Writing the feature profile

Writing the feature profile

Tommy Thomason

Why profiles?

Profiles tell the stories of people we know or know about. We know what – profiles tell us how, and give us the why behind the what

What’s in a profile?

The life facts not generally known


The life facts not generally knownA picture of the person at work or at play or at home


The life facts not generally knownA picture of the person at work or at play or at homeWhat has made this person who he/she is -- the turning points in the target’s life


The life facts not generally knownA picture of the person at work or at play or at homeWhat has made this person who he/she is -- the turning points in the target’s lifeGoals/obstacles


The life facts not generally knownA picture of the person at work or at play or at homeWhat has made this person who he/she is -- the turning points in the target’s lifeGoals/obstaclesHow the target is different from others/how the target is the same


The life facts not generally knownA picture of the person at work or at play or at homeWhat has made this person who he/she is -- the turning points in the target’s lifeGoals/obstaclesHow the target is different from others/how the target is the sameWhat motivates the target

Getting started on your profile What will you

need?

Scheduling and conducting the primary interview

A theme/focus

for the story Secondary interviews

Background

info on your

source Observations

What will your story look like?•a lead or a lead

element•a nut graf•the body of the story, which may include several topics•an ending

A checklist on profiles…

What will you need to produce a good profile?a controlling idea/themethat theme expressed in a nut grafan attention-getting lead elementinsight....whysanecdotes/storiesvisual writing...show, don’t tellmultiple sources; visual as well as oral good quotes and judicious use of paraphrases at least a good attempt at an ending

Want to seesome examples

of profiles?

Education

Writing the feature profile