2010 lecture on structuring a news feature according to the DNA of documentary style

1. How to enjoy yourself while being serious
Double Helix, double the value
Bert Flugelman’s sculptural effects
Story-telling, sentences, syntax & style
Martin Hirst,
August 2009

2. A news feature has a theme
In news stories, you
generally make your
point, set the tone, and
frame the issue in the
first paragraph or two.
In feature stories you
can develop the theme
of the story and leave
your point until the end,
if that suits your style.

3. Are you ready to write a feature?
Have you selected your
intended subject topic and
carefully planned out your
idea?
True research and liberal use
of factual material gives an
original perspective to your
feature article and also avoids
the possibility of plagiarism.

4. Beginning, middle and end
• the introduction should entice your reader
• drama, emotion, quotes, questions, descr
iption
• keep promises to readers
• or answer any questions you pose
• maintain an "atmosphere”—style is king
• conclusion: help the reader remember the story
• use a strong punch line
Do you have a good lead, middle and ending?

5. Get the details right
Choose the right amount of detail
to include in your discussion; you
don't have to tackle the less
important aspects of your topic.
Give the most vital pieces of
information that you want to get
across, and choose the details that
go along with it
However, be careful that you don't
omit so much detail that you end up
with a vague outline for an article

6. Write right. Syntax, all right?
Be clear about why you are
writing the article.
Is it to
inform, persuade, observe, ev
aluate, or evoke emotion?
Write in the active voice.
In active writing, people do
things.
Passive sentences often have
the person doing the action at
the end of the sentence or things
being done ―by‖ someone.

7. Avoid clichéd emotions
Avoid clichés
(cutting edge, world beating,
revolutionary ) and sentimental
statements - especially at the
end of your article
Focus on human interest –
the feel and emotion you put into
the article are critical.
Don't think about writing a
"science" story - think about
writing a "human interest" story

8. Watch your language
Don't subject your reader to the equivalent of linguistic
torture.
A feature article is supposed to be light, entertaining and
informative-not deathly pedantic like a textbook
Tony Harcup

9. Don‘t get tense over interviews
Decide on the ‗tense' of your story at the
start and stick to it. Present tense usually
works best
Avoid lengthy, complex paragraphs. Your
article will appear in columns, so one or
two sentences equals a paragraph
Interviews for features usually need to be in-
depth and in person rather than over the
phone - this enables you to add in colour and
detail
Use anecdotes and direct quotes to tell the
story – write into them with paraphrase and
observational statements

10. Status, Detail, Colour and Character
Remember you are telling a story
That means characters, scenes and
action. Who is there? What are they
like? What are they doing and
saying? What does the place look
like?
Show your reader instead of
telling
Why say a person is friendly when
you can say how they bounce
down the street, smiling at
everyone and calling hello to
strangers.

11. Location, location, detail
Use concrete and specific
words to get your meaning
across.
It was a pearl-grey Siamese
– not just a cat.
It was a crumbling cement
building with broken panes of
glass where windows used to
be — not an abandoned
building.
Status detail adds colour and
weight

12. Make people earn quote space
Quotes should be something interesting and compelling,
something that the source says better than you could.
Do not quote people stating facts:
"The school board will hold a hearing next Monday night
to find out what parents think of the school closures.―
Save the quotation marks for a person's opinion or their
experience:
"If parents don't turn up for the hearing, then I think we
know that they just don't care about the school system,"
says Anne Smith, a school board member.

13. Where do I come in?
Is not easy to do well
Consistent?
Appropriate tone?
Approval?
Does it work?
Tony Harcup

14. The DNA of documentary style
Narrative spines
Story elements
Timeline Source
Individual stories Data
Thematic spine Event
Relational ideas Description

15. Prepare and sort your
material
What does it tell you
about the story?
Does it suggest a structure for the double helix?
• Logical sequence
• Distinct strands
• Useful anecdotes
• Beginning, middle,
end
• Link points
• Link phrases
• Good quotes
• Light & shade
• Colour

16. Timeline
Individual stories
Thematic spine
Relational ideas
How will you tell the story?
1. Chronology – start to finish
• Sequence of events
2. Non-chronological timeline
• Events, but not in
sequence
3. Compare and contrast
•People / groups
•Themes
•Related ideas

17. Time-shifting
You don’t always have to
start with the earliest
event or moment in your
story
A dramatic moment
from ‘later’ can make a
good lead – then you Time-shifting helps to
weave in the generate an interesting
background to explain narrative that is not
why it happened chronological

18. Time transitions
 Two weeks before, …
 A month later, …
 At the same time, …
 Meanwhile, …

19. Transitions of space
 Around the corner, …
 In another part of the hospital, …
 Across town, …
 Two blocks away, …
 A world away, …

20. Switching characters
 Dan Brown does not agree, …
 A similar feeling is expressed by …
 The opposite viewpoint…
 Another expression…

21. Spine(s)
Transition point
Sentences Paragraph
Source
Data
Event
Description

22. The Vertical
Flugelman
the transition points
the use of light and shade
contrast and reflection
structure as a series of
short pyramids and
inverted pyramids
makes links very obvious
robust, beautiful

23. Horizontal
Flugelman
Sculptural
Sharp
Shiny
Solid
Stylish

24. And finally…
The main thing to keep
in mind when writing a Is it accurate?
feature story is to have
fun, and enjoy and get Is it interesting?
to know the people you
are writing about.
Is it informative?
Let yourself stay open
to new experiences
and ideas, and relax.
Is it entertaining?

25. Enjoy the adventure
Think of your assignment as
an adventure not a writing
assignment.
You will enjoy yourself much
more if you do.
Your subjects and sources
will be more comfortable
around you and will open up
to you.
The more they do, the better
your story will be.