Lecture 8: Feature Writing Exercises and Samples | Journalism Online ... http://jotwithsirh.blogspot.com/2008/05/lecture-8-feature-writing-exerc...

Lecture 8: Feature Writing Exercises and

Samples
FEATURE WRITING EXERCISES

Describe vividly your seatmate in a two-sentence paragraph.

Write a short (at most five paragraphs) feature article about abortion. It
doesn’t matter if you are for or against it. What is important is you remain
factual yet entertaining, convincing and informative. Provide your own title.
Show your work to your group mates.

You are the feature editor of your school paper. This morning while you were
on your way to school, you saw a Grade 4 pupil helping an old woman cross
the street. Fourth year boys, who were playing nearby saw the old woman
but did not care to help her.

You interviewed the young boy. Now write a feature story on the boy or on
the incident. Supply the facts you gathered from the interview. Remember,
you are not writing an editorial. Note also that like an editorial, a feature
article is hung on a natural or artificial newspeg. Give an interesting and
entertaining title.
***
Feature Examples

Topic: Abortion

COME TO me, Mama. Come, touch me and feel my pain. Don’t be afraid
now, Mama. You weren’t when you killed me.

Here, touch this… can you feel it now, Mama? The excruciating pain that
consumed my helpless body? You inflicted that, remember?

Look at my body, now a mass of rotting flesh and coagulated blood. The
dregs of what was a tiny human body. A body that was soft with a tiny head
matted with a sheen of baby hair. A tiny body with a tiny heart that pulsated
in time with yours. These were my fingers and ohh!... Here’s my thumb which
I sucked while snugly tucked inside you.

You see, I had long lashes just like Dad’s. My sensitive mouth was just like
yours. And here are my ears that heard your quickening heartbeat when
you’re afraid.

I could have been a wonderful child if you’ve let me live.

I could have been baby boy, just what Daddy wanted. A strong, healthy and
bubbly bundle in your arms. My hypersensitiveness would have exasperated
you.

Daddy? Hmmm… He could have coached me in playing basketball. He’ll be

the passer and I am the shooter. I could have grown into a writer. You would
be proud of me coz I’m gonna join contests.

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Mama, see I was alive but not anymore. So, please let baby brother live. He
could also be as wonderful as me. His life wouldn’t be like mine. A life that
never was.

Topic: Abortion

LISTEN TO the cry of the unborn.

Listen carefully and see. He is there—frail, delicate, heart beating with the
glorious thump of life. Blood running in his anemic veins, smooth hands,
dainty feet, pink flesh, unseeing eyes all in the protective shell of his
mother’s womb. His soul’s voice cries out in joy as he looks forward to the
bountiful harvest he will reap in life. A fresh breath of life; a new creation
carefully molded by the hands of God.

But listen. He is there. Crying out in excruciating pain. He feels the sharp
tingle of needles tearing his flesh. His unseeing eyes roll up. In confusion
and rage. His once joyful soul now crying for the need of life. But no one
heard him. No one heeded his call as he plunged into the world of nullity. His
last breath reeked of revenge. The unborn was silent.

Listen to the cry of the unborn.

They stare at you and contemplate their sweet revenge.

Look around you. The guilt-ridden eyes of women carrying this burden state
back at you. They know their child will not be able to feel its parts during the
first recital. They know she will not be able to play Chinese garter or beat up
the boys next door because she is gone. They are gone. Millions of unborn
children are presented with the gift of life only to be taken away by selfish
ambitions.

The burden they carry is their revenge. The guilt that is locked in their hearts
is their revenge—the revenge of the unborn.

Listen to the cry of the unborn.

Their chances in life were selfishly taken away. Their rights as human beings
were unjustly abused. Their hearts and souls yanked out and were
swallowed up in a cloud as dark as ebony. They lust for death as revenge
but they have no voice. They cannot scream.

Listen to the cry of the unborn. They need you.

***
Tomorrow
By Pamela Joy Go, AdI-SMCS
· 700 words in 1 hour
· First Prize masterpiece, DSPC 2002
· Theme: Environmental Problems

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· No. of participating schools: 25

HEAL the world,

Make if a better place
For you and for me
And the entire human race
There are people dying,
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place
For you and for me

I could only stare at the third-grade pupils as they interpret this Michael
Jackson classic for their presentation during the flag ceremony. They seem
to be so full of life, so vibrant. Nothing in this world could seem to break the
unbeatable character they have glowing brightly inside them.

