Feature and Magazine Writing: Action, Angle and Anecdotes

By Holly G. Miller and David E. Sumner

Book Overview

This fully revised and updated edition of Feature and Magazine Writing covers everything from finding original ideas to locating expert sources. With fresh perspectives and advice from professional writers and editors, this colorfully-written introduction is required reading for anyone who wishes to become a strong feature writer. Includes chapters on connecting content to the calendar, writing for online publications, trends, issues and controversies, and writing dramatic stories New chapters in this edition include 'How To Find A Magazine