I want to share with you how to take your feature writing to a whole new level, the kind of level that makes people stop, think, and maybe even give you an award. In a world drowning in articles, truly amazing feature writing doesn’t just give you information; it actually touches you. It captures hearts, fires up minds, and, yes, often gets recognized. The journey from writing something okay to writing something truly essential, from good to absolutely brilliant, isn’t about finding a magic shortcut. It’s about careful work, endless curiosity, and really getting what it means to be human. I’m going to break down what makes award-winning feature writing so special, giving you practical ways to turn your stories into unforgettable literary achievements.
The Foundation You Don’t Always See: It’s Deeper Than Just Who Wrote It
Before I even put down a single word, the groundwork for a captivating feature is being laid. Award-winning pieces aren’t just something I came up with on a whim; they come from a strict process of coming up with ideas, being incredibly curious, and planning everything out.
Finding the Good Stuff: How I Come Up with Ideas
Forget the easy headlines. Award-winning ideas are often right there, plain to see, but I need to look at them differently to spot them.
- I look for something unusual: What truly doesn’t fit the usual story? What’s surprising, counter-intuitive, or just plain weird about a situation that seems ordinary?
- Here’s an example: Instead of writing about a successful local business, I might explore the one family member who didn’t join, and why. What’s their story of rebellion or quiet, personal triumph?
- I pinpoint the human struggles or triumphs within bigger concepts: I take a big societal issue (like climate change or money problems) and find a single, compelling human story that perfectly captures its essence.
- Here’s an example: Instead of a general piece about rising sea levels, I focus on an elderly couple in a coastal town meticulously documenting the erosion of their beloved garden, showing their personal battle against a massive force.
- I challenge what everyone thinks is true: What’s a widely held belief or common assumption that might actually be wrong or misunderstood?
- Here’s an example: Instead of a piece celebrating “digital nomads” and their freedom, I might deeply explore the loneliness, instability, and hidden stresses that often underpin that lifestyle.
Diving Deep: My Research Isn’t Just for Facts
Award-winning features are built on a super solid foundation of research that goes way beyond just gathering surface-level facts. For me, it’s about really getting into it, showing empathy, and uncovering the true nature of something.
- I interview to discover, not just to get information: I prepare open-ended questions that encourage people to tell stories, not just give yes/no answers. I listen way more than I speak. I notice body language, tone, and what people don’t say. I follow unexpected tangents.
- Here’s an example: Instead of asking, “How did you feel when your business failed?” I ask, “Can you walk me through the hardest day after you had to close the doors? What was the first thing you saw, heard, smelled?”
- I do experiential research: If possible, I become an active participant or observer in the world I’m writing about. This makes my writing feel authentic and lets me gather rich sensory details.
- Here’s an example: Writing about a local farming community? I’ll spend a day working alongside farmers, experiencing the physicality and rhythm of their lives, feeling the soil, smelling the hay.
- I’m a forensic fact-checker: Every single detail, no matter how small, has to be verified. One tiny mistake can completely ruin the credibility of an otherwise brilliant piece. I double-check sources, challenge assumptions, and am absolutely relentless.
- I use primary sources: I seek out original documents, historical records, and direct eyewitness accounts. I avoid relying only on secondary interpretations.
The Storytelling Engine: Crafting Stories You Can’t Resist
A well-researched topic is just a bunch of facts without a compelling story to push it forward. Award-winning features are like masterclasses in storytelling, weaving together characters, conflict, and emotion into a tapestry you won’t forget.
Hooking You In: Mastering the Beginning
The first few sentences are the absolute most important space I have. They have to grab you by the lapels and pull you right into my world.
- The Anecdotal Open: I start with a vivid, specific mini-story that embodies the bigger theme or problem.
- Here’s an example: “The old woman didn’t hear the train until it was already too late, but it wasn’t the roar that startled her; it was the sudden, unsettling silence of the crickets, moments before the ground began to tremble.” (This hints at vulnerability, impending change, and a natural world disrupted.)
- The Intriguing Question/Paradox: I pose a question or present a puzzling situation that demands an answer.
- Here’s an example: “How does a town built on sand, financially and literally, survive the twin tides of climate change and economic decay?”