I sigh as my thoughts fall on the degrading society that we are having now.
How long will these naïve tots have the overwhelming spirit in them? How
will they manage to smile?

Look around you, human. What do you see? The pressing issues concerning
the destruction of Mother Earth is too real…too hard to ignore.

The huge forest fires that terrorize countless of species both here and
abroad. The perennial garbage problem that embraces the government like a
cold pack of harsh ice. The dwindling population of all sorts of mammals and
reptiles…the endangered species. The red list is getting longer and longer.
Soon, I doubt if we’ll ever be able to keep track of all the creatures that have
disappeared from the face of the earth forever.

Yes, we want to escape from these enigmas. We really want to. But listen.
It’s also we who are keeping ourselves chained to the enslaving powers of
material riches. We are blinded by the glitter of gold every time we cut down
trees.

However, there are better realities in this issue our ancient mentality should
just think about. The contemporary ambience of people all over the world
getting more humane, more environment-friendly, more real is embracing us.
Any maybe, just maybe, we could start from here.

A year ago, I came across this Reader’s Digest article that suggested a
different view of this dilemma. While countless others would rather stick to
the old, hopeless sense of presenting these inevitable facts, the article
examined the optimism that, surprisingly, never left us.

We still have a chance. At least, that’s what the article said. People are
becoming civilized. We are no longer a heartless breed of warm bodies out
for nothing but earthly wealth. Through time, we have evolved to be persons
with some sense. And Mother Earth is pretty much depending on it. Her
whole life, her whole existence is actually relying on this so-called sensitivity
that we are starting to acquire.

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These are not made-up facts, ladies and gentlemen. No, this isn’t escapism.
We are not merely creating this news for the sake of lessening the parables
that grasp us by the throat. This is reality.

And this is where we could start. Instead of being a wet blanket, why not take
a positive paradigm shift? This maybe is the breakthrough we have been
waiting for. And this could take us somewhere in renovating our home, to say
the least.

Yes, the predicaments around us are more than enough to last us a lifetime.
There’s no way they’ll be solved the moment we put our acts together. They
may not even be solved in the entire life of this generation. They may not
even be solved at all. But let us begin. Let us start now.

In John F. Kennedy’s words, “United there’s little we cannot do. Divided,

there’s little we can do.” If we hold hands now, if we open our hearts to one
another and disregard those barriers that keep us from being who we truly
are, then maybe we could still hang on to life.

As I watch the children hold hands and dance about the stage, I recognize in
their eyes what we almost lost—hope. The smiles pasted on their innocent
faces spell a promise that there will be a tomorrow. And that tomorrow will
surely be better.

Tomorrow, the world will be healed.

Tomorrow, the world will be a better place.
For you and for me and the entire human race.

***
Lathalaing naglalarawan (Description)

Pagdalaw sa Lawa ng Bulusan

Ni Perlegio Paderes
Mataas na Paaralan ng Samar
Unang Gantimpala, NSPC 1993

KUNG sinasabing ang pluma ay higit ha pakapangyarihan kaysa anumang

snadata, sa pluma man ay may higit pang makapangyarihan. Ito ang ganda
ng kalikasan.

Kahanga-hanga, makapitlag-puso, makalangit, kapita-pitagan at walang

pinag-iwan sa isang tunay na paraiso. Ito ang Lawa ng Bulusan, lawa para
sa sinumang nilalang na ibig mapag-isa upang lasapin ang biyaya ng tunay
na katahimikan sa buhay o dili naman kaya’y upang lunasan ang hapdi ng
puso sa pamamagitan ng walang sawang pagmasid sa mapang-aliw at
masaganang kagandahan ng buong pusong inihain ng kalikasan.

Sa aking nasaksihan sa una kong pagdalaw sa lawang ito na matatagpuan

sa dakong timog silangan ng lalawigang Sorsogon na may apatnapu’t limang
kilometro mula sa punong bayan ay ang mga sumusunod:

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Isang likas na daan o pilapil na maaring mapagdaanan na tuloy-tuloy sa

buong paligid. Sa pampang naman ito ay nakapalibot ang malilin na punong-
kahoy na pawing nangayuko at animo’y nahihiyang nagbubulungan.

Sa paligid pa rin ay ang mgaburol na siyang nagsisilbing muog sa sinuman o

anumang ibig magsamantala sa walang batik na kagandahan nito. Sa libis
naman ng burol ay para-parang inihasik and naglalakihan at nag-
papaligsahang mga magagandang bulaklak.

