FEATURE WRITING can identify with their situation, stories

with a human angle sell well. The more

Features are articles written in greater striking examples and images you create
depth and with more incidental detail at the start of your story and continue
than straightforward news stories or news throughout, the more successful your
analysis. They combine facts and story is likely to be.
information with human interest and The tone of a feature can be lighter than
‘color’: in other words, they are more the news story. It may appear chatty,
personalized, more descriptive, and humorous, conversational, but all the
allow the writer to indulge in more lyrical time, it is conveying serious information. It
writing and personal comment. Their can use language more expressively to
purpose is to attract the reader’s create the effect it is striving for.
attention to a story through human
interest and local color without The content of the feature article
detracting from the importance of the distinguishes it from news reporting.
story itself. Features always deal with topics that are
currently of concern to society but are
CHARACTERISTICS OF A FEATURE not necessarily news-driven. Features are
The defining characteristics of a feature better placed to explore the wider
article are purpose, tone, content and background and consequences of a
structure. news story then news analysis is.

What distinguishes features from straight Features do not demand a news peg.
news? Straight news deals with facts and They often explore issues of long-term
is topical – ie: it deals with new events. interest to society unrelated to a specific,
Features do not simply convey the facts, topical event. Common subjects for
they are meant to educate, enlighten features are health, environment and
and entertain the reader. What is the social problems, as well as human rights
main purpose of the feature? issues. A typical and important
characteristic of the feature is that it can
It is: humanise and make understandable
a) to attract the reader’s attention by major complex issues of our times.
entertaining, amusing, moving him/her COMPOSITION OF THE FEATURE
b) to put the characters in the story – the The purpose and content of a feature
human interest – at the heart of the story means that its structure is different from
While it is essential to hold the reader’s news and news analysis. Features use an
attention, this in no way implies that the inverted pyramid principle, same as
feature is a light-hearted or trivial news analysis, with lead, body and
exercise. The aim is to convey serious conclusion, but this structure takes on a
information in an engaging and emotive different character in the course of the
manner. feature:

The focus of the feature is people. Since

people like reading about people and
a) Feature lead is anecdotal and the story. Concluding paragraph aims to
colorful. It sets the atmosphere of the leave a lasting image in the reader’s
piece. The first few sentences are there mind – a vivid verbal picture of a place
to introduce a scene, a mood, a person. or a person. Often it comes back to the
This descriptive and emotive image acts lead with a quotation. An alternative is a
as a powerful hook to catch the reader’s twist, involving a surprise, or jolt.
attention and encourage him/her to
KEY POINTS FOR WRITING A GOOD
read on. The human interest at the
FEATURE
beginning of the story attaches the
reader’s interest immediately and a) Grab the attention of the reader
creates the desire to find out more. The immediately; involve him/her
path introduced in lead should be emotionally
followed throughout the text.
b) Use vivid detail and interesting color to
b) Significance of the story is provided in convey background information on your
what is called the "nut paragraph", as it subject that is not normally available in
explains why the story is being written. news pieces; convey even the driest
This is a vital paragraph in every feature. data in an interesting way
It should be high in the story. Do not
make the reader wait until the 10th c) Choose a topic of general interest or
paragraph before telling them what the concern
story is about. d) Keep the attention of the reader
c) The body provides more vital throughout the article; create mystery –
information, while it educates, entertains intrigue the reader by offering details or
and ties the reader to the story. This is the clues that you will elaborate later e) Use
largest part of your story, starting from the lively language and plenty of detail to
fifth paragraph to the ending. It is more describe scenes and people
open-form then the body of a news story f) Use “writers voice” - it is the signature,
or news analysis. Your vital background or style, of the writer. It can be used to
information, quotes, and case studies will project color, tone and subtle
go here. The body of the text must commentary into the story.
substantiate the claims that you made at
the start, using facts, quotes and reliable g) Maintain good paragraphing: every
sources. Successful features have a mix new paragraph should introduce a new
of imagery and factual information, point or a new topic. But try to maintain
zigzagging back and forth from color to a link between paragraphs; keep the
facts throughout the piece. Remember transition from one paragraph to the next
to include "expert voices" here as well as smooth: abrupt jumps between ideas will
the character/s you have introduced at make your story hard to follow – and you
the start. They add an element of may lose your reader
impartiality. h) Keep the story moving forward at a
d) Feature not only begins with color it good pace. This does not mean you
also ends with color: the ending wraps up cannot spend time on description or
dialogue, but maintain a momentum
and direction

i) Try to use link words, such as "however",

"moreover", "it was then that…" "soon
after..." These are called "transitional
words". They are important in long
features, as they are a tool that writers
use to subtly move from one person or
topic to the next.

