✍️Feature Writing Unit 8 – Voice, Style, and Tone in Feature Writing

What's This Unit About?

• Explores the fundamental elements of voice, style, and tone in feature writing
• Emphasizes the importance of developing a unique and engaging writing persona
• Covers techniques for adapting voice, style, and tone to different audiences and publications
• Discusses the role of voice, style, and tone in creating compelling and memorable feature stories
  • Helps writers stand out in a crowded media landscape
  • Enables writers to connect with readers on a deeper level
• Provides real-world examples and practical exercises to help students develop their skills

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Voice: The unique personality and perspective that a writer brings to their work
  • Reflects the writer's background, experiences, and worldview
  • Can be humorous, serious, irreverent, or any other distinct personality trait
• Style: The specific way a writer uses language, sentence structure, and literary devices
  • Encompasses elements such as word choice, sentence length, and rhetorical techniques
  • Can be descriptive, concise, flowery, or any other identifiable writing approach
• Tone: The emotional attitude or atmosphere that a writer conveys through their writing
  • Can be lighthearted, somber, sarcastic, or any other emotional quality
  • Should be appropriate for the subject matter and intended audience
• Feature Writing: A type of journalism that focuses on in-depth, human-interest stories
  • Often longer and more detailed than traditional news articles
  • Allows for greater creativity and experimentation with voice, style, and tone

Finding Your Voice

• Identify your unique perspective and life experiences that shape your writing
• Embrace your natural writing tendencies and personality traits
• Experiment with different writing styles and techniques to discover what feels authentic
• Read widely to expose yourself to a variety of voices and writing approaches
  • Analyze how other writers use voice effectively in their work
  • Adapt elements of their voice to your own writing, while maintaining originality
• Seek feedback from readers, mentors, and writing groups to refine your voice
• Develop confidence in your unique writing voice through consistent practice and self-reflection

Developing Your Style

• Study the stylistic techniques used by writers you admire
• Experiment with different sentence structures, lengths, and rhythms
• Use vivid and precise language to create a distinct writing style
  • Employ sensory details, metaphors, and other literary devices
  • Avoid clichés and overused phrases that can make your writing feel generic
• Develop a consistent style guide for your writing, including preferred grammar and punctuation rules
• Adapt your writing style to suit different publications, audiences, and subject matter
• Continuously refine your style through revision and editing, focusing on clarity and impact

Mastering Tone

• Understand the emotional impact you want to have on your readers
• Match your tone to the subject matter and intended audience of your feature story
  • Use a lighthearted tone for uplifting human-interest pieces
  • Employ a more serious tone for stories dealing with weighty issues
• Use language, sentence structure, and pacing to convey the desired emotional atmosphere
• Be mindful of the cultural and social context in which your writing will be received
• Ensure consistency in tone throughout your feature story, while allowing for emotional nuance
• Revise your work with a focus on refining tone, eliminating inconsistencies or unintended emotional impacts

Techniques and Tools

• Use dialogue and quotes to bring different voices and perspectives into your feature writing
• Employ descriptive language and sensory details to create a vivid and immersive reading experience
• Vary sentence length and structure to create a dynamic and engaging writing style
  • Use short, punchy sentences for emphasis and impact
  • Employ longer, more complex sentences for description and nuance
• Utilize rhetorical devices such as repetition, parallelism, and rhetorical questions to enhance your writing style
• Experiment with different narrative structures and storytelling techniques to find what works best for your voice and style
• Leverage writing tools such as style guides, thesauruses, and editing software to refine your writing

Real-World Examples

• "The American Male at Age Ten" by Susan Orlean (Esquire, 1992)
  • Employs a humorous and irreverent voice to explore the world of a ten-year-old boy
  • Uses vivid descriptions and dialogue to create a sense of immersion
• "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold" by Gay Talese (Esquire, 1966)
  • Demonstrates a distinctive writing style that blends journalistic detail with literary flair
  • Employs a serious and contemplative tone to delve into the psyche of a cultural icon
• "The Falling Man" by Tom Junod (Esquire, 2003)
  • Uses a somber and reflective tone to explore the emotional impact of a tragic event
  • Employs a non-linear narrative structure to create a sense of mystery and introspection

Practice and Application

• Complete writing exercises that focus on developing voice, style, and tone
  • Write a short feature story from multiple perspectives, experimenting with different voices
  • Rewrite a news article in a distinct writing style, such as gonzo journalism or new journalism
• Analyze feature stories from your favorite publications, identifying the key elements of voice, style, and tone
• Participate in writing workshops and critique groups to receive feedback on your work
• Pitch feature story ideas to publications, focusing on how your unique voice and style can enhance the story
• Revise and refine your feature writing consistently, always striving to improve your mastery of voice, style, and tone