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Writing a feature is like fishing.

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Imagine yourself on the bank of your

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favorite fishing spot. In your mind,

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you know today is the day you will land

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the big one. You strategically plan

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every detail. You know the fish in

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this water, so you will fill your

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tackle box with its favorite bait, the

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best hooks and fishing line. You

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have the right kind of fishing pole for

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the water conditions. You are even

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ready to take a picture with your prize

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catch after you land the big one. This

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is all the planning work that goes into

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writing a feature. You know your

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audience and understand your purpose

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and what end state you seek. You've

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done your research for your story. All

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this planning will help prepare you for

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writing the four sections of a feature

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story: the lead, nutgraph, body

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and conclusion.

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It's time. You bait your hook and cast

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your line into the water. Before you

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know it, you get a nibble. Like good

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bait, the lead should hook the readers

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and leave them wanting more. Consider

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what people care about. Consider what

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are the juiciest tidbits from your

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interviews and research that you can

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entice the reader with. You spring

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into action and set the hook with a big

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yank. You feel the tension on the rod

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from the fish fighting back and start

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reeling it in. The nutgraph

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is the yank of your feature as it tells

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the readers what you're going to talk

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about just before you reel them in.

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Don't start your sentence with, "This

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feature examines..." Use the nutgraph to

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continue engaging your reader.

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Your heart races. The harder the

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struggle, the stronger your resolve.

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You think to yourself that this must be

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a big one. The body of the story reels

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the reader in by moving the reader

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through a narrative of emotions,

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expectations, build up,

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disappointments, conflict, twists,

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struggles, achievements and

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reflections. Finally, you see your

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catch, and it's the big one. You give

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the line one last tug, reach out with

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your net and bring it onshore. The

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conclusion brings the feature to a

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close by tying up any loose ends and

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looking at the future. You snap the

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picture as evidence of your

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accomplishment. This is the

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measurement of the change in knowledge,

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attitude and behaviors that you set

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as your goal at the start. When

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writing for your next big catch,

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remember this structure: bait with a

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lead and use a nutgraph to set your

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hook. Reel in with an engaging

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narrative to a conclusion that achieves

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your purpose and gets results. Whether

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it's a news feature, human interest

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story or personality feature, this

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story structure will always land a big

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one.