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Feature writing course for Rethink (SRC)
1. THE SECRET ART OF
FEATURE WRITING
31 May 2017
Owen Gaffney, Marika Haeggman, Naomi Lubick
2. Marika Haeggman Naomi Lubick Owen Gaffney
Rethink is an online magazine from Stockholm Resilience Centre that connects resilience thinking to global development
Rethink Editorial Team:
3. RETHINK Feature writing
What you will learn today
How to pitch a feature
How to structure a feature
A few tricks about how to write in a way
people like to read
6. What is a feature?
โข Feature, feature article, feature story
โข Everything that is not hard news or
editorial
โข It can be an opinion
โข Human interest
โข Does not have to be related to current
news
7. Genre
โข It is a specific type of
journalism with its own style,
form and rules
โข Lines have become blurred as
journalism evolves with the
internet
8. Characteristics of a feature
โข Longer than news (1000-2000 words)
โข Not necessarily on current matters
โข Creative use of language
โข More detailed
โข May provide solutions
โข Educational or entertaining (compare
with news)
โข Often summarizes a whole area of
scienceโฆto put new findings in context
9. Characteristics of a feature
โข Arouses emotion
โข Allows personal comment
โข Needs photos and images
โข Side bars and other devices eg infographics
10. News versus features
โข Current/timely
โข Facts and figures
โข Inverted pyramid
โข Timeless
โข Introduces new/original
perspective or angle on an issue
โข Personal observation and
experience
โข Anecdotes
11. Writing news (or press releases)
University of Leicester press office
12. News versus features
โข Order of importance (inverted
pyramid)
โข Short, concise
โข Journalist invisible
โข Objective style of reporting
โข Narrative/story
โข Journalist โ visible
โข Style: personal, colourful, literary,
emotional, humorous
13. News versus features
โข Can be done from a newsroom โข Requires fieldwork โ often first
hand, it is about experience
โข The writer usually takes the
reader on a journey
โข The writer finds a way to tell a
compelling narrative
15. How to write a science feature
โข Choose topic carefully โ does it
have enough dimensions to carry
a feature or can it be summarized
in 180 words, eg the difference
between the Anthropocene and a
single research paper
โข It is more than one paper
โข It still has to have human interest
โข โฆand people/characters/heroes
(often a central person to carry
the story eg a scientist, the
author)
โข Structure:
โข Continuous narrative
โข Q and A
โข Series of sections
โข Listicle
17. Writing for RETHINK
โข Resilience angle
โข Development angle
โข Big picture
โข Solutions focus
โข Complex narratives drawing in research from many disciplines
โข Human interest
Promoting social-ecological resilience
18. Pitching a feature
โข Get your head in the head of an editor
โข Ask, has this been covered before? Are you sure?
โข If it is about the Arctic โ what is the new angle?
โข If it is about something abstract โ like resilience โ how do you pitch it to
make it concrete?
โข Read the magazine/media you are pitching to, eg Re.think or Scientific
American.
โข Analyze the articles they publish. See the type of material they commission
and how the articles are structured.
โข Donโt pitch stuff the media has recently covered.
โข Think about audience โ a lot. Understand the audience of the magazine.
23. 1800-2000 words
3 paras
Big picture โ hereโs the water issue
Conclusion
Hereโs how it has been solved in the past โ
massive infrastructure, but this doesnโt work now
Our hero has a better idea
In a nutshell (nutgraph) โ say the featureโs big idea
New idea, fresh perspective on an issue
Personal journey โ meet the hero
BOX: Sludge case study
Our hero is not alone โ several other examples
24. Generic:
1800-2000 words
3 paras
Big Picture Background
Conclusion showing way forward
Hereโs how things in this field have been solved in
the past
Our hero has a better idea
In a nutshell (nutgraph) โ say the featureโs big idea
Introduce a new idea, fresh perspective on an
issue
Take reader to a location and introduce a person
BOX: Data rich related idea or case study
Our hero is not alone โ several other examples
Acknowledge criticism of idea
26. Writing for Nature (1500-2500 words)
Personal, agenda-setting and provocative article calling for action on
topical issues pertaining to research and its political, ethical and social
ramifications.
Must be written with a colourful, authoritative voice, at a level
accessible to all of Nature's global, interdisciplinary readers,
researchers and policy-makers, protein chemists and astrophysicists
alike.
27. Writing for Nature (1500-2500 words)
Must include specifics: e.g. who must (or will) do what exactly to
whom, when, how, over what time period;
and, importantly, what will be the impact of heeding your call to action,
and of not doing so?
