:As you will have noticed from reading feature articles, the first paragraphs function very differently from those in a hard news article or even an op-ed.
Because of the different purpose and longer format, a feature news article must grab its readers' attention from the beginning.
So today, we''re going to practice just that, writing a hook.
First, let's consider some suggested dos and don'ts.
Don't:
Start with a question: The problem with this trope is that it's so overdone. And in reality, when you ask a rhetorical question you are asking your audience to either agree or disagree.
Begin with an interesting but tangential story: You don't want to setup some other story. You want a good hook for your story.
Wax Rhapsodic: This feature article is not Finnegan's Wake. While it is good to be descriptive, it is best if those descriptions are more economical than poetic.
Do:
Use In Media Res: That is, begin in the middle of the action, in the middle of the story, as in the case of "Snowfall",
The snow burst through the trees with no warning but a last-second whoosh of sound, a two-story wall of white and Chris Rudolph’s piercing cry: “Avalanche! Elyse!"
Cultivate curiosity: Good hooks leave us wanting more, they imply a larger narrative, Check out the first paragraph of "The Silicon Valley Suicides",
A Few students had gotten in early to take some photos dressed as Scooby-Doo characters, part of an annual volleyball-team tradition. Now one of them, Alyssa See-Tho, was waiting outside the choir room for first period to start. Slowly, classmates began to join her. Through the windows, they could spy the teachers packed in there. In the other classrooms of Henry M. Gunn High School, about 1,900 kids waited. After a few minutes the teachers filed out, each holding a sheet of paper, none talking. Alyssa took her seat inside. It was November 4, 2014, a few days after homecoming and maybe a month before college applications would start making everyone crazy. The teacher read a statement containing the words took his own life last night, and then a name, Cameron Lee. Alyssa’s first thought: Is there another Cameron Lee at our school?, because the one she knew was popular and athletic and seemingly unbothered by schoolwork, an avid practitioner of the annoying prank of turning people’s backpacks inside out.
Establish the focus of the story: This might seem obvious but it can often be missed. A good hook clearly sets out the focus of the article, establishing a practical context for the reader, as in the case of "The Consequence of Caring",
My daughter was crying. We were waiting for a green light on Olympic Boulevard, returning home from a Stanley Cup celebration that never happened. A depressed Kings fan pulled up to our right, glanced over and mouthed the word, “Awwwww.” He alerted his passenger, another depressed Kings fan, who leaned over to catch a glimpse. They only stared for a second or two, probably remembering the days when sports made them cry. And then the light turned green and they drove away.
Your Assignment for Today: Recall a favorite well know work of literature (a la Romeo and Juliet), and write a hook for a feature article on that story as if it were real life.
Because of the different purpose and longer format, a feature news article must grab its readers' attention from the beginning.
So today, we''re going to practice just that, writing a hook.
First, let's consider some suggested dos and don'ts.
Don't:
Start with a question: The problem with this trope is that it's so overdone. And in reality, when you ask a rhetorical question you are asking your audience to either agree or disagree.
Begin with an interesting but tangential story: You don't want to setup some other story. You want a good hook for your story.
Wax Rhapsodic: This feature article is not Finnegan's Wake. While it is good to be descriptive, it is best if those descriptions are more economical than poetic.
Do:
Use In Media Res: That is, begin in the middle of the action, in the middle of the story, as in the case of "Snowfall",
The snow burst through the trees with no warning but a last-second whoosh of sound, a two-story wall of white and Chris Rudolph’s piercing cry: “Avalanche! Elyse!"
Cultivate curiosity: Good hooks leave us wanting more, they imply a larger narrative, Check out the first paragraph of "The Silicon Valley Suicides",
A Few students had gotten in early to take some photos dressed as Scooby-Doo characters, part of an annual volleyball-team tradition. Now one of them, Alyssa See-Tho, was waiting outside the choir room for first period to start. Slowly, classmates began to join her. Through the windows, they could spy the teachers packed in there. In the other classrooms of Henry M. Gunn High School, about 1,900 kids waited. After a few minutes the teachers filed out, each holding a sheet of paper, none talking. Alyssa took her seat inside. It was November 4, 2014, a few days after homecoming and maybe a month before college applications would start making everyone crazy. The teacher read a statement containing the words took his own life last night, and then a name, Cameron Lee. Alyssa’s first thought: Is there another Cameron Lee at our school?, because the one she knew was popular and athletic and seemingly unbothered by schoolwork, an avid practitioner of the annoying prank of turning people’s backpacks inside out.
Establish the focus of the story: This might seem obvious but it can often be missed. A good hook clearly sets out the focus of the article, establishing a practical context for the reader, as in the case of "The Consequence of Caring",
My daughter was crying. We were waiting for a green light on Olympic Boulevard, returning home from a Stanley Cup celebration that never happened. A depressed Kings fan pulled up to our right, glanced over and mouthed the word, “Awwwww.” He alerted his passenger, another depressed Kings fan, who leaned over to catch a glimpse. They only stared for a second or two, probably remembering the days when sports made them cry. And then the light turned green and they drove away.
Your Assignment for Today: Recall a favorite well know work of literature (a la Romeo and Juliet), and write a hook for a feature article on that story as if it were real life.