Author: Ellen Batty

Kraft 17: Writing to the End

Kraft 18: The Touch Test

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully.

• Kraft (2019) says, “A popular and often effective ending device is to use a quote from one of your most significant sources” (p. 134).
• “If you see evidence of the nut graph everywhere you touch, great! You have a strong nut graph and body” (Kraft, 2019, p. 136).
• Kraft (2019) says if you read the article and you find your paragraphs are not connected and you can’t find a nut graph, you may need to change the article (p. 137).
• The ending “needs to leave the reader with something that resonates and clings to the edge of their mind after the page has been turned, and that can be a tie back to the lede, a reflective moment or a twisting surprise” (Kraft, 2019, p. 133).

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The ending “needs to leave the reader with something that resonates and clings to the edge of their mind after the page has been turned, and that can be a tie back to the lede, a reflective moment or a twisting surprise” (Kraft, 2019, p. 133). This sums up what the ending should do concisely in a way I understand. The ending needs to leave the reader with something to reflect on that they’ll remember after they read the article. It should tie back to the lede and be something new/surprising. I will remember this when I go to write my feature. – Ellen Batty

References
Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.

Kraft 15: Crafting the nut

Kraft 16: Body Building

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully.

• Kraft (2019) says, “it is from the nut graph that the entire story gets its structure and shape, and the key elements represented in the nut graph should be in evidence throughout the body” (p. 122).
• “To support the nut graph, the body must begin where the story begins, and the direction and content depend on the goals of the story” (Kraft, 2019, p. 127).
• Kraft (2019) says the nut graph is the point of the story which aims to tell the reader what the story is about (p. 121).
• Without transitions, the “article is choppy and disjointed, and feels like there are just a bunch of facts or anecdotes plopped on top of each other” (Kraft, 2019, p. 129).

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Kraft (2019) says, “it is from the nut graph that the entire story gets its structure and shape, and the key elements represented in the nut graph should be in evidence throughout the body” (p. 122). Kraft puts the point of the nut graph very clearly and well in perspective. The point of the nut graph is to structure out the rest of the story and shape the article around it. Since the nut graph is the primary “point” of the article, I can use it as a base for writing the rest of my story. I will remember this when I write my feature.  – Ellen Batty

References
Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.

Kraft 13: Writing with Anecdotes

Kraft 14: Writing the Lede

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully.

• Kraft (2019) says, “Anecdotes are also the stories that make your articles come to life, illustrating your main point so the reader can see what the story will be about” (p. 103-4).
• “The one way NOT to get anecdotes is the lazy way: creating your own hypothetical from what you may have heard from others” (Kraft, 2019, p. 107).
• Kraft (2019) says that you should avoid ledes such as direct address, quote, question, and finding the lede (p. 119-20).
• After reading the lede, the reader should have no doubt “that the story is taking us in the direction revealed in the nut graph” (Kraft, 2019, p. 115).

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After reading the lede, the reader should have no doubt “that the story is taking us in the direction revealed in the nut graph” (Kraft, 2019, p. 115). This is good to note, as it can be a comparison as to what makes a good lede. The nut graph will set up the point of the article, and the lede should carry out that point. This is important to note and I will remember this when writing my feature. – Ellen Batty

References
Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.

Kraft 11: Outlining

Kraft 12: Writing it Out

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully.

• Kraft (2019) says, “To outline or not outline is a continuing debate among writers, and there is truly not a correct answer” (p. 91).
• “Outlining your story may be the way to go for you, which would mean identifying the nut graph and then ordering the body by subject matter, so you can see how the parts and pieces fit together” (Kraft, 2019, p. 94).
• Kraft (2019) says that although news articles arrange their information by most important to least important, features are written to be read from beginning to end (p. 100).
• The best way to understand a feature’s structure is “understanding how all aspects of the story are tied together and contained within the hourglass framework” (Kraft, 2019, p. 101).

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“Outlining your story may be the way to go for you, which would mean identifying the nut graph and then ordering the body by subject matter, so you can see how the parts and pieces fit together” (Kraft, 2019, p. 94). This is good advice as the nut graph is the most important part of the story. By identifying the nut graph, the rest of the article will fit like puzzle pieces. A feature’s structure is different than a regular article—so an outline will prove helpful in crafting the feature. I will remember this when I write my feature. – Ellen Batty

References
Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.

Kraft 9: Relating to sources

Kraft 10: Questions and Answers

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully.

• Kraft (2019) says, “Sullivan said that when he is assigned a feature, the first thing he does is take a legal pad and write down everyone he might want to talk to” (p. 80).
• “’Sometimes if you let there be some space after that initial question they will say the thing that has the most meaning to them’” (Kraft, 2019, p. 82).
• Kraft (2019) says to make the questions seem natural and conversational, you need to recognize your subject may answer questions out of order (p. 84).
• The best way to start an interview is “by saying help and asking how [they are], or how [their] day has been” (Kraft, 2019, p. 88).