j) Use dialogue and quotes to keep the

story moving. Good quotes give the
readers strong mental images and keep
them attached to the story. On the other
hand, beware of using quotes when
reported speech would do just as well.

k) Avoid repetition and don’t bore your

reader. If you need to return to a point or
stress a particular angle in the story, use
a different anecdote, quote a different
person

l) Leave a lasting image in your reader’s

mind: a concluding paragraph should
always round off the feature by coming
full circle to the opening paragraph.
Make it memorable with a quotation, a
scene that is as vivid as the start of your
feature
NEWS WRITING THE FIVE 'W's'

Every news story must cover the "Five

The ABCs of news writing are Accuracy, W's:" Who, What, When, Where, Why and
Brevity and Clarity. The first and most sometimes How and So What? You don't
important is accuracy -- a story can be have to cover all these in the lead,
creative and compelling, but if it obviously, but usually you will address
contains errors, it is worthless. one or two in the first graph. The rest
Always check numbers, spellings of should come soon. Make sure they are all
names, who said what, and the other covered somewhere in your story.
basic facts of any story. A reporter's job is NEWS VALUES
to find out what is going on, then write a
story that's interesting and informative. What is news? The cliché is, when dog
Accuracy always comes first, bites man, it's not news. When man bites
dog, that's news. Critics say, why is the
Second is brevity. Each word in your story newspaper always full of bad news?
should do a job. If not, take it out. Get to Because bad news is unusual, and no
the point. Say it just once. Don't be one wants to read about ordinary
redundant. Don't say "8 a.m. in the events. "The Monitor adviser arrived on
morning," since 8 a.m. is in the morning. campus this morning and found things
Just say 8 a.m. Or say 8 in the morning. much as he left them the night before."
Remember the inverted pyramid style of Who cares? If the adviser finds a
writing. Put the most important fact in the mountain lion waiting for the elevator in
lead. Hook the reader's attention. Explain Building 5, then there's a story. With
the lead and then go on to the next most photos.
important fact in the second inverted News usually has at least one of these
pyramid. And then the next. Lead up to elements:
an interesting finish.
• Impact. Impact is determined by the
Clarity starts before you write. Clarity number of people affected, the
starts with complete, competent number of boats that sink, the number
reporting. You should understand your of cars wrecked, etc. The more
subject so completely that your story people affected, the more boats sunk,
leaves it crystal-clear in the reader's the bigger the impact of the story.
mind. Your story should leave no • Proximity. The closer your audience is
questions unanswered. Avoid jargon. to the event, the greater its news
Explain anything that wouldn't be value. If a train hits a bus in
obvious to the average person. The more Bangladesh, it may receive three
information you gather, the more you column inches behind the sports
have to sift through to determine what section. If a train hits a bus on Niles
belongs in the lead. The more you know, Canyon Road, the Argus will play it on
the harder it is to tell it quick and make it page one.
simple. It's only easy if you don't know • Timeliness. "New" is a big part of news.
what you're talking about. No one said If it happened just before deadline, it's
good reporting is easy.
 bigger news than if it happened last Sometimes it can be two or three
week. Even "big" stories last only a paragraphs.
week or so. News, like fish, is better
Whatever its length, the lead has several
fresh.
important jobs to do. First, it must interest
• Prominence. If it happens to the
the reader in the rest of the story. Imagine
mayor, it is bigger news than if it
the reader as impatient, with lots of other
happens to the Monitor adviser. The
things he or she could be doing instead
public cares more about celebrities
of reading your story. Imagine the reader
than they do about people they don't
saying, "Get to the POINT! Don't waste my
know. If President Clinton goes
time! Tell me the STORY!"
jogging, reporters take pictures. If the
Monitor adviser goes jogging, dogs Your job is to write a short, punchy,
bark, but no one else notices. (This is informative lead to attract readers who
fine with the adviser.) have grown accustomed to TV's "sound
• Novelty. If an event is unusual, bizarre, bite" journalism. But then you must supply
the first, the last, or once-in-a-lifetime, the details, the insights, the context that
it is has more news value than if it is TV doesn't have time for.
something that happens all the time. •
Conflict. War, politics and crime are WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR A GOOD LEAD?
the most common news events of all. • Keep it short and simple. News writing
If everyone got along, there wouldn't is always tight, but the lead calls for
be much news. special care. Condense your story
• Relevance. How does the story affect into one sentence, then one phrase,
the reader? If there's no effect at all, then one word. Make sure that word
maybe there's no news. is near the beginning of the lead. As
• Usefulness. How can I use this a general rule, no lead sentence
information? Home, business and should be longer than 10 words.
leisure news sections have sprouted in • Get to the point. What is the story
newspapers in an attempt to give about? Tell the reader in the lead.
readers news they can really use. Don't say, "The city council met last
• Human interest. A story may be weak night." Tell the reader what the city
on the other news values, but be council did. "Business taxes were
interesting anyway. It can be as simple raised a whopping 30 percent on a 6-
as an interview with a fascinating 1 vote of the city council last night."
person who does unusual things. If What's the story about? Taxes. So get
people are talking about it, it's news, taxes in the lead.
even if it doesn't meet the criteria of • Focus on the action. Use the "active
our other news values. voice." Instead of saying something
THE LEAD happened, say who did what to who.
Use the action word. If nobody did
The lead is usually the toughest part of anything, it may not be a news story.
writing a story. The lead is the first word, • Hook the reader. Put the most
sentence or paragraph of the story. important, the most interesting, the
most exciting thing in the lead. A
 novel may take 100 pages to lead up quotation marks must be the source's
to the climax of the story; a news story exact words. But another step is needed
puts the climax first and then explains to achieve accuracy: The words inside
what led up to it. the quotation marks must also convey
the intent of the speaker. To use the
These rules are sometimes thrown out for
speaker's exact words to say something
feature leads, or "anecdotal leads" that
he or she did not mean is to take the
start with a little story that sets the scene
quote out of context. It is a serious
for the point you are trying to make. But
complaint often made by sources. At the
the lean, punchy news lead will work best
end of the interview, always check
on most stories.
quotes that you intend to use, and if you
THE NUT GRAPH are unsure what the speaker meant, ask.

