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Feature Writing JMSC0054
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... dramas, memories, stories and symbols from and of a person's ... Her birth parents are probably dead. The story is about a person's search for identity. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation
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Title: Feature Writing JMSC0054
1
Feature WritingJMSC0054
- Gene Mustain
- Director, Reporting Writing Programme
- gene_at_hku.hk
2
The Profile
- A profile is a story about someone worth reading
about, someone who we think is interesting, for
what they say, do or think. - The goal of a profile is to enable readers to
see the person and to understand who they are
and what they are about.
3
The Profile
- As with any good news story or any good feature
story, the key to a good profile is good
information. - Good information for a profile is obtained
through careful research, keen observation and
skillful interviewing.
4
The Profile
- A profile has a theme, a fundamental idea that
the writer wants to leave with readers. - Longer profiles may have sub-themes or
secondary ideas.
5
Common Profile Ingredients
- The persons background
- Anecdotes, incidents and examples
- The writers observations
- Comments by others
- Quotes from the interviewee
- When relevant, a news peg
6
The Persons Background
- Background is biographical material, the kind of
information one puts on employment applications. - Age, education, occupation, family.
- It doesnt all go into one paragraph. It is
sprinkled throughout, at places relevant to
points being made.
7
Incidents, Anecdotes, Examples
- Events, episodes, dramas, memories, stories and
symbols from and of a persons life that have
some relevance to the theme and sub-themes of the
story you have decided to tell.
8
The Writers Observations
- Writers of profiles help readers see by
including observations they see or hear or think
while interviewing their subject or observing
them in action. - The plaques on a wall. The family pictures on a
desk. The way the subject talks, gestures and
dresses, or treats another person.
9
Comments by Others
- What do others who know the person you are
profiling say or think about them? What do people
who dont know them say or think? - These comments may help you link parts of your
story or provoke your subject to make
interesting comments of their own.
10
Quotes from the Interviewees
- If we can, it is good to hear the voice of the
person you are profiling. - Use interesting and lively quotes.
- Quotes can help you move from one part of your
story to the next.
11
If Relevant, a News Peg
- If the person you are profiling is currently in
the news, peg or tie the story to news. - People like to read about people in the news.
12
Profiles The Beginning
- Write a beginning (which may be more than one
paragraph) that invites the audience into the
story and suggests what the story is about its
main theme, the fundamental point you are going
to make about this person and their role in life.
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The Profile The Middle
- The middle part of a profile is organized and
easy to follow it develops ideas and issues
suggested in the beginning. It provides vital
information and involves the reader with the
subject.
14
The Profile The Ending
- A profile ends with a bang. It leaves the
reader with a central idea, suggested by either
the writers words and observations, or a quote
from the subject, or from someone talking about
the subject. The closing bang often refers to
or reinforces the theme. The ending may be
several paragraphs long.
15
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of an Indian woman who ran away to
escape the conservative traditions of the Indian
community in Hong Kong. She stayed away five
years, but still found that people expected her
to live life on their terms, not hers. This is
the story of a strong-willed woman who refuses to
bow to social pressure.
16
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of HKU administrator in charge of
student development and commitment to community
service. He is blind, but that never stopped him
from achieving. This is the story of a man who
regarded his blindness as simply a physical
limitation to deal with and who tried to live his
life as a normal person.
17
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a HKU freshman who had to compete
with 100 others for 16 spots on the debate team.
Through talent, plus persistence and
determination, she made it. This is the story of
a student refusing to give up when roadblocks
were thrown in her path.
18
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a former drug addict from a Hong
Kong housing estate who beat his addiction and
went on to qualify for his A-level examinations.
It is a story about someone overcoming adversity.
19
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a HKU student whose mother put him
in swimming lessons to help him overcome his
asthma. He became a champion swimmer, not so much
through natural talent, but through sheer
determination to achieve.
20
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a mainland student as she adjusts to
life in Hong Kong and becomes acquainted with its
people and places. The student discovers Hong
Kong is a mixture of western and Chinese
cultures, but also a mixture of beautiful natural
and man-made landscapes.
21
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of Yeung Sum, former chairman of the
Democratic Party of Hong Kong, who also has been
teaching at HKU since 1979. He also is active in
many groups. The story is about a man who likes
to be involved in society and likes to find
solutions to problems.
22
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a popular professor of geography at
HKU who is a survivor of the Cultural Revolution.
The story is about his strong will and positive
attitude, and how these helped him overcome great
obstacles in his life.
23
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of an exchange student at HKU. She is
from the Netherlands. Her father is Dutch. Her
mother is Argentinean. She is not sure what she
is. She was adopted when she was a baby. Her
birth parents are probably dead. The story is
about a persons search for identity.
24
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a sociology professor at HKU who
does not want to marry or have a family. The
professor has relationships with men, but prefers
to remain single. The story is about relationship
changes in society that are related to careers
and personal choices.
25
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a 30-year-old HKU British student
who has traveled extensively throughout the world
trying to fit into hall life at HKU. This is a
story about someone trying to fit into a culture
they are not naturally inclined for, by age or
experience.
26
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a hip scholar at Chinese
University who graduated from top universities at
a young age. He has his own radio show and writes
columns on international affairs. He is a fan of
Paris Hilton. This is a story about an unusually
talented young person in tune with different
worlds.
27
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a young woman who falls in love with
the captain of the opposing debate team. Except
she cant tell him that. She keeps it a secret
for six months. She talks to him and sends him
letters, but cant tell him of her love. This is
a story of a woman obsessed by love, but unable
to act on her feelings.
28
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a 68-year-old photography teacher.
He meets every Saturday in a park with dozens of
students to show tricks of the trade. This is a
story about a man in love with the craft of an
art form, and who wants to pass his knowledge
along to others.
29
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a young man who as he comes out of
the closet and tells his family that he is a
homosexual. But he remains in the closet at
work, where he worries about the reaction of
friends and employers. This is a story about the
difficulties gay people can face in Hong Kong.
30
The Profile Stories of Past Years
- A profile of a student from a poor background who
got eight As on his HKCEE exam, and was then
offered scholarships to Harvard and other top
universities. This is a classic rags-to-riches
success story, the story of a child overcoming
great odds because of a gift he was given great
intelligence.
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