The aim is to engage and persuade the reader, as well as to inform
them.
28. 1800 word article
200 word introduction
400 words โ the problem in detail*
200 word conclusion
400 words โ the fix
400 words โ the roadmap
Nutgraph โ one para to explain the news value
The lead/lede
The opening sentence
100 words โ roadblocks
100 words โ respond to criticism
*Or the three main sections could be:
Past, present, future. The key is to think of the
article in terms of three sections
29. 5 ways list articles can work
150 word introduction
150 words
150 word conclusion
List intro โ lay out the ground rules, criteria
The lead/lede
The opening sentence
150 words
150 words
150 words
150 words
30. 5 reasons list articles work
150 word introduction
200 words โ the problem
150 word conclusion
Nutgraf
The lead/lede
The opening sentence
150 words
150 words
150 words
150 words
150 words
SOLUTIONS FOCUS
32. The opening paragraph
โIn the barren reaches of Arctic Siberia, Sergey and Nikita Zimov,
a Russian father-and-son team of scientists, are working on
geoengineering measures that sound as if theyโre ripped from
the pages of a Michael Crichton novel.โ
Bring back the mammoth to fight global warming, Aeon
Magazine 2017
โข Grab attention
โข Not abstract โ anecdotal, story, intrigue, descriptive, specific,
personal.
33. Donโt be boring
โขShort, simple sentences โ 25 words, NO MORE, this
is not negotiable
โขFind an angle
โขWhat interests your audience
โขMake an impact
โขDo not start with acronyms or โAt a meeting of the
committeeโฆโ
โขDo not bore your audience.
35. Middle
โข Summarise the body of knowledge on the issue
โข State some of the key people and dates
โข Provide a ton of facts mixed with interesting anecdotes
โข Bring in research beyond your primary area
โข Keep an eye on the audience โ what matters to them (time! Donโt
bore them)
โข Use variety and pace.
โข Break into sections with sub headings
โข Includes visual aids
36. Middle - paragraphs
โข Short
โข One idea per paragraph. State the idea at the start of the paragraph.
Develop that idea. And wrap up in a neat conclusion. Create a smooth
transition to the next paragraph.
โข Only make a statement once. Donโt try to say the same thing several
different ways.
โข Use quotes โ first person is attractive to read and adds colour and
variety.
37. End
โข 3 or 4 paragraphs
โข Tie up loose ends and repeat main conclusions
โข Link back to the start โ this leaves the reader satisfied.
โข Call to action โ
โข For Rethink โ we want people to be able to act on the information
42. Earth system
Natural capital
Ecosystem services
UNFCCC, IPBES, IPCC, CBD, UNEP, SRC, IGBP, WMO, FAO,
CGIAR
Land-use change
Governance
Multiple evidence base
We live in an ANTHROPOCENE BUBBLE
43. George Orwellโs guide to writing
(the opposite to academic writing)
1. No over-used metaphors,
similes or figure of speech
2. Short words rather than long
3. Always cut words
4. Never use passive where you
can use the active
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a
scientific word or jargon
6. Break these rules rather than
say anything outright
barbarous
See also, Strunk and Whiteโs โThe Elements of Styleโ
44. As efforts ramp up to design metrics and indicators for
water-related SDGs, it is prudent to be aware of and
consider the invisible processes of water flows globally.
It is important to distinguish between blue and green
water flows.
45. California is no stranger to droughts; but the Sierra
Nevada snow that provides essential water to the state is
at a 500-year low, according to research out this week.
The population of almost 39 million people is beginning to
feel the pinch.
46. Iron Curtain
Cold War
Metaphors matter
Virtually all of our abstract conceptualization and reasoning is
structured by metaphor. Cognitive Science
47. Our metaphors
โขA safe operating space
โขPlanetary boundaries
โขNature is sending invoices back
โขPlanetary machinery
โขTipping points
โขEcological footprint
48. No over-used metaphors, similes or figure of speech
โข Canary in a coalmine
โข Missing a piece of the
puzzle
โข Draw a line in the sand
โข โLevel playing fieldโ
See also, Strunk and Whiteโs โThe Elements of Styleโ
Definition: A word or phrase applied to an object or action to
which it is not literally applicable.
49. People remember metaphors
Two groups were given text relating to Hitlerโs rise to power. The
texts had different endings.