Every story needs a "nut graph" that The proper form for using a direct quote
answers the question: Why am I writing is: "I won't run for president," Dan Quayle
this, and why do I think the reader should said Thursday. "But I may walk a little."
read it? The best way to make sure your
Notice that punctuation is inside the
story has a point is to state it, simply,
quote marks. The quote is attributed after
somewhere near the top of the story. It
the first sentence.
doesn't have to say, "The point of this
story is..." Try to minimize the use of partial quotes:
When asked about his presidential plans,
But if the story is about a budget shortfall,
Quayle said he "won't run."
a good nut graph might quote a district
official on whether the shortfall would The first example, using the full quote, is
force an increase in tuition. How does the both more interesting and more
story affect the reader? That's what accurate. The partial quote leaves a
should be in the nut graph. If it doesn't false impression.
affect the reader, maybe it shouldn't be
Indirect quotes don't have to use the
a news story.
speaker's exact words, but they must
QUOTES convey what the speaker meant. For
example:
Quotes bring a story to life. Let your
sources tell the story. The reporter's voice Brett Favre Thursday denied reports that
in the story should outline the main points he would retire from football at the end of
and set the stage for the quotes. Quotes the season, but he said he is feeling his
let your sources "talk" to the reader, age.
giving a personal impact that you can't
Indirect quotes can be used to introduce
get any other way in print.
direct quotes. For instance, the next
But quotes should be special. Don't use sentence in the Favre story could be:
quotes for information that can be more
"I feel every tackle of my career when I
clearly explained in your own words.
wake up in the morning," he said.
Only direct quotes are contained inside
of quotation marks. Information inside
Make sure that the reader knows who is happened, then this happened. For the
talking. If you've quoted one person for sake of variety, you want to use the word
several paragraphs, and then plan to "then" no more than once.
quote someone else, use a graph of
• Use introductions as transitions
transition between the two quotes. For
between speakers. For example:
instance:
Ed Smith, professor of biology at Ohlone,
Meanwhile, another city councilman
disagrees with the idea that frozen yogurt
had opposite views. "I think the planned
causes split ends.
development stinks," said Councilman
Joe Smith. "That's the craziest idea I've ever heard,"
he said.
If you end one quote and start another
without tipping off the reader, confusion • Set the scene for a new area of
will result. Remember, you may discussion. Don't just start in a new
accurately report what a person said, direction without notifying the reader. For
but that person may be wrong. Verify example:
any questionable statement by calling
other sources. It's not enough to say later, Meanwhile, a group of Ohlone instructors
"But that's what he said." have been developing another theory,
one based on experiments with
Keep in mind that your goal is to inform bananas.
your readers. Never rely on only one
source. If you find that one of your "We think we're on to something," said
sources doesn't have the information you Professor Harold Foote.
need, switch sources. ENDINGS
TRANSITIONS A good ending gives a "rounded out"
Each paragraph in your story should flow feeling to a story, especially if the end
naturally from the one before it. If you makes reference to information in the
have gathered enough information, and lead. For instance, in a story by a Monitor
if your lead is strong enough, you may staff member about a young man trying
find that your story seems to "write itself," to quit gang crime and turn his life
flowing naturally from beginning to end. around, the ending was:

