Feature Writing for Newspapers and Magazines: The Pursuit of Excellence

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 bookhelps the reader 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. It includes advice and examples from award-winning writers–28 of whom have won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. World-class writing examples, extensive updates and timely tips from some of America's best feature and magazine writers have made this the premier book in its field for more than two decades.

Table of Contents:
Preface.   1. The Newspaper Feature Story. The Feature: Helen's Story. Newspaper Feature Story Types: News and Timeless Features. Newspaper Feature Writers: The Right Stuff. The Anatomy of a Newspaper Feature Story. “Mrs. Kelly's Monster” by Jon Franklin of the BaltimoreEvening Sun - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. The Future: Trends in Newspaper Feature Writing.   2. The Newspaper Feature Story Idea. What Newspaper Readers Want to Read. How to Get Ideas. Focusing Ideas. Ideas That Didn't Work. Ideas That Worked. “Life on the Land: An American Farm Family,” by John Camp of the St. PaulPioneer Press - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. “Zepp's Last Stand,” by Madeleine Blais of The Miami Herald - A Pulitzer Prize Winner.   3. The Magazine Article and Article Idea. How a Magazine Article Differs from a Newspaper Feature. Staff Writer Versus Freelancer. Three Necessary Skills for the Freelance Writer. Stalking the Elusive Article Idea. Matching Ideas to Markets. “Like Something the Lord Made,” by Katie McCabe for The Washingtonian - A National Magazine Award Winner. “Death of a Playmate,” by Teresa Carpenter for The Village Voice - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Taking the Next Step.   4. Researching for Newspaper Feature Stories and Magazine Articles. Newspaper Reference Rooms. Magazine Reference Resources. Computerized Research. Using Search Engines and Directories. Electronic Magazines. Turning Research into the Finished Article. “The Bureaucracy: How Did It Get So Big?” by Saul Pett of the Associated Press - A Pulitzer Prize Winner.   5. Interviewing for Newspaper Feature Stories and Magazine Articles. Kinds of Interviews. Getting Ready to Interview. Who to Interview. Asking for the Interview. Persuading People Who Don't Want to Talk. When and Where to Interview. Researching the Interviewee. Conducting the Personal Interview. Making Friends. Asking Questions. Attribution Guidelines. Gathering Material. Fixing Quotes. Description. Excerpt from “The Boy Behind the Mask,” by Tom Hallman Jr. of The Oregonian - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “Crossing Over,” by J. R. Moehringer of the Los AngelesTimes - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Closing the Session. The Interview Story. “Cybill Shepherd,” by Ed Weathers of Memphis magazine.   6. Writing the Newspaper Feature Story. Beginning the Process. Story Structure. Writing the Lead. A Dozen Lead Categories. Excerpt from “Angels & Demons,” by Tom French of the St. PetersburgTimes - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “How Super Are Our Supercarriers?” by Steve Twomey of The Philadelphia Inquirer - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “A Gift Abandoned: Day One—Jack-in-the-Box,” by Sheryl James of the St. PetersburgTimes - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “AIDS in the Heartland: Chapter 1,” by Jacqui Banaszynski of the St. PaulPioneer Press - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “Ashes to Dust,” by Linda Wilson of The Daily News, Longview, Washington - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “Being Black in South Africa: For Many, the Struggle Is Finding Work,” by David Zucchino of The Philadelphia Inquirer - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “Toxic Shock,” by Nan Robertson of The New York Times - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “Utica, Illinois” by Julia Keller of the ChicagoTribune - A Pulitzer Prize Winner Excerpt from “A Daughter Remembers Dad as He Lived, and Died,” by Tad Bartimus of the Associated Press - A Pulitzer Prize Finalist. Excerpt from “Life on the Land: An American Farm Family: Part 2,” by John Camp of the St. PaulPioneer Press - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “Family Town Grieve Three Drowned Brothers,” by Tad Bartimus of the Associated Press - A Pulitzer Prize Finalist. Excerpt from “Making It Fly: Buying a Jetliner—An Act of Faith,” by Peter Rinearson of The Seattle Times - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “Mrs. Kelly's Monster” by Jon Franklin of the BaltimoreEvening Sun - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “Utica, Illinois” by Julia Keller of the ChicagoTribune - A Pulitzer Prize Winner Excerpt from “Making It Fly: The Big Gamble,” by Peter Rinearson of The Seattle Times - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Excerpt from “A Father's Pain, a Judge's Duty, and a Justice Beyond Their Reach,” by Barry Siegel of the Los AngelesTimes - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Writing the Body of the Story. Writing the End of the Story. Excerpt from “Crime Scene: Beyond the Statistics, A Druggist Confronts the Reality of Robbery,” by Angelo B. Henderson of The Wall Street Journal - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. Analyzing a Feature Story. “A Boy of Unusual Vision,” by Alice Steinbach of the Baltimore Sun - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. “All She Has, $150,000, Is Going to a University,” by Rick Bragg of The New York Times - A Pulitzer Prize Winner.   7. Writing the Specialized Feature Story. The Deadline Feature Sidebar. “Ashes to Dust,” by Linda Wilson of The Daily News, Longview, Washington - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. The Profile. “Adam & Megan: A Story of One Family's Courage,” by David Curtin of the Colorado SpringsGazette Telegraph - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. The Feature Series. “First Born, Fast Grown: The Manful Life of Nicholas, 10,” by Isabel Wilkerson of The New York Times - A Pulitzer Prize Winner. The Specialized Feature Story and Multimedia Journalism. Excerpt from “Final Salute” by Jim Sheeler of the Rocky Mountain News - A Pulitzer Prize Winner.   8. Marketing and Writing the Magazine Article. Case History. The Idea. The Market. The Query Letter. The Waiting Game. Gathering the Information. Organizing the Story. Sitting Down to Write. The Aftermath. Send in the Clones. “Genome Tome,” by Priscilla Long for The American Scholar - A National Magazine Award Winner.   9. Writing and Rewriting Like a Pro. Writers Must Be Versatile. Revising Your Copy. Useful Writing Devices. Avoiding Common Mistakes. Common Writing Problems. Writing Subjectively. Putting It All Together. “Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D.” - Game Review for PC Accelerator. “Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.” - Game Review for MacAddict.   10. Legal and Ethical Considerations for Writers. Libel. Invasion of Privacy. Copyright Law. Copyright Protection. Copyright Infringement. Ethical Guidelines.   Credits. Index.