WJ211 Writing Features for Publication

A thriving market exists for features, including sites and publications focusing on culture, science, the arts and current affairs. This class begins by defining the important distinction between the feature article and "hard news." We will then examine the different kinds of features as well as aspects of the writing, with emphasis on the lead paragraph (hooks, angles, and grabbing the reader's attention), structure, content, and narrative / literary techniques. Finally, we study a range of research resources and ways to market the feature. The workshop comprises in-class writing and interview practice, among the other elements.

About the instructor: Alecia McKenzie is a writer and journalist based in Paris. She holds an MSc from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and worked at The Wall Street Journal/Europe early in her career.  She is the founder and editor of the arts-news site SWAN. Alongside writing books, she has written articles for a news agency and international magazines.