Non-fiction: How to Write Special Feature Articles

Overview

Grenville Kleiser's How to Write Special Feature Articles presents a practical manual for writers who want to craft journalism that reaches beyond routine news reporting. It treats the feature not as an occasional ornament but as a distinct form with its own purposes: to inform, to entertain, and above all to engage readers by focusing on human interest, vivid detail, and organized storytelling. The book lays out both the mindset and the nuts-and-bolts techniques necessary to produce marketable, readable features.

Key Principles

Kleiser emphasizes that every feature begins with an angle that highlights human experience. A good feature identifies what will matter to the reader and centers reporting and narrative around that human core. He insists on honesty and accuracy while encouraging imaginative organization: facts are strictly the foundation, but selection and presentation determine how compelling a story becomes.

Structure and Form

A clear architecture is central to Kleiser's method. He advocates strong leads that grab attention, a nut graf that explains significance, and an arrangement that balances chronology with thematic development. Transitions should be unobtrusive, and endings ought to round off the piece with a resonant detail or a pointed observation rather than an abrupt stop. He outlines typical feature types, profiles, sketches, trend stories, human-interest pieces, and service articles, and shows how each demands a slightly different structural emphasis.

Reporting and Research

Thorough reporting is presented as inseparable from good writing. Kleiser recommends careful planning of interviews, meticulous note-taking, and direct observation to capture anecdotes and descriptive detail. He warns against relying on secondhand reports when primary sources are available and underscores the need to verify facts before publication. The manual guides writers on how to gather quotations that reveal character and on ways to find the small, telling particulars that transform a recital of facts into a living narrative.

Style and Technique

Clarity, brevity, and vividness are Kleiser's stylistic watchwords. Sentences should vary in length and rhythm, paragraphs should be short for ease of reading, and concrete images should lead where abstractions follow. Dialogue and scene work are recommended when they advance human understanding; statistics and generalities are useful only when they support the human story. Kleiser also stresses the economy of words and the importance of revision, polishing phrasing, trimming redundancies, and sharpening leads until every sentence earns its place.

Market and Publication

Practical market awareness runs throughout the book. Kleiser urges writers to know the tastes and space constraints of their target publications, to craft pitches that sell an angle quickly, and to meet deadlines consistently. He addresses editorial expectations for length, tone, and timeliness, and he encourages adaptability so writers can tailor pieces to different outlets without sacrificing quality.

Legacy and Usefulness

Rooted in early 20th-century journalism but largely timeless in its emphasis on human interest and disciplined craftsmanship, the manual remains a concise guide to feature writing fundamentals. It is both a how-to for beginners and a useful refresher for experienced reporters who wish to sharpen their approach to narrative, sourcing, and market realities. The book's practical focus on planning, reporting, and shaping material into readable forms makes it a durable resource for anyone aiming to write features that inform and captivate.