself
with his alms feeds three himself, his hungering
neighbor, and me.”

Title: Love the Neighbor

Qualities of a Good Feature Writer
1. Knows how to look for features from
beneath the surface of every day’s
event.
2. Investigates every angle before
starting to write in order to get the story
behind the story.
3. Is a keen observer.
4. Has varied interests.
5. Has the ability to write features interestingly.
Characteristics of a good feature article
1. It may inform, instruct or advise, but its
primary purpose is to entertain. Is
usually read after the news in a leisure
moment.
2. It may be of any length- from a short
human interests story to a rather long
magazine article.
3. It may or may not be timely.
4. It may be written in any form or style.
5. It usually uses the novelty lead rather
than the summary lead.
6. The reporter may use any of the following devices –
suspense, dialog, description, narration, exposition,
argumentation, climax in presenting his story.

7. Although the writer applies his imagination to the facts,

the feature story is not fiction. It is based on facts.
8. It uses specific nouns, adjectives and verbs to create
vivid images, sound and feeling for the readers.

9. It applies the principles of effective writing to achieve

unity, coherence, and emphasis which are essential to all
good writing.

10. It is written with friendly simplicity.

 Istruktura ng Isang Lathalain sa
Pagsulat ng Agham at Teknolohiya

1. Magsimula sa isang malakas na

pangungusap at tapusin o wakasan din
ito ng malakas na pangungusap.
2. Tinatagos ang puso, damdamin, at
emosyon ng mga mambabasa.
3. Maglagay ng madaming inpormasyon o
detalye na hindi gumagamit ng pang-uri.
 Istruktura ng Isang Lathalain sa
Pagsulat ng Agham at Teknolohiya

4. Maglagay ng mga quotes.

5. Dapat hindi mahaba ang pamagat o
titulo. Ito din dapat ay snappy at witty.
6. Gawin ang pamagat kapag tapos na ang
sulatin.
7. Dapat maging creative sa pagsulat.
Example:

Fully Grown Seed of Progress

Once I dreamt that I was in a majestic
paradise! I looked around and saw wide fields
planted with different fruits, vegetables and
grains. They were like little gremlins that
multiplied and grew everywhere when they
were watered. How I wished I could try to taste
each of the mouth-watering fruits and veggies!
30
 And then I woke up and came back to
the reality. I wandered and saw exactly the
same wonderful scenery as the one in my
dream. Everywhere are fields of corn, palay,
fruits and vegetables. Then I realized that
the marvelous paradise in my dream is the
same with the place I am standing on
currently- my home province which is
blessed with fertile land producing most of
the country’s agricultural needs!
31
 Suddenly, the music of big drums and
trombones started to dominate all around.
Little birds chirped as a colorful procession
came by. People came to see what the
merrymaking was all about. The words
“BAMBANTI FESTIVAL” boldly printed in
huge clothes welcomed them. Then it popped
into everyone’s mind that it is the start of the
province’s most awaited festivity- the
Bambanti Festival which is all about the
residents’ gratefulness and celebration for a
bountiful agricultural harvest.
32
 Gigantic floats designed with each
town’s agricultural product roamed around.
People marching are holding round ‘bilaos’
filled with harvested fruits and vegetables.
Street dancers grooved to the best they can
showing their town’s daily living through their
moves. Little by little, a mammoth crowd
started to grow. Everyone seemed to be jolly
witnessing how progressive their province is
due to its agricultural productivity.

33
 I smiled widely as I stare at the scene. I
wondered, “How did our province become this
progressive?” Then a picture of the whole wide
province lingered in my mind- millions of
hectares of land intended for corn and rice
plantations, people’s backyards planted with
green and leafy vegetables, fruit-bearing trees
alongside the roads, farmers under the burning
sun plowing their fields, cows and carabaos
serving their masters, and the residents’
unending support and bayanihan spirit. These
are what made our province agriculturally
productive.
34
 The people of my home province deserve
all what we are blessed with. All efforts are
worthy when a healthy harvest arrives. After
the sacrifices, it’s time for celebration for the
whole province can support everyone’s needs
through agriculture. That’s why it’s like the
‘Agricultural Basket’ of the Philippines. Looking
from afar, the province seems like a basket full
of fruits, vegetables and grains of different
colors!

35
 Then I found myself standing again in a
paradise. Everywhere are fields and
plantations planted with lots of fruits and
veggies. This time, I know I am not dreaming
anymore because I’m in my agriculturally
productive province- the province of Isabela,
which is like a seed that has grown into a plant
of progress!

36
Lathalaing naglalarawan (Description)

Pagdalaw sa Lawa ng Bulusan

KUNG sinasabing ang pluma ay higit na

makapangyarihan kaysa anumang sandata,
sa pluma man ay may higit pang
makapangyarihan. Ito ang ganda ng
kalikasan.
 Kahanga-hanga, makapitlag-puso,
makalangit, kapita-pitagan at walang pinag-iwan
sa isang tunay na paraiso. Ito ang Lawa ng
Bulusan, lawa para sa sinumang nilalang na ibig
mapag-isa upang lasapin ang biyaya ng tunay na
katahimikan sa buhay o dili naman kaya’y upang
lunasan ang hapdi ng puso sa pamamagitan ng
walang sawang pagmasid sa mapang-aliw at
masaganang kagandahan
na buong pusong inihain ng kalikasan.
38
 Sa aking nasaksihan sa una kong pagdalaw sa lawang ito na matatagpuan sa dakong timog silangan ng lalawigang Sorsogon na may apatnapu’t limang kilometro mula sa punong
bayan ay ang mga sumusunod:
Isang likas na daan o pilapil na maaring mapagdaanan na tuloy-tuloy sa buong paligid. Sa pampang naman ito ay nakapalibot ang malilin na punong-kahoy na pawing nangayuko
at animo’y nahihiyang nagbubulungan.
.
Sa paligid pa rin ay ang mga burol na siyang nagsisilbing muog sa sinuman o anumang ibig magsamantala sa walang batik na kagandahan nito.
Sa libis naman ng burol ay para-parang inihasik and naglalakihan at nag-papaligsahang mga magagandang bulaklak.
Tunay na kawili-wili at kahanga-hanga. Ang malamig na simoy ng hangin ay nakapagpapa-dama na waring ang buhay ay walang katapusan.
 Ito ang mga pangunahing katangian ng lawa ng Bulusan na may labing anim na hektarya ang lawak at may tatlumpu’t dalawang metro ang lalim. Ang lawa ay
tatlong daan at animnapu’t limang taong gulang na. Ito’y maaaring marating sa pamamagitan ng bus o anumang sasakyang pangkalsada sa loob ng may humigit-
kumulang sa dalawa at kalahating oras.

Ibig ba ninyong dumalaw doon? Kayo’y malu-god na inaanyayahan at buong pusong tatanggapin ng mapang-akit na lawang nakahimlay sa tuktok ng higanteng
bulkan.
 Thank you for
listening!
“Together let us discover
our innate abilities in
writing feature articles!”
God Bless!
CONTEST PROPER
Write a feature article about your mother
as a “Super Mother” in your family.

You may compare your mother with a

super hero like Darna.

Make at least 6 paragraphs.

CONTEST PROPER

Write an article about renewable

energy and it’s impact to the
environment and to the community.

Make at least 6 paragraphs.