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Features: The Beginning (Leads)
Unlike hard news leads, which are loaded with straight facts and cover as many of the 5Ws as they can pack into one sentence, feature leads come in many shapes and sizes. Some leads are short, sharp and direct, making a contrast or punching the reader in the gut. Others are long and narrative, setting a scene and mood or building suspense through foreshadowing. Leads can also emphasize any of the 5Ws or H.
Regardless of type, feature leads have one purpose: to entice the reader.
Successful feature leads do one or more (or all) of the following:
Put a face on the story (whether this is an individual or a representation of a group) Establish the setting (the place readers want to see) Introduce the conflict (What makes this news? Without it, it’s not.) Set the tone (Do you want to be taken seriously or is it a lighter subject? Or does it tug at
the heartstrings? Decide how you want to be heard and write accordingly.)
Feature leads can start in many different ways, including (among others):
Description Direct address Shocking statement Narrative Quotation Question
Here are some feature writing hints:
Focus on a single person for your lead. Tell the story through one person’s eyes. Focus on an incident or anecdote. Retell a specific moment or scene for your lead. Show,
don’t tell. Try a startling statement, dialogue, or another literary device. Describe a setting as a way of establishing the theme of your story.
Read the following sample leads. For each lead, answer the questions below.
(1) What is the feature going to be about? (2) How does the lead entice the reader? (describe, shock, compare, contrast, etc. / are
any literary devices used?) (3) What does the lead emphasize (who, what, where, when, why, how)?
Example 1 “Extreme Weight Loss”
Example 2 “Injury Prone”
Example 3 “Going Back Home”
Example 4 “The Art of Getting Up”
Example 5 “Disfigured”
Example 6 “Trichotillomania”
Example 7 “Through roller derby…”
Example 8 “The evil in the ink”
Example 9 “Watch your step”
Example 10 “Never Lose Faith”
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