But other stories seem "choppy," with the Valle gave a convincing "yes" when
narrative taking jags and loops that asked if he is going to graduate from
could lose or confuse the reader. college.

Transitions smooth out those jags and This means that he will have to see his
make the story easier to read. Here are mother cry again, although this time he
some guidelines: will see her from a stage while he is
wearing a cap and gown, holding a
• Make sure your story elements are diploma in his hand.
presented in a logical order. The most
common order is the chronological The lead had talked about how his
order. This happened, then this mother cried when he received a
scholarship to attend college, shortly the beginning of the first sentence as
after he had been released from jail. The possible without destroying the flow
ending made a smooth reference to the of the lead sentence.
lead, tying the story together. 2. Keep leads short — 20 to 30 words for
the first sentence. Or fewer.
OTHER STUFF
3. The news lead should tell the reader
Avoid one-source stories. Talk to as many what the story is about and be
people as possible in the time you have interesting enough to draw the
for reporting. Make sure you leave reader into the rest of the story.
enough time for the writing portion of the Remember that the readers won’t
story. How do you know when you've know what the story is about until
done "enough" reporting, talked to you tell them.
enough sources, read enough reports? 4. Find the action in the story. Put the
Experience will teach you the answer, action in the lead.
and it will be a lot more than you thought 5. Always double-check names and
at the beginning. numbers. Check spelling, style and
grammar. Put everything in order.
The news reporter's job has three parts: 6. Attribute opinions. Stick with the
Reporting, writing and meeting facts.
deadlines. All three are important, but 7. Details, description. Report first, then
news reporting couldn't exist without write. Learn all, tell 10 percent.
deadlines. The deadline is your discipline. 8. Decide which of the news values
Learn to meet deadlines, learn how to best applies to the lead of the story.
gather information, and the writing style Write a lead that emphasizes that
will come eventually. news value.
There is a broad, clear distinction 9. Write in the active voice.
between news writing and advertising. 10. Don’t lead with a name, time or
Use your normal objectivity and fairness place unless that is the most
when writing about advertisers, even if interesting/important thing in the
they push you for a "positive" story, and story.
threaten to pull their advertising if they WHAT NOT TO DO IN LEADS
don't get it. Our focus is on the reader.
Our job is to write truthful, fair stories, and 1. Don't make the lead too
sensible advertisers will respect that. complicated. Don't load it down
with too many names, figures or
Make sense out of numbers. A number is details. Keep the lead sentence
meaningless without a comparison. If short -- never more than 35 words.
enrollment grew 5 percent this fall, how 2. Don't begin with the time, day or
does that compare to last fall? How does date, or place. Better to focus on the
it compare to the average fall semester? action, the who or what.
HOW TO WRITE A NEWS LEAD 3. Don't begin with an empty, say-
nothing expression or a generality
1. Condense story into one or two that fails to distinguish this news from
words. Put those words as close to
 other news: There were... In a report Did the person speak slowly and
released today... According to... carefully, or rapidly, with
4. Don't begin with a question if the confidence?
question is answered in the story. 6. Using analogies. Describe it as being
Question leads are cliché leads. “like” or “as” something that is
5. Don't begin with a direct quote if it is familiar to readers.
a full sentence. Don't start with a
ACTIVE VOICE, PASSIVE VOICE
quote unless it is an exceptional
quote. Voice is that inflection of a verb that
6. Don't use a form of the verb to be in shows whether its subject is the doer of
the lead, if you can avoid it. Use an the action indicated or is acted upon.
action verb.
7. Don't overstate the news in the lead, If the subject performs the action, the
making it more dramatic than it verb is in the active voice. If the subject