Tunay na kawili-wili at kahanga-hanga. Ang malamig na simoy nghangin ay

nakapagpapadama na waring ang buhay ay walang katapusan. Ito ang mga
pangunahing katangian ng lawa ng Bulusan na may labing anim na hektarya
ang lawak at may tatlumpu’t dalawang metro ang lalim. Ang lawa ay tatlong
daan at animnapu’t limang taong gulang na. Ito’y maaaring marating sa
pamamagitan ng bus o anumang sasakyang pangkalsada sa loob ng may
humigit-kumulang sa dalawa at kalahating oras.

Ibig ba ninyong dumalaw doon? Kayo’y malugod na inaanyayahan at buong

pusong tatanggapin ng mapang-akit na lawang nakahimlay sa tuktok ng
higanteng bulkan.

***
Human Interest Feature Article

George, he’s a hero!

By Emilyn Martinez

IT IS “natural” for women to be lavanderas if that is the best thing that they
can do for a living, but have you heard of a guy who does laundry to support
his family? Well, there is such an unusual guy in our school.

George Francis, a 17-year-old junior, has taken on the difficult responsibility

of providing for his little sister and brother. He is father and mother to them,
since both his parents are deceased. His three other sisters have their own
families. Fortunately, his youngest brother is cared for by an aunt.

To be able to feed his siblings and send them to school, George does the
laundry of a family in Moriones. Saturdays he washes their week’s laundry
and Sundays, he irons them, a back-breaking job that assures him P400 a
week. And for schooldays, at 5 p.m., when his classes are over, he cleans
the house of his amo for a monthly wage of P500. In one month, he earns a
total of P2,100 which he says is enough for their food, daily baon and
monthly rent of P300.

“I’ve been doing this for three years now,” he says. “Mahirap, pero nasanay
na ako (It’s hard but I’m already used to it).” Despite his work, he manages to
get good grades. And although he has so much to do, he does his share of
the housework because he doesn’t want to tire out his brother and sister “I
want them to concentrate on their studies,” he says.

George Francis is only one of our many students who must struggle daily in
order to survive. If Rhona Mahilom, the girl from Negros who saved her

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younger sisters and brothers when their house caught fire, is a hero, George
is a hero for saving his sister and brother from starvation, for giving them a
home and family to afford them the security they badly need in their
formative years.

George’s touching story serves as an inspiration to us. We give you, George,

a big round of applause. We are proud of you and may your tribe increase.

Posted 4th May 2008 by Herman Lagon, Ph.D.

14 View comments

ccaermare April 26, 2011 at 8:07 PM

nice job! i really want to enhance my skills in writing feature
articles for i want to join and win the yearly journalism
competition
Reply

Mhezreha Ali September 5, 2015 at 1:13 AM

Thank You!! This is a great lesson.
Reply

Danica Mac October 5, 2015 at 2:38 AM

This is really great, I just hope that I can win DSPC and RSPC
to go in National level Help me God.
Reply

Replies

Unknown August 26, 2018 at 8:32 PM

Any update? Did you make it?

Reply

paramisuli October 31, 2015 at 9:41 AM

These are worth sharing Sir! Thank You So much..They can be
read orally during English Classes/Filipino Classes.These
articles are educational yet full of sympathy and artistic tones of
best writing compositions.Great Work and Congratulations to
the deserving learners.
Reply

Unknown August 2, 2016 at 6:24 AM

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Lecture 8: Feature Writing Exercises and Samples | Journalism Online ... http://jotwithsirh.blogspot.com/2008/05/lecture-8-feature-writing-exerc...

Thanks sir..for sharing this.. I learn lots about feature writing

Reply

Omega Joy August 4, 2016 at 12:17 AM

They really have those wonderful hands.
Reply

Unknown August 12, 2016 at 5:25 AM

wow wonderful features!!
Reply

Alexsandra Mae August 12, 2016 at 5:25 AM

wow wonderful features!!
Reply

Shanice Garcia September 26, 2016 at 4:50 AM

Thanks so much for sharing it inspired me very much.. Hoping
for more of this and i really hope that i could win or achieve so
that i could be able to go to regional place!! Love
writing����
Reply

Cielo Santos July 10, 2017 at 7:34 PM

thank you for sharing these lessons...its very helpful. :-)
Reply

Catherine Jaganas August 30, 2017 at 8:08 PM

Thank you for sharing these

Reply

Unknown August 12, 2018 at 9:52 PM

Grabe grabe
Reply

Unknown September 21, 2018 at 9:04 PM

I wish I could write like this So inspiring and amazing ❤

Reply

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Comment as:

Publish Notify me

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