Feature Writing for Newspapers and Magazines

by Friedlander, Edward Jay; Lee, John

• ISBN13: 9780321034373
• ISBN10: 0321034376
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-07-01
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Summary

Using experience-driven advice and compelling articles from scores of newspaper and magazine writers, "Feature Writing for Newspapers and Magazines" shows how award-winning journalists achieve excellence and national recognition. This book helps readers to cultivate vital journalistic skills with a thorough discussion about creating and refining article ideas, conducting research and interviews, writing, and navigating legal and ethical questions.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
The Newspaper Feature Story	p. 1
The Feature: Helen's Story	p. 1
An Overview	p. 2
Newspaper Feature Story Types: News and Timeless Features	p. 5
Categories and Appeals	p. 6
Newspaper Feature Writers: The Right Stuff	p. 12
A Profile of the Pulitzer Winners	p. 14
The Anatomy of a Newspaper Feature Story	p. 22
"Mrs. Kelly's Monster"	p. 24
The Future: Trends in Newspaper Feature Writing	p. 34
The Newspaper Feature Story Idea	p. 37
What Newspaper Readers Want to Read	p. 37
How to Get Ideas	p. 39
Focusing Ideas	p. 40
Ideas That Didn't Work	p. 42
Ideas That Worked	p. 43
"Life on the Land: An American Farm Family"	p. 44
"Life on the Land: An American Farm Family"	p. 46
"Zepp's Last Stand"	p. 52
"Zepp's Last Stand"	p. 53
The Magazine Article and Article Idea	p. 65
How a Magazine Article Differs from a Newspaper Feature	p. 66
Staff Writer Versus Freelancer	p. 67
Three Necessary Skills for the Freelance Writer	p. 69
Stalking the Elusive Article Idea	p. 71
Matching Ideas to Markets	p. 73
"Like Something the Lord Made"	p. 79
"Death of a Playmate"	p. 96
Taking the Next Step	p. 111
Researching for Newspaper Feature Stories and Magazine Articles	p. 113
Newspaper Reference Rooms	p. 114
Magazine Reference Resources	p. 115
Computerized Research	p. 117
Using Search Engines and Directories	p. 119
Electronic Magazines	p. 120
Turning Research Into the Finished Article	p. 121
"The Bureaucracy: How Did it Get So Big?"	p. 123
Interviewing for Newspaper Feature Stories and Magazine Articles	p. 139
Kinds of Interviews	p. 139
Getting Ready To Interview	p. 140
Who to Interview	p. 140
Asking for the Interview	p. 144
Persuading People Who Don't Want to Talk	p. 146
When and Where to Interview	p. 146
Researching the Interviewee	p. 147
Conducting the Personal Interview	p. 148
Making Friends	p. 148
Asking Questions	p. 151
Attribution Guidelines	p. 155
Gathering Material	p. 157
Fixing Quotes	p. 163
Description	p. 164
Excerpt from "the Boy Behind the Mask"	p. 165
Excerpt from "Crossing Over"	p. 165
Closing the Session	p. 167
The Interview Story	p. 167
"Cybill Shepherd"	p. 168
Excerpt from "Cybill at Forty"	p. 178
Writing the Newspaper Feature Story	p. 181
Beginning the Process	p. 181
Story Structure	p. 183
Writing the Lead	p. 186
A Dozen Lead Categories	p. 187
Excerpt from "Angels and Demons"	p. 188
Excerpt from "How Super Are Our Supercarriers?"	p. 189
Excerpt from "A Gift Abandoned: Day One--Jack-in-the-Box"	p. 191
Excerpt from "Aids in the Heartland: Chapter 1"	p. 192
Excerpt from "Ashes to Dust"	p. 193
Excerpt from "Being Black in South Africa: for Many, the Struggle is Finding Work"	p. 194
Excerpt from "Toxic Shock"	p. 195
Excerpt from "A Daughter Remembers Dad as He Lived, and Died"	p. 196
Excerpt from "Life on the Land: An American Farm Family": Part 2	p. 197
Excerpt from "Family, Town, Grieve Three Drowned Brothers"	p. 199
Excerpt from "Making It Fly: Buying a Jetliner--An Act of Faith"	p. 200
Excerpt from "Mrs. Kelly's Monster"	p. 200
Excerpt from "Making It Fly: The Big Gamble"	p. 201
Excerpt from "A Father's Pain, a Judge's Duty, and a Justice Beyond Their Reach"	p. 201
Writing the Body of the Story	p. 203
Writing the End of the Story	p. 206
Excerpt from "Crime Scene: Beyond the Statistics, a Druggist Confronts the Reality of Robbery"	p. 207
Analyzing Two Feature Stories	p. 208
"A Boy of Unusual Vision"	p. 209
"All She Has, $150,000, is Going to a University"	p. 220
Writing the Specialized Feature Story	p. 225
The Deadline Feature Sidebar	p. 226
"Ashes to Dust"	p. 228
The Profile	p. 232
"Adam & Megan: A Story of One Family's Courage"	p. 235
The Feature Series	p. 249
"First Born, Fast Grown: The Manful Life of Nicholas, 10"	p. 252
The Specialized Feature Story and Multimedia	p. 258
Marketing and Writing the Magazine Article	p. 259
Case History	p. 259
The Idea	p. 259
The Market	p. 260
The Query Letter	p. 261
The Waiting Game	p. 265
Gathering the Information	p. 267
Organizing the Story	p. 268
Sitting Down to Write	p. 270
The Aftermath	p. 278
Starting in Greener Pastures	p. 279
"Writing for the Trades"	p. 281
Writing and Rewriting Like a Pro	p. 285
Writers Must be Versatile	p. 286
Revising Your Copy	p. 291
Useful Writing Devices	p. 292
Avoiding Common Mistakes	p. 298
Common Writing Problems	p. 299
Writing Subjectively	p. 303
Putting It All Together	p. 304
"Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3d" Game Review for PC Accelerator	p. 306
"Medal of Honor: Allied Assault" Game Review for MacAddict	p. 308
Legal and Ethical Considerations for Writers	p. 311
Libel	p. 312
Invasion of Privacy	p. 314
Copyright Law	p. 315
Copyright Protection	p. 315
Copyright Infringement	p. 317
Ethical Guidelines	p. 318
Credits	p. 325
Index	p. 327
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