really is. Watch "disaster" words. is acted upon, the verb is in the passive
voice.
ELEMENTS OF GOOD WRITING
Active voice is dynamic. Passive voice is
1. Precision. Use the right word. Say static. Active voice is vigorous and
exactly what you mean. Be specific. emphasizes the actor. Passive voice is
Avoid sexism in your writing. Use evasive about naming the actor.
generic terms: firefighters instead of
firemen, letter carriers instead of News writing should almost always be in
mailmen. the active voice because news is about
2. Clarity. Use simple sentences. Noun, action and actors.
verb. Think clearly, then write. Watch To test for the active voice, find the
grammar and punctuation. subject and verb in the sentence. Put the
3. Pacing. Movement of sentences subject before the verb so that the
create a tone, mood for the story. subject takes action: Jill hit the ball, not:
Long sentences convey relaxed, The ball was hit by Jill.
slow mood. Short declarative
sentences convey action, tension,
movement. Use variety of sentence
lengths. Use shorter sentences when
writing about the more active, tense
part of the story.
4. Transitions. Progress logically from
point to point. Put everything in
order.
5. Sensory appeal. Appeal to one or
more of our five senses: sight,
hearing, smell, taste and touch.
What does it sound like? Was the
room too hot? Could you smell the
cooking outside on the walkway?
EDITORIAL WRITING • Consider who your intended
audience will be (for example, it may
An editorial is an article written by or be the general readership, or it may
under the direction of the editor of a be directed at those who hold a
newspaper or magazine, or a statement particular view that may or may not
broadcast on radio or television. already have been expressed in the
media or other public forum).
Editorials give opinions on important • Brainstorm a variety of strategies you
social, political, economic, or legal issues can use to gain reader support for
of the day and intend to persuade your view on the issue. These might
readers to agree to a particular point of include acknowledgement of the
view. reader’s current viewpoint, listing
Editorials reflect the views of the owners, benefits of the view you are
managers or board of directors of media promoting, providing reliable
companies. Editorials of major papers evidence, and using of sound
are often viewed by readers in terms of reasoning.
their positioning as right (conservative), • Develop logical and ethical
center (liberal), or left (socialist) on the arguments; avoid purely emotional
political spectrum. Furthermore, rhetoric.
editorials usually do not shy from • Conduct necessary research both to
controversy, in the hope of not only gather information about the
presenting the issues to the reading audience you are writing for, and to
public, but also of drawing response from collect evidence, examples, and
the public and attracting new support for the view you are
readership in the competitive promoting.
marketplace. • Develop an outline to follow before
you begin writing.
Editorial Structure
Writing the Editorial
An editorial is similar to an essay in that it
focuses on a specific issue or topic, offers • Follow the pattern and style of
a thesis, and provides evidence and editorial writing.
supporting arguments to convince its • In most editorials, the opinion of the
readers. The title clearly identifies the writer is given near the beginning,
topic; the introductory statement followed by supporting evidence and
includes the writer’s view on the issue; the reasoning (direct approach).
body provides supporting evidence and • The first-person plural voice (we, our) is
examples; and the conclusion restates most common in editorial writing and
the writer’s view and provides a final is appropriate in establishing the
appeal for the reader to agree to that credibility of the writer.
view. • Editorials should be short, precise, and
well organized.
Planning the Editorial: • Develop a strong introductory
statement to capture the reader’s
• Decide what issue you will write about
attention and to state your opinion.
and clearly define the issue.
 Use a logical sequence for presenting
your arguments, and an effective
conclusion to maximize the impact on
the reader.

