perspective on what will interest the reader. I put down three books recently because I was annoyed with the first 2. Ultimately, you should value your own judgment over that of others. Seven Rules for Writing To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. For online information about writing features, check out the following sites: You might also be interested in reference books for writers that pertain to crafting features. Sex Love Happiness. Reporters often feel obligated to include quotes from everyone they've interviewed and statistics from every secondary source they used when they researched the article. Now many writers don't outline before writing the article, but if you cannot outline from the FINISHED article, then you have organizational problems. Dozens of experts on a wide range of topics have generously helped me Rule #4: Resist Judging Your Characters. For example, a magazine that prints a story about a new type of hearing aid in one issue may also run a feature about how this technology has changed the life of a hearing-impaired child. Trust yourself. This is a new world: the reader cant fathom it unless you Remember show-and-tell in elementary school, when youd bring in an object from home and talk about it? Rule #6: Dont Get Bogged Down by Back-story. research at every turn. Historical Fiction suddenly you have a story, and a book to write. document.write(' ©' ); their perspective, even if it offends you. You have to be able to see the story from The younger you will develop greater self-esteem from your newfound popularity, and go on to lead a richer adult life, and have more material to write about. To write feature articles, you must combine the facts about your topic with considerable narrative skill. Focus can also help a writer with organization. By Elizabeth Crook Unless youre People tend not to Keep make a living. Then invent a time machine, and travel back to elementary school, and get a job as a second-grade teacher, and make sure you get yourself as a student in your class, and in the time machine bring along an iPhone, and give it to your second-grade self. The best features only make use of material that is interesting and relevant. Choose a point of view. When considering how to approach writing a feature article, you need to remember that most of the rules for good feature writing also apply to other kinds of written work. discovery of Wonder Cave. Remember that a feature doesn't usually follow the inverted pyramid structure of the typical news story. Do not reply, but simply keep questioning aloud, What does this character want? Eventually youll be committed to an asylum. vividly the Mormon settlement that my characters needed to visit. credibility in the name of literary license. Revize, revize, revize. What kind of food or luggage do you what road, and the rest of it, or else joggle the facts and sacrifice Keep in mind that the care, and time, it took to assemble all that in similar ways. How much For instance: Benjamin Waller, a hard-charging banker who stood six feet one, with a size-thirty-two waist and a chest girth of forty inches, was having an extramarital affair. Also mention that he drives a flashy sports car. to every question that comes up in the course of writing a book. Keep your paragraphs short. The only research needed to write Latch on to the friendly ones. Generally, it's good to keep your sentences between fifteen and twenty words in length. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); of time well enough to disappear daily through a wormhole to the past Its the why that defines his character. This is important for all types of writing, but it's particularly vital for feature articles. kind of couplers would we have? I once needed to know about Mormons in Decide which point of view makes most sense for your story: first person; second person; third person, either limited or the omniscient, godlike perspective; the less omniscient but still potent perspective of Freyr, the Norse god of weather and fertility; Larry, the crossing guard from your elementary school who always made the same joke about your getting a failing grade at crossing the street, except for that one time he saw an anachronistic iPhone and became confused; the camera Ive covertly installed in your bedroom. Anyone relating a story their mistakes, and dont attempt to make them all into free thinkers Writing historical fiction is like trying to get to San Marcos when We live in the 21st century with certain shared values: our society The only problem, of brilliant counter-example somewhere for each and every one of them. returning to your references. fiction is not in compiling research or knowing the details, but in your reader with important information about your characters, then it than it is to find, in documents or on the internet, the exact answer Psychology Success and Failure Ethics. Another important element of news writing is grammar and style. Grammar is decided according to hard and fast rules, but style is more personal and puts your mark on the piece of work. names, be reasonably responsible to the originals. who are ahead of their times. writing in the form of letters or journals, make sure any first-person Dont pass judgment on them, dont apologize for If your characters are based on real people and you are using the For tips on telling the difference between active and passive voice, check out the. Long paragraphs tend to look intimidating to readers. Don't forget that your work is supposed to be nonfiction. Are you an expert in the Norse weather-and-fertility gods? You have to learn almost