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Kraft (2019) says, “Sullivan said that when he is assigned a feature, the first thing he does is take a legal pad and write down everyone he might want to talk to” (p. 80). This is good advice from Sullivan. I could follow this advice for my feature and determine who I need to contact. This way, I’ll be able to organize my thoughts and create a list of who I intend to call. Then, I will be able to more efficiently schedule my interviews on time. I will remember this while writing my feature. – Ellen Batty

References
Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.

Kraft 7: Let’s Interview

Kraft 8: Interviewing Basics

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully.

• Kraft (2019) says, “Much like a house will crumble on a weak foundation, so do article founder when based on poor interviews” (p. 68).
• “Familiarizing yourself with as much background on a topic or subject as you reasonably can bring you to an interview from a position of strength” (Kraft, 2019, p. 72).
• Kraft (2019) says that, instead of trying to craft the perfect question, you should think of what answer you need and determine how to ask a question based on that (p. 75).
• Interviews are “the key, quite simply, to information transmission, be it socially, formally or in business” (Kraft, 2019, p. 66).

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Kraft (2019) says, “Much like a house will crumble on a weak foundation, so do article founder when based on poor interviews” (p. 68). I appreciate this metaphor because I believes it emphasizes the importance of an interview. This makes sense as a feature’s primary information comes from its interviews. So, this quote acts as a good reminder for me to ensure I get all the information I need out of my interviews. This means being intentional about the questions I ask, seeking specific answers. So, I will keep this quote in mind when crafting my interview questions. – Ellen Batty

References
Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.

Kraft 5: Research

Kraft 6: Spotlight On: Todd Jones

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully.

• Kraft (2019) says, “The more writers know going in, the less time is wasted.” (p. 50).
• “Knowing the background of a person or subject helps writers know what makes them tick before they even begin the story” (Kraft, 2019, p. 51).
• Kraft (2019) says to begin every assignment by thinking what a reader would find interesting and then force yourself to keep that interest up in interviews (53).
• The secret to good feature writing is “keeping your mind open, your eyes open, your ears open” (Kraft, 2019, p. 63).

“Knowing the background of a person or subject helps writers know what makes them tick before they even begin the story” (Kraft, 2019, p. 51). I appreciate Kraft mentioning this as it’s important to gather as much information as possible during an interview. Knowing the background of a person or subject before the interview would provide me knowledge on what types of questions to ask. In addition, I would be able to have a fuller story since I can already cover the basic background information. Then, I can ask the person I am interviewing to dive deeper into their subject. I will remember this when I write my feature and hold my interviews. – Ellen Batty

References

Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.

Kraft 3: Finding Your Focus

Kraft 4: Types of Features

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully.

• Kraft (2019) says, “Readers of these types of works want to be smarter than when they started reading” (p. 28).
• “The best profiles examine characters and document struggles and dreams” (Kraft, 2019, p. 34).
• Kraft (2019) says that the less time one spends with their subject, the less accurate the profile will be (36).
• Hard news articles are “written so readers can get the information they need immediately” (Kraft, 2019, p. 28).

Kraft (2019) says “Readers of these types of works want to be smarter than when they started reading” (p. 28). This makes sense as news is written with the intent to inform. Although, I appreciate her reiterating the fact, as we may get wrapped up in the storytelling aspect and less focused on the facts. So, it’s good to remember that readers want to leave the story feeling informed and more intelligent. This may mean cutting down on the storytelling aspect to make room for the facts. Therefore, I will keep this in mind as I write my feature. – Ellen Batty

References

Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.

Kraft 1: Getting Started

Kraft 2: Finding Ideas

My reading score: I read 100 percent of the assigned chapters carefully

• Kraft (2019) says, “To determine whether an idea is worth writing, think like the readers you wish to serve” (Kraft, 2019, p. 9)
• “The key to finding features is to understand what gives an idea ‘feature value’, basically, why people would care enough to read a story about this topic” (Kraft, 2019, p. 10)
• Kraft (2019) writes that everything seems ordinary until it is seen through fresh eyes—which it then becomes extraordinary. (p. 14)

• While it does not matter what the motivation is behind a story pitch, “what is crucial is that the story idea you develop and the publication you pitch are a perfect marriage” (Kraft, 2019, p. 24)

Kraft (2019) says, “The key to finding features is to understand what gives an idea ‘feature value’, basically, why people would care enough to read a story about this topic” (p. 10). I find this idea very fascinating as I feel most writers, as Kraft previously stated, simply write what they are passionate about—not necessarily what the readers will find interesting. Readers’ interest, however, is a crucial factor in newswriting and I appreciate that Kraft pointed that out. Without the readers caring about the feature, the writing will never be read and thus lose all purpose to begin with. I believe this is what separates newswriting from writing for that of a novel, for example, since novels are written to exist while features are written to be read. I will keep this in mind when choosing a feature.

References

Kraft, N. (2019). Writing fabulous features. The Ohio State University Pressbooks.