Start Strong, End Strong

Once you’ve decided how to organize your story, you can load in the information.

A good format is
fact + example + quote

Layer these throughout your story.

A general outline for your feature

• Narrative lead – News stories typically use a summary lead. Features may block out the first two or three grafs to set the scene and invite the reader into the story.
• Big quote #1 (the best quote you’ve got)

A general outline for your feature

• Nut graf – The third or fourth graf should tell the reader why this story is important. It answers “So what? What’s this story got to do with anything? Why should I care?” A graf or two of background should be placed high up in the story to get the reader up to speed. It should lay out what the story is all about while it connects the reader to the story.

A general outline for your feature

• Body – Avoid lengthy and complicated grafs. Instead, use the following: Transition (fact) Additional information (example) Quote [Repeat the T-A-Q pattern as many times as necessary]

A general outline for your feature

• Ending – Features typically end with a quotation (Big Quote #2 – This is your clincher if you choose to end on a quote. It’s your second best.) or a surprising climax. Or they may end where they started by circling back to the lede with a similar situation or event or even the same person.