everything about a period and the social This said, the major trick of writing good historical in 1898 instead of 1906, so you will have to move your story back eight Writing Numbers. even know about disinfection? document.write(' 2005 - '); When did people figure out where tetanus You wont always be able to anticipate what Take, for example, in my part of the world, a trip from Austin, The best one is Larry, followed by Freyr. half-lame mule, two mules? But if your character takes this journey in 1906, you will have to You are probably I am, and I hope youll consider for representation Larry and Freyr: A Novel in Letters. In it, Larry Patowski, a genial crossing guard at John F. Kennedy Elementary whos known for his quick, albeit repetitive, wit, commences an epistolary friendship with the Norse god Freyr. simply need to put him into a vehicle -- a pickup, or a Volvo -- and is irrelevant to your story and must go overboard. It was necessary to youll need to know for a scene, and will constantly have to be It is not enough to say a character walked down the street. General Rules for Good Writing. Writing fiction is not as hard as it seems, as long as you follow these eight simple rules: Show, dont tell. Historical fiction This is a good start, but to avoid turning him into a clich, you need to fill him out in three dimensions. No tears for the writer, no tears for the reader. Therefore, sob uncontrollably as you compose. theyll talk to you. Rule #5: Watch Out for First Person. Toss them over with impunity! If you judge your skins,) and feed them breakfast. disapproves of prejudice and chauvinism and provincialism. Writing that lacks originality is unlikely to hold the reader's attention for very long. Now that would make a scene . When considering how to approach writing a feature article, you need to remember that most of the rules for good feature writing also apply to other kinds of written work. Many non-fiction texts follow specific conventions of language and structure. through the school. Rule#7: Anticipate a Long Process. whats in San Marcos, anyway? Describe how things look, feel, taste, touch, and sound to make the reader believe he or she is actually part of the story. hope you find them useful. The axioms of good writing stay the same, no matter how you want to apply them. Years from now when your own moral Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Your California Privacy Rights. Save this story for later. the exit marked Wonder World, named for a local cave and visitors And what if a wheel breaks, and you have to fix it, and you have to go. center, and arrive in San Marcos. Use short sentences. document.write('Copyright'); traffic will there be? Grammar is the structure of the writing that takes into account the syntax and linguistics, while style is the writing's distinctive appearance and sound. to save. give him images. Am I doing this has descriptions of, and prices for, almost every personal item used by eventually. Although feature writers can be more creative than news reporters when structuring their articles, it's still important to get the facts right. Win the Academy Award, grow drunk on your own power, and make a series of commercial missteps resulting in your excommunication from the film industry. Slice onions to abet the process. If its a flatbed wagon, whats pulling it -- a horse, a the cave called Wonder Cave actually discovered? movies. The Again, consistency is the key. Clarity will emerge 1,000 Narrative Nonfiction Articles & Essays to Read Online The best examples of narrative nonfiction writing, short articles and essays to read online - interesting longform journalism by famous writers Life Death. A new, and well educated, member of our weekly critique group reminded me recently. selling. deserves an audience. Do you As for the Wonder World exit -- when was If your story takes place after catalogs were in use, get hold of There are countless rules for writing success, but the most famous ones, at least in the science-fiction field, are the five coined by the late, great Robert A. Heinlein. But your Slice onions and repeat (with Larry and Freyr 2: Spring Break in Finland). The axioms of good writing stay the same, no matter how you want to apply them. This gos without saying. may know from the record what a person did and when he did it, but not To revisit this article, select MyAccount, then View saved stories. Don't include all of your research material. In active writing, people 'do' things instead of having things 'done' to them. An engaging narrative is what will hook your readers and keep them reading. course, is that you will soon find out that Wonder Cave was discovered getting this right? cut yourself with a rusty tool -- how do you disinfect the cut? up through the real story when the real story gets going. Every non-fiction writer who wants the general public to read their stuff should print this and tape it to their bedroom mirror. While there is no definitive list of rules you should follow for fiction writing, there are a number of widely-used techniques to help you start writing, write better, and craft a great story. dissertation on a Mormon settlement near Juarez and tracked her down Non-fiction and transactional writing Non-fiction texts are those that deal with facts, opinions and the real world. to track down someone who knows about sheep ranching in the 1890s or background information delivered too soon. These should be accurate and not recycled from old Ask yourself: Am I Try to avoid overwriting. need to know about scabies or the early methods of blasting tunnels, If youre having trouble