Narrative

• Create a story within a story by writing from the perspective of an observant bystander. Narrative articles use third-person pronouns like "he," "she" and "they" to retell the story of an experience, occurrence or accomplishment. Give detailed descriptions of the surroundings or a person's actions or body language. For example, "Baby, Sarah's helper dog, sits at his master's feet as if waiting to take instruction. As Sarah gently strokes Baby's head, she lovingly says, 'It's all right Baby. Just relax. I am fine.' And with that remark, Baby lowers himself to the floor and stretches out at Sarah's feet to take a short nap. A huge smile consumes Sarah's face as she recalls how Baby came into her life. ..."
  
  

Dialogue and Quotes

• Quotes add clout and personality to feature stories. A constant flow of quotes might be written as a dialogue between two or more individuals to set up a scene. A feature on a debilitating disease might reiterate a conversation between a mother and her sick child in the hospital. This technique can really hold the reader's attention. Profile features, which focus on individuals, often rely heavily on quotes gathered from interviews with the individual and those close to him. Whether recounting a conversation or just printing numerous quotes taken from interviews, break things up with the addition of descriptive or explanatory paragraphs and make sure each quote is accurate and flows comfortably throughout the piece.
  
  

Informative

• After reading an informational feature, readers should be able to accomplish the same task on their own and have basic knowledge of the topic. Subjects range from the tangible ("Making a Gingerbread House") to the intangible ("Money-Saving Tips"). Keep instructions simple for the average reader to comprehend and follow. Written in third-person, a how-to feature might use quotes from an expert in the field. For example, "Gina won first place last year in the National Gingerbread House Contest and says the most important thing is creativity. The first thing she does is ..." Other informative articles reveal information about local events or area organizations using select quotes from event officials or group members.
  
  

First-Person

• A first-person account can be an interesting, entertaining piece told from your own point-of-view. How-to articles can also be written this way. For example, "I had always wanted to make a gingerbread house and this Christmas was as good a time as any. First, I ..." An air of excitement is added as the reader goes through the steps along with the writer. Topics can be humorous or more serious. You might write a powerful feature detailing your struggle with cancer or trying to quit smoking or relay your experience participating in speed dating night at a local bar. Whatever the tone, be descriptive and reveal your emotions and thoughts to take the reader on a journey.