โข โThe German people blindly accepted Hitlerโs dangerous ideas.โ
โข โThe sheep followed the leader over the cliff.โ
Readers recalled the metaphor more than the first ending, and
also recalled the earlier text if a metaphor is present.
Reynolds and Schwartz 1983
50. A forest of metaphors
โข This oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.
(Barack Obama)
โข We have our foot on the accelerator and we are heading for
an abyss. (Ban Ki Moon)
โข The earth is being scorched by the flames of himsa.
(Mahatma Ghandi)
โข Waiting in the wings.
โข At a crossroads.
56. The rule of 3s
โข Friends, Romans, countrymen
โข We came, we saw, we conquered
โข Blood, sweat and tears
โข Faith, hope and charity
โข Stop, look and listen
โข Sex, lies and videotape
57. Long words, redundant phrases
โข Demonstrate
โข Encounter
โข Frequently
โข Fundamental
โข In an effort to
โข In addition to
โข In attendance
โข In conjunction with
โข In order to
โข Parenthesis (brackets)
โข It is thought that
58. Long words, redundant phrases
โข A large number of
โข Adjacent to
โข Accommodation
โข Accounted for by the fact that
โข Arising from the fact that
โข Based on the fact that
โข Additionally
โข Along with
โข Advance planning
โข At this moment in time
59. Active not passive
โข My first visit to Kathmandu will always be remembered by me
โข I will always remember my first visit to Kathmandu
โข There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground
โข Dead leaves covered the ground
61. The page turner
โขโHe slid the key into the lock. He grabbed the
handle, yanked down, then pushed. The door flew
open.โ
โขEvery sentence you write should make the reader
read the next sentence
โขOne idea per sentence
โขShort (opening sentence โ NO MORE THAN 25
WORDS โ this is non-negotiable)
62. Go large
Mark Twain described how a good writer treats
sentences: โAt times he may indulge himself with a
long one, but he will make sure there are no folds in
it, no vaguenesses, no parenthetical interruptions of
its view as a whole; when he has done with it, it won't
be a sea-serpent with half of its arches under the
water; it will be a torch-light procession.
63. Verbs are better than nouns
โข The development of our magazine depends on the improvement of
facilities within the office.
โข Developing our magazine depends on improving of office facilities.
64. Verbs are better than nouns
โข IBM is aiming for the establishment of a research and development
facility close to Delhi.
โข IBM plans to develop a research and development facility close to
Delhi.
65. Verbs are better than nouns
โข We are aiming at the creation of a new media centre but it will be
reliant on an increase in profits.
โข We aim to create a new media centre but it will rely on increasing
profits.
66. Verbs are better than nouns
โข There is a rise in the number of successful prosecutions over the past
year.
โข Successful prosecutions have risen in the past year.
67. To be or not to be
โข It was ebay that first launched the concept of personal shopping.
โข It is Naomi you need to speak to about the admin system.
โข It is the Environment Agencyโs aim to reintroduce some of the lost
natural features of the river.
โข Iran is the worldโs second largest gas reserve holder, second only to
Russia.
โข There have been no subsequent incidents.
68. To be or not to be
โขEbay first launched the concept of personal
shopping.
โขSpeak to Naomi about the admin system.
โขThe Environment Agency aims to reintroduce some
of the lost natural features of the river.
โขIran holds the worldโs second largest gas reserve
after Russia.
โขNo subsequent incidents occurred.
69. Tautology
โข Your past history shows your future prospects are not good.
โข Your past shows your prospects are not good.
โข We send our grateful thanks for successfully developing the
product.
โข Thank you for successfully developing the product.
โข Our new innovation creates structured training.
โข Our innovation creates structured training.
โข Tragic death.
โข Bitter criticism.
70. Positive not negative โ Trump failed
โข Trump did not succeed โ Trump failed
โข He was not very often on time
โข He usually came late
โข She did not think that studying Latin was a sensible use of her time
โข She thought studying Latin a waste of time
โข Not strong โ weak
โข Not important โ insignificant
71. The double negative
โข It cannot be said that I am an unhappy reader
โข I have not neglected your timely reminder
72. 6 astonishing facts about headlines
โขClear and concise
โขGrab attention
โขAvoid questions
โขActive
โขNo jargon
โขAccurate
โขBonus fact โ people really like lists
74. Rethink is looking for stories: deep dives into issues that touch
on development and resilience thinking, profiles of resilience
thinkers and practitioners, and more.
Please send your pitches to editor@rethink.earth
PITCH US!