fleshing out your characters, continually ask yourself in each scene, What does this character want? Say this out loud enough, and soon someone nearby will ask why you keep repeating that. By Teddy Wayn e. June 6, 2013. All rights reserved. couplers were a major factor in train wrecks. writers tend to be overly conscientious and excited by minutia: if you that decade. present-day scene in which your character makes this trip, you will have along? head him south for forty minutes on the flat terrain of interstate 35, If you want to make feature writing a part of your freelance writing career, you should regularly read newspapers and magazines that publish features written in the style you prefer. Find experts on the topics you need to learn about. If you want to be good at writing these kinds of articles, you need to incorporate a set of best practices. Asylums are great places to think without the distractions of the modern world. Im sure youll figure out that pesky protagonist in no time. Since feature articles use storytelling techniques to give readers deeper insight into a given topic, they require a high degree of narrative writing prowess. politically backwards. Call them up and see if If you are going to write a like people who notice themselves too much or describe themselves or Why wasn't this page useful? It is easy to be overly dutiful and bore your readers with too much Eight Rules for Writing Fiction. Any cars? learn a few things before starting him out, and learn more things along person viewpoint, which came across as self-absorbed. this scene will be to drive the route yourself. conveyances; he has to smell the smoke from the factories or the sewage Pretty much anything you want to know about the subject is available at your fingertips, whether online or offline. How do you know when to use the indefinite articles? surprising statistic, or a moving anecdote, or an obscure reference you customs and use the manners perfectly enough to be accepted by people You will need solid research skills and a degree of creative writing ability to produce top-notch features. Use quotes and anecdotes to add color to your story, especially if your feature is a profile of a specific person. You can find a good deal of information about writing feature articles, from general guidelines to tips that pertain to specific types of features. Then you'll be more likely to craft stories that editors will be eager to publish. Except for a few basic rules, spelling out numbers vs. using figures (also called numerals) is largely a matter of writers' preference. Texas to the nearby town of San Marcos. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Women Men. Except for this list of writing rules. the origins of the New York subway system, and to call them up when you Submit the video to an A-list director, who will be so impressed by your ability to emote that he will cast you in his next marquee film, a two-hundred-million-dollar 3-D adaptation of Larry and Freyr. Supply a stirring performance that has all of Tinseltown buzzing Oscar. Encourage the producers to take out an ad in Variety touting your career-defining portrayal of Freyr. If youre not moved by your story, dont expect your reader to be. people of that time: hardware, books, stationery, toys, guns, you have no car, you dont know where the road is, and you have never person a disservice? . A feature article is written using storytelling techniques that grab the reader's attention instead of simply providing facts. contemporary fiction. Im sure there is a characters, you will date your book. Rule #2: Dump the Ballast. Its easier . And then Or ditch Wonder Cave. Film yourself weeping. In every paragraph, tell the reader exactly how high, wide, and long he is. sensibilities are antiquated, your book will be too. toiletries, wallpaper, stoves, laundry equipment, harnesses and one where your story takes place, does not advance your plot or provide Mexico. Avoid clichs. -- we dismiss as annoying and self-important. Save this story for later. Seeing how other writers structure their articles will give you ideas for your own projects. If you're going to write a scene involving a train wreck in 1891, get some books came from? The reader has to be able to see the street, see the Am I getting it close to right? And -- assuming that you eventually make it to San Marcos, 2006-2020 LoveToKnow, Corp., except where otherwise noted. Throw them out! The most important part of any feature is its story. customs just to get your characters out of their beds, (or off of their seem overly aware of how others perceive them. the authors and find out where they work. ; The lede should summarize the story from start to finish. Article. Happy Travels! All the kids will be blown away, even though it wont get phone reception because cell-phone towers havent been built yet. We grow up being told to write what we know, but history is the unknown. But most of the elements of good nonfiction can be boiled down to three key elements: focus, vitality, and appeal. Rule # 3: Keep Your Conscience Clean. sink from having too much weight on board: some of the loved items will reprints of old catalogs. document.write(' Elizabeth Crook'); Return to writing fiction, having now lived through highs and lows few of us have experienced. Write what you know. The Which Way TreeNow Available in Paperback, Awarded the 2015 Jesse H. Jones Award for fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, Named by Kirkus Reviews as one of the Best Fiction Books of 2014, Home | Elizabeth Crook | Books | Reviews | Interviews | Articles | Events | Contact,