Writing Human-Interest Stories

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Writing Human-Interest Stories

• Kirsten Gantenbein
• MSTC Student 2/28/06

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What Do I Mean by Human-Interest Stories?

• Synonymous with Journalism term Feature Story
  
• The stories you see in the Sunday paper
• Magazine stories in Time, etc.
• Profiling a person or event
• Appeals to the readers emotions or personal
  interests

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The Benefits of Learning Human-Interest Writing
for Technical Writers
Basic journalism techniques can help to

• Expand your audience
• Bring a more emotional and memorable impact
• Allow for different perspectives
• Bring persuasiveness for Marketing and PR writing
  
• Add more skills to your writing repertoire

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How to Write a Human-Interest Story

• Audience
• Purpose
• Structure
• Breakout SessionFinding the Angle
• posTComm
• Tips for Writing Your Stories

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Audience

• Specific
• Audience research is very important before
  drafting a report or documentation
• Reading for information

• Broad
• Example posTComm audience includes alumni,
  perspective students, donors, etc.
• Reading for leisure or personal interest

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How to Write a Human-Interest Story

• Audience
• Purpose
• Structure
• Breakout SessionFinding the Angle
• posTComm
• Tips for Writing Your Stories

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Purpose

• To provide information
• Useful

• To provide the reader with a story
• 5 Ws
• Compelling
• Impact
• People
• Perspective
• In Depth
• Revealing
• If the reader cant find the story, they get
  frustrated and STOP reading!

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How to Write a Human-Interest Story

• Audience
• Purpose
• Structure
• Breakout SessionFinding the Angle
• posTComm
• Tips for Writing Your Stories

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Structure

• Thesis statement about points 1, 2, 3.
• Point 1
• Point 2
• Point 3
• Conclusion

• Thesis statement--Lead
• Journalism--Inverted Pyramid
• Most relevant details to the least relevant
  details of the story

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Technical Writing Example
This study investigated how teachers planned for
and involved their diverse students in classroom
writing activity. Three strands of literature
were relevant to understanding the ways teachers
might foster students participation in writing
tasks. First, research and theoretical positions
that illuminate the nature of writing activity,
writing development, and related conceptions of
teacher support provide information about
influences on conceptions of writing
instruction. Second, studies of writing
instruction provide understandings of teachers
role in planning
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Journalism Example
The first sentence is the leadwho, what,
where, when, why
SESTRIERE, Italy - The 21-year-old Californian
Julia Mancuso earned a stunning victory in the
giant slalom today in snowy, foggy conditions to
salvage a disappointing Olympics for the U.S.
women's ski team. 2006 Olympics Julia
Mancuso skied to the rescue in the nick of time.
By Associated PressFebruary 24, 2006
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StructureInverted Pyramid
Tell your reader the end first.
Lead Info
2nd Most Important Fact
3rd Most Impt. Fact
4th Most Impt.
Least Relevant Info
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Components of a Human-Interest Story

• Headline
• Byline
• Lead
• Story up high
• Body
• Story Details
• Quotes
• Brings voice and insight from another source
• Ending (The Kicker)
• Expands on significancememorable ending

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The Feature Lead How to Begin Your
Human-Interest Story

• Types of feature leads
• Narrative
• Anecdotal
• Descriptive
• Focus-on-the-person
• Nut Graph
• 3rd or paragraph into story
• Dont keep audience guessing
• Focus

• Leads are important
• Grab their attention
• Tell them the story
• Tell them whats in store

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Journalism Example
The first sentence is the leadwho, what,
where, when, why
SESTRIERE, Italy - The 21-year-old Californian
Julia Mancuso earned a stunning victory in the
giant slalom today in snowy, foggy conditions to
salvage a disappointing Olympics for the U.S.
women's ski team. 2006 Olympics Julia
Mancuso skied to the rescue in the nick of time.
By Associated PressFebruary 24, 2006
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Strategies for Writing Interesting Human-Interest
Leads
Mancuso fastest in snowstorm, wins giant
slalom By Elliott Almond, San Jose Mercury
News February 25

• TURIN, Italy Since she was a child, Julia
  Mancuso wanted
• to be crowned a champion. The California skier
  even wore
• a tiara during one of her races last week.
• Now she doesn't have to pretend after slicing
  through a
• blinding snowstorm Friday to capture America's
  first gold
• medal in the giant slalom since 1984 the year
  she was born.

• Narrative elements
• Anecdotal
• Descriptive
• Sets a scene
• Focuses on person
• Nut Graph
• This story is about her winning a medal in the
  giant slalom
• Answers the 5 Ws

Find the story angle and begin your story!
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How to Write a Human-Interest Story

• Audience
• Purpose
• Structure
• Breakout SessionFinding the Angle
• posTComm
• Tips for Writing Your Stories

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Break Out Session Review Statistics and Find an
Angle

• Analyze the data
• Which statistics have the most impact?
• Which do you find the most interesting?
• Find the possible angles
• What would appeals to a broader audience?
• What would makes an emotional impact?

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Break Out Session Evaluate Feature Leads

• Read the article published in the Seattle Times
• Is it effective?
• What grabs you about this lead?
• Did you like or dislike the techniques the writer
  used?
• Discuss some differences you find
• Why are these difference important?

How could you apply this to a technical
communication story?
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How to Write a Human-Interest Story

• Audience
• Purpose
• Structure
• Breakout SessionFinding the Angle
• posTComm
• Tips for Writing Your Stories

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Rewards of Writing for posTComm

• Learn layout skills
• STC recognition
• Get in touch with alumni
• Crete a publication that represents the TC
  department
• Give back to the TC department
• Pride

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Examples of posTComm Stories for 2006

• Beth Kolko goes to the UN Summit on Technology in
  Tunisia
• STC Career Fair March 28
• Student Internships--Los Alamos
• Faculty profiles--New Hire
• Anita Salem (MSTC graduate) and her work with the
  Red Cross
• Relay for Life team and event

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How to Write a Human-Interest Story

• Audience
• Purpose
• Structure
• Breakout SessionFinding the Angle
• posTComm
• Tips for Writing Your Stories

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Tips for Writing Human-Interest Leads

• The lead comes from the story
• Build on a quote
• Focus on a person
• Memorable fact or impression from an interview
• Put yourself in the readers shoes

Try Several Versions and Dont Give Up!
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Addl TipsTips for Story Writing

• Structure is looser
• Think cinematically
• Long shot Establish background
• Close-up or zoom in Main character
• Point of View shots
• The Five Ss
• So come on in
• So what?
• So and so
• So therefore
• So long!
• End your story with a kicker
• Ending with a quote is always a good strategy

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Addl TipsTips for Interviewing

• Brings voice and insight from another source
• Planning the Interview
• Research interviewees background, facts of story
• Open-end vs. closed ended questions
• Note-taking
• Tape recorder (have back-up)
• Slow the pace of the interview
• Rewrite notes after its over

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• Thank you!
• Email Judy, Kate Long, or Kirsten for more
  information
• jramey_at_u.washington.edu
• katelong_at_u.washington.edu
• gantek_at_u.washington.edu