- The Striking Image/Detail: I open with a powerful, sensory description that immediately transports you.
- Here’s an example: “The air in the abandoned textile mill still smelled faintly of oil and ambition, a ghost scent clinging to the rusted looms like forgotten dreams.”
Characters as Catalysts: Bringing People to Life
Even features about abstract concepts or institutions come alive through the people who represent them. Award-winning writing transforms subjects into flesh-and-blood individuals.
- I show, not just tell, who someone is: Instead of saying someone is “resilient,” I describe them meticulously patching a roof after a storm, their knuckles raw, humming to themselves.
- I use dialogue to reveal: I use direct quotes not just to share information, but to show character, emotion, and nuance. I edit ruthlessly to make sure dialogue sounds real and moves the story forward.
- Here’s an example: Instead of “She said she was worried,” I quote, “‘Every night,’ she whispered, staring into her teacup, ‘I wonder if tomorrow the waves will take the porch.'”
- I use the power of small gestures: A fleeting glance, a particular way of holding a coffee cup, a nervous habit – these subtle details reveal so much about a person.
- I portray internal monologue/thought: When it’s right and based on extensive interviewing, I offer glimpses into a character’s inner world, their beliefs, fears, and motivations.
Conflict and Tension: What Drives the Story
Every compelling story has an underlying conflict. It might not be a physical fight, but an internal struggle, a societal challenge, a clash of ideals, or a battle against nature.
- I identify the core tension: What opposing forces are at play? What’s at stake?
- Here’s an example: The conflict could be an artist battling self-doubt, a community fighting against corporate encroachment, or a scientist racing against time to find a cure.
- I build the stakes: I make you care about the outcome. I show what will be lost or gained.
- I use pacing and release: I vary sentence length and paragraph structure to build tension and then provide moments of reflection or resolution, only to build it up again.
Structuring with Purpose: The Invisible Framework
A brilliantly written feature isn’t just a bunch of beautiful sentences; it’s a carefully built structure.
- I use the Inverted Pyramid (and sometimes bend it): While news often uses a strict inverted pyramid, features can blend this with a more narrative arc. I start with a compelling hook, build context, develop characters, explore the conflict, and move towards a nuanced resolution or reflection.
- I follow a thematic thread: What central idea or question weaves its way through the entire piece, linking different elements?
- I section for clarity and flow: I use subheadings strategically to break up long texts, signal shifts in focus, and make it easier to scan. Each section has a clear purpose and adds to the overall story.
- I vary my approach: I’m not afraid to mix narrative sections with explanatory paragraphs, direct quotes, or even short lists if they serve the story.
The Stylistic Polish: Language That Lifts and Lingers
Award-winning features are known for their exceptional writing style. It’s not just about giving information, but about doing it with elegance, precision, and evocative power.
Precision and Economy: Every Word Earned
Fluff and extra words just take away from the impact. Every word I use has to earn its place.
- I use active voice mostly: Strong, active verbs energize my writing and make it more direct.
- Weak: “The decision was made by the committee.” Strong: “The committee decided.”
- I eliminate redundancy: I cut words like “very,” “really,” “just,” and other weak intensifiers. If a noun needs an adjective, I make sure that adjective isn’t already implied or generic.
- I use specific nouns and verbs: I choose words that paint a precise picture without relying on too many adjectives or adverbs.
- Vague: “He walked quickly.” Precise: “He scurried,” “He strode,” “He ambled.”
- Conciseness is key: Can I say it in fewer words without losing meaning or impact? Often, the answer is yes.
Sensory Details: Immersive Description
I engage all five senses to transport you right into the scene. I don’t just tell you what happened; I make you feel it.
- Sight: Colors, shapes, textures, light, shadow.
- Sound: Rustles, murmurs, sharp cracks, buzzing hums, pregnant silences.
- Smell: Earthy, metallic, faint, pungent, sweet, acrid.
- Taste: Bitter, sweet, briny, sour, bland.
- Touch: Rough, smooth, cold, clammy, gritty, warm.
- Here’s an example: Instead of, “The old house was deserted,” I write, “The air in the abandoned farmhouse was thick with the scent of dust and something vaguely sweet, like decaying apples, and a single, chipped teacup sat on the windowsill, catching the last slant of evening light, as if still waiting.”
