Tell readers what you’re going to tell ’em
If I came to your house and told you to grab your things and follow me, how far would you go?… Read the full article
Story structure
Why should you write feature article leads?
The New York Times runs 33% feature leads
New York’s Grey Lady isn’t so gray any more. Topping one-third of its stories with feature leads, The New York Times covers the world in living color.… Read the full article
Anecdotes make good feature leads
To draw readers in, tell them a story
Here’s how Korbel Champagne Cellars topped a PRSA Silver Anvil Award-winning pitch:
Have you heard about the guy who mowed “Will You Marry Me?”
… Read the full articleHow to organize writing notes
Break into sections, then structure the parts
So you’ve chosen your organizing scheme. Here are some tips for pulling your story together.
1. Put your info in buckets.
… Read the full articleEnd with a bang
Leave a lasting impression in the kicker
Think of the kicker as the fireworks display at the end of the Fourth of July picnic. It’s the reader’s reward for making it to the end of the piece.… Read the full article
How to write a conclusion
Leave a lasting impression with these 2 key elements
It’s easy to end an inverted-pyramid story: Stop typing.
Sadly, coming to an abrupt halt doesn’t work for feature-style stories.… Read the full article
Romance meets finance in this feature
Northern Trust goes beyond the pyramid
How do you organize a compelling feature?
Model this piece, which Loring Leifer wrote for Northern Funds’ marketing magazine, Northern Update.… Read the full article
Sensus goes to the science museum
Use the feature structure for emailed invitations
When I teach the feature-style story structure, communicators nod. It seems reasonable that readers would prefer concrete, creative stories to a hierarchical blurtation of facts.… Read the full article
‘From Tina Turner to Taylor Swift’
Feature structure brings tedious topics to life
When Ian Jones needed to craft a — yawn! — diversity story for employees at Columbia Gas of Virginia, his first instinct was to go with a fact pack.… Read the full article
Opioid crisis goes beyond the inverted pyramid
WCB-Alberta uses feature structure to discuss addiction
I love it when my clients send me before-and-after pieces after I present a writing workshop.
For one thing, it’s gratifying to see that people’s writing actually improves after I visit!… Read the full article