To sum up, a good editorial is either one

or more of the following: it is an opinion
maker, it is reconciliatory between
contrary viewpoints or standpoints, it is
balanced in its analysis of evidence and
events, and it is, manifest or otherwise,
crusading in its thrust.

A good editorial should express an

opinion without being opinionated. It
should teach without being pedagogic.
It should transform without being
evangelical. It should engulf without
drowning. It should motivate to action
without making you dictatorial. It should
enlighten without getting you dogmatic,
prejudiced and egotistical.

The last, and probably most important, a

good editorial should be brief.
An article about a good editorial should
also, if possible, be brief.
SPORTS WRITING ELEMENTS OF SPORTS WRITING

Sports writing typically covers basic

information, such as:
Write in Plain Language • highlights of the game
• the names of the teams involved
Plain language is “clear, concise and • the type of sport
correct” communication. It avoids • score or final outcome
jargon and delivers its message simply • when and where the game was
but effectively so that the reader gets played
the message as quickly as possible.

Here are some simple ways to make your But in order to write a good sports article,
writing meet plain language standards: remember to focus on what an athlete
does. Because sports revolve around the
• Use headings, short sections and short drama of competition, spotlighting a
sentences to make your writing easy single person gives your story a human
to digest. side that your readers can relate to.
• Use active voice whenever possible.
(Example: “Bob walked the dog” not TYPES OF SPORTS STORIES
“The dog was walked by Bob.”) STRAIGHT-LEAD GAME STORY
• Edit each sentence to get rid of excess
words. Sometimes it helps to set a goal The most basic form of all sports writing,
of cutting 25 or 50 words or staying the straight-lead game story is an article
under a certain word count. using a straight-news format. The article
summarizes the main points of a game:
• Use precise, specific language.
which team won or lost, the final score,
Concrete words are better than
and what a star player did.
abstract ones. For example, say “Jane
has a 41% shooting percentage” A straight-lead might look something like
instead of “Jane is a great shooter.” this:
• Get rid of jargon. In some sports this is
unavoidable, so if you must use jargon
try to convey its meaning through the Second-string quarterback Robert Jameson
context. threw the game-winning touchdown with just
• Use bullet points to highlight 10 seconds left to lead the Mountain View
information. High School Bears to a 21-14 victory over the
• Get rid of sports clichés. Try reading Canyon del Oro High School Captains
your piece out loud. If you stumble
Saturday night.
over a sentence or find yourself out of
breath at the end of a paragraph, After that, the story follows by giving an
some editing is likely needed. account of big plays, players who
contributed tremendously to the final
outcome, and after-game insights,
quoting both players and coaches.
Many high school and college sports
use the straight-lead game story, but
sports writers for professional sports end of the article—which is fine because
events have veered away from this readers are not looking to read about
format. the score, which they already know.

The reason is that TV already shows the Instead, the story gives them a different
entire game and fans usually know the perspective of the game and the people
scores and highlights before the article involved.
makes it to publication.

PROFILES
FEATURE GAME STORY
Whereas a feature game story spotlights
a game, a profile features an individual
The feature game story is a favorite tool character. This person might be a rookie
for professional sports writers because it athlete rising in the ranks, or perhaps an
gives fans and readers a different angle influential coach.
from the highlights they have seen on TV.

Here’s an example of an actual sports SEASON PREVIEW AND WRAP-UP STORIES

feature lead involving the Queensland
Reds and their rugby coach, Tevita Every sportswriter needs season previews
Koloi: and wrap-up stories in their collection.
These stories are published while the
coaches and their teams are preparing
It’s the start of yet another season. The for the upcoming season, or after the
quiet of the night contrasts with the season has ended—whether in victory or
vibrant group gathered in the upper in defeat.
room of their local church, fervently
These stories take a bird’s eye view of the
praying. As the clock ticks closer towards season: they normally share the
midnight, the spiritual coach of the expectations that coaches and players
state’s professional rugby team receives have, or how they feel at the end of a
an impression from God – “the last season.
placed team he is mentoring will win the
entire league this very year.” COLUMNS

A sports writing column is the place

It is a bold revelation, and he grapples
where a sportswriter shares opinion.
with what to do with this. Sometimes these columns may include
venting when a team, player, or coach
After opening with this unique angle, the doesn’t meet expectations. Other times,
writer proceeds to describe the they may write about what they admire
prominent rugby coach’s background, in a team, player or coach.
as well as what was going on at the time,
he had this unusual experience. A favorite subject is a coach who is able
to direct a weak team to an unexpected
And, as is common trait of feature game championship, or perhaps an underdog
stories, he only gets to the scores near the
player who demonstrates unusual
determination and teamwork.