Figurative Language with Purpose: Metaphor and Simile
Used sparingly and effectively, metaphors and similes can add layers of meaning and make my prose vivid. I avoid clichés.
- Metaphor: A direct comparison without “like” or “as.”
- Here’s an example: “His resilience was a forged steel blade, honed by years of hardship.”
- Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as.”
- Here’s an example: “The silence in the room hung heavy, like a forgotten shroud.”
- Personification: Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.
- Here’s an example: “The old bridge groaned under the weight of passing time.”
Rhythm and Flow: The Music of Prose
I read my work out loud. Does it flow naturally? Are there awkward pauses or repetitive rhythms?
- I vary sentence length: Short sentences create impact; longer sentences build detail and rhythm.
- I control paragraph pacing: I break up long paragraphs. I use single-sentence paragraphs for emphasis.
- I avoid unintentional rhyme or alliteration: While intentional alliteration can be effective, accidental instances can be distracting.
The Art of Subtlety: Showing, Not Preaching
Award-winning features don’t lecture; they illuminate. They trust the reader to draw their own conclusions based on compelling evidence and deeply rendered human experience.
Nuance Over Dogma: I Embrace Complexity
Life is rarely black and white. Great feature writing explores the gray areas, the paradoxes, and the uncomfortable truths.
- I avoid simplistic narratives: I don’t shy away from presenting conflicting viewpoints or characters with complex motivations.
- I resist the urge to explain everything: I allow for ambiguity where it naturally exists. I trust you, the reader, to think.
Empathy Without Sentimentalism: Feeling, Not Forcing
I connect with my subjects and their stories on a human level, but I avoid overly emotional language that feels manipulative or saccharine.
- I let the facts and details speak: A heartbreaking detail or a poignant quote will resonate far more deeply than my declaring sadness.
- I maintain a professional distance: While empathetic, my role as the writer is to present, not to wallow or preach.
The Unspoken Theme: Subtext
What deeper truths or universal human experiences am I exploring beneath the surface of the specific story? This subtext elevates a feature from mere reporting to profound commentary.
- Here’s an example: A story about a struggling small town might have subtext about the decline of community, the impact of globalization, or the resilience of the human spirit.
The Crucial Final Stages: Polishing for Perfection
Even the most brilliant ideas and compelling stories can fall flat without rigorous revision and an objective eye.
The Power of the Pause: I Step Away
Before I start editing, I take a break. A few hours, a day, or even a week. Fresh eyes will spot issues I overlooked in the heat of creation.
The Multi-Pass Edit: Layers of Refinement
I don’t try to fix everything at once. I focus on one element per pass.
- Content Pass: Does the story make sense? Is the narrative clear? Is anything missing? Is anything extra?
- Structure Pass: Does the piece flow logically? Are transitions smooth? Is the pacing effective?
- Character/Voice Pass: Are characters fully real? Is my voice consistent and engaging?
- Prose Pass: Word choice, sentence structure, active/passive voice, redundancy.
- Sensory/Imagery Pass: Have I used all the senses? Are descriptions vivid?
- Fact-Checking/Accuracy Pass: I re-verify every name, date, statistic, and quote.
- Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling Pass: The final, meticulous clean-up.
The Unbiased Reader: The Editor’s Eye
A trusted editor or peer reader gives invaluable perspective. They can spot weak points, illogical jumps, and areas of confusion that I might not see.
- I’m open to critique: I view criticism as a gift, not an attack. It’s an opportunity to make my work stronger.
- I ask specific questions: “Where did you get confused?” “What part dragged?” “Did you care about [character X]?”
Conclusion: My Relentless Pursuit of Resonance
Elevating my feature writing to award-winning status isn’t a destination, but a continuous journey of learning, practice, and unwavering dedication. It demands a profound respect for the truth, an insatiable curiosity about the human condition, and an artisan’s commitment to language. When I combine rigorous research with masterful storytelling and polish it with precise, evocative prose, I create pieces that don’t just inform, but transform. I craft narratives that linger, that spark conversation, and that, ultimately, earn their place among the truly distinguished.