Terri Senft: For Students: Writing TIps: Outlining a Feature

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Note: I wrote this for my Reporting class. Feel free to adapt it for your own purposes.

Writing a Preliminary Outline for a Popular Press Feature Story

You’ve made your pitch and your editor is interested in buying your story, but only after she sees a detailed preliminary outline. How to begin? Try using this template.

I. The Hook (where you get your reader interested.) To write a good hook, use either/or

A. a juicy quote

B. a description of a particularly interesting interview dynamic

C. a complex observation offered by an interviewer

II. The Lead (one, two or three sentences where you let your reader know what your story is about.) If your reader stops reading after two minutes, what would you like her to remember about your article? A good lead answers who/what/when/where/why/how:

A. What is the question driving your article?

B. What are three answers to the question driving your article?

1. List answer 1 here (you elaborate in item III)

2. List answer 2 here (you elaborate in item IV)

3. List answer 3 here (you elaborate in item V)

C. How did you go about researching the story?

D. To whom did you speak for this article?

E. When did your research transpire?

F. Where did you go to get answers to your questions?

G. Why is this story significant?

III. Answer 1

A. Re-state and elaborate Answer 1.

B. Use an observation to serve as evidence for your answer.

C. Use a quote to serve as evidence for your answer.

IV.Answer 2

A. Re-state and elaborate Answer 2.

B. Use an observation to serve as evidence for your answer.

C. Use a quote to serve as evidence for your answer.

V. Answer 3

A. Re-state and elaborate Answer 3.

B. Use an observation to serve as evidence for your answer.

C. Use a quote to serve as evidence for your answer.

VI. What are some ways to improve whatever condition you are describing in your article? (For example, if you are claiming that tourists don’t have enough opportunities to sample local culture in the VI, what are your ideas for improving that situation?)

A. Your idea for improvement 1

B. Your idea for improvement 2

C. Your idea for improvement 3

VII. What do the Experts Say? (Which experts in what specific fields should you interview in order to get their “take” on your ideas for improvement?)

A. Who should be the first expert you interview?

1. First question you’ll ask

2. Second question you’ll ask

3. Third question you’ll ask.

B. Who should be the second expert you interview?

1. First question you’ll ask

2. Second question you’ll ask

3. Third question you’ll ask.
C. How will you find out names of experts for your interview, and when will you schedule a time to speak with them?

1. Finding first expert:

2. Finding second expert:

VIII. Conclusion

A. Restatement of your original question in snappier language than you used at the beginning of your article.

B. Restatement of your answers (again in snappier language)

C. Recap of the best possible solutions to the problem, based on interviews with experts.

IX. Parting Shot:

End your article in a memorable way. To do it, use a quote, scenario or observation you hope lingers in the mind of the reader.

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