WRITING A GOOD SPORTS LEAD

A lead is the introductory section of a

news story, intended to hook the reader
into reading the full story.

To write a good sports lead, first pick

which of the 5 types of sports stories you
would like to write. The type of story you
choose will determine the lead you
write.

If you opt for a straight-news story, pick a

highlight from the game you are writing
about and focus on that in your first
paragraph.

If you choose a feature or profile, pick

something that stands out about the
team or person. Think of a scene that
best describes the characteristic you
want to highlight. Do you describe a
practice session? A game huddles? Or
an after-game interview?

For a season preview or wrap-up story,

pick a sport you love and describe a
broad perspective of an upcoming
season or the season that just wrapped
up, beginning with the best teams.

For or an opinion column, find one angle

that you would like to express your
opinion on and that you feel passionate
about.
COLUMN WRITING • Theme: another level of meaning to
the topic. What’s the big, overarching
An op-ed piece derives its name from idea of the column? What’s your
originally having appeared opposite the point? Why is your point important?
editorial page in a newspaper. Today, The theme may appear early in the
the term is used more widely to represent piece or it may appear later when it
a column that represents the strong, may also serve as a turning point into
informed, and focused opinion of the a deeper level of argument.
writer on an issue of relevance to a OPENINGS
targeted audience.
The first line of an op-ed is crucial. The
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF opening “hook” may grab the reader’s
AN OP-ED OR COLUMN attention with a strong claim, a surprising
Partly, a column is defined by where it fact, a metaphor, a mystery, or a
appears, but it shares some common counter-intuitive observation that entices
characteristics: the reader into reading more. The
opening also briefly lays the foundation
• Typically, it is short, between 750 and for your argument.
800 words.
• It has a clearly defined point. ENDINGS
• It has a clearly defined point of view. Every good column or op-ed piece
• It represents clarity of thinking. needs a strong ending which has some
• It contains the strong, unique voice of basic requirements. It:
the writer
• Echoes or answers introduction
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN
WRITING AN OP-ED OR COLUMN • Has been foreshadowed by preceding
thematic statements
• Do I have a clear point to make?
• What is it? • Is the last and often most memorable
• Who cares? (Writing with a particular detail
audience in mind can inform how you
• Contains a final epiphany or calls the
execute your column. Who is it that
reader to action
you are trying to convince? Why are
you targeting that specific reader?) There are two basic types of endings. An
• Is there substance to my argument? “open ending” suggests rather than
states a conclusion, while a “closed
TOPIC AND THEME
ending” states rather than suggests a
Every successful op-ed piece or column conclusion.
must have a clearly defined topic and
The closed ending in which the point of
theme.
the piece is resolved is by far the most
• Topic: the person, place, issue, commonly used.
incident, or thing that is the primary
focus of the column. The topic is
usually stated in the first paragraph.
VOICE • Check the consistency of your opinion
throughout your op-ed or column.
Having a strong voice is critical to a
successful column or op-ed piece.
Columns are most typically
conversational in tone, so you can
imagine yourself have a conversation
with your reader as you write (a short,
focused conversation). But the range of
voice used in columns can be wide:
contemplative, conversational,
descriptive, experienced, informative,
informed, introspective, observant,
plaintive, reportorial, self-effacing,
sophisticated, humorous, among many
other possibilities.

Sometimes what voice you use is driven

by the publication for which you are
writing. A good method of perfecting
your voice is to get in the habit of reading
your column or op-ed out loud. Doing so
gives you a clear sense of how your
piece might sound – what your voice
may come off as – to your intended
reader.

REVISION CHECKLIST

Some things to remember as you revise

your op-ed or column before you submit
it for publication:

• Check clarity.
• Check coherence and unity.
• Check simplicity.
• Check voice and tone. (Most are
conversational; some require an
authoritative voice.)
• Check direct quotations and
paraphrasing for accuracy.
• Check to make sure you properly
credit all sources though formal
citations are not necessary.)