Writing Feature Stories How to Research and Write Newspaper and Magazine Articles

by Ricketson, Matthew

• ISBN13: 9781865087320
• ISBN10: 1865087327
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-01
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Summary

Introduction 1 What Exactly Is A Feature Story? 2 The Variety of Feature Stories 3 Crossing the Bridge from Media Consumer to Media Practitioner 4 Generating Fresh Story Ideas 5 Spend Half an Hour Planning Now, Save Half a day Later This man raped two little girls The story behind the story: Pamela Bone 6 Gathering the Raw Material 7 The Subtle and Slippery Art of Interviewing 8 Seeing Things For Yourself The Passion of John Marsden The story behind the story: David Brearley 9 Finding the Right Structure for the Story 10 Leads, Closes and that Big Lump in the Middle 11 Wordcraft Pol Pot Park The story behind the story: Kimina Lyall 12 Editing Your Story and Working With Editors 13 Looking Ahead to Literary Journalism Hope Lives Here The story behind the story: Garry Linnell Appendix Glossary Notes Suggestions for further reading Index

Author Biography

Matthew Ricketson is the head of journalism at RMIT University. He has written for The Age, The Australian, and Time. He is the winner of a United Nations Media Peace Prize citation and the George Munster prize for best freelance journalism.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS	vii
INTRODUCTION	ix
1. WHAT EXACTLY IS A FEATURE STORY?	1	(12)
2. THE VARIETY OF FEATURE STORIES	13	(20)
3. CROSSING THE BRIDGE FROM MEDIA CONSUMER TO MEDIA PRACTITIONER	33	(22)
4. GENERATING FRESH STORY IDEAS	55	(16)
5. SPEND HALF AN HOUR PLANNING NOW, SAVE HALF A DAY LATER	71	(24)
'This man raped two little girls...'	84	(7)
The story behind the story: Pamela Bone	91	(4)
6. GATHERING THE RAW MATERIAL	95	(16)
7. THE SUBTLE AND SLIPPERY ART OF INTERVIEWING	111	(14)
8. SEEING THINGS FOR YOURSELF	125	(20)
'The passion of John Marsden'	134	(8)
The story behind the story: David Brearley	142	(3)
9. FINDING THE RIGHT STRUCTURE FOR THE STORY	145	(20)
10. LEADS, CLOSES AND THAT BIG LUMP IN THE MIDDLE	165	(20)
11. WORDCRAFT	185	(28)
'Pol Pot Park'	204	(5)
The story behind the story: Kimina Lyall	209	(4)
12. EDITING YOUR STORY AND WORKING WITH EDITORS	213	(14)
13. LOOKING AHEAD...TO LITERARY JOURNALISM	227	(27)
'Hope lives here'	238	(13)
The story behind the story: Garry Linnell	251	(3)
APPENDIX	254	(9)
GLOSSARY	263	(2)
NOTES	265	(10)
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING	275	(6)
INDEX	281