Program Overview
Program Overview
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Week 1: Structure and Planning
Different organizational approaches for features. Outlining techniques. Choosing the right structure for your material.
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Week 2: Opening Strategies
Writing leads that draw readers in. Analyzing successful feature openings. Practice writing multiple versions.
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Week 3: Character and Detail
Gathering material that brings people to life. Interview techniques for narrative journalism. Using specific details effectively.
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Week 4: Scene Writing
When to use scenes versus summary. Reconstructing events accurately. Incorporating dialogue and action.
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Week 5: Pacing and Flow
Managing reader attention over long articles. Varying sentence and paragraph length. Building toward conclusions.
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Week 6: Revision Workshop
Editing your own features. Peer critique sessions. Tightening without losing narrative quality.
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Week 7-8: Final Feature Project
Complete a full-length feature article. Multiple rounds of revision. Detailed instructor feedback.
Detailed Information
Feature writing requires different skills than news reporting. You need to engage readers over thousands of words, not just deliver facts in the first paragraph. This course teaches the narrative techniques that make features readable and memorable.
The main challenge is structure. Unlike news stories with their fixed inverted pyramid, features can use chronological narrative, parallel storylines, or thematic organization. Choosing the right structure for your material makes the difference between a compelling read and a meandering mess.
Core techniques
We spend considerable time on openings because features do not start with straightforward news leads. You might open with a scene, a provocative statement, or a compelling detail that pulls readers in. The goal is to make someone curious enough to keep reading without misleading them about what the story contains.
Character development matters even in journalism. People are not just sources providing quotes. When you write features, you need to show readers who these people are through specific details, actions, and dialogue. We practice observational techniques and interview methods that yield this kind of material.
Scene construction is another critical skill. Rather than summarizing events, you recreate specific moments that illustrate larger points. This requires gathering sensory details, noting small actions, and reconstructing dialogue accurately. The exercises focus on recognizing when to show rather than tell.
What you will practice
- Conducting interviews that produce narrative material
- Structuring long-form articles effectively
- Writing compelling openings and satisfying endings
- Balancing narrative flow with factual accuracy
- Editing for pace and reader engagement
The assignments involve writing complete feature articles on assigned topics. You will receive detailed critique on structure, pacing, and narrative technique. This is intensive work that requires significant time commitment, but the skills apply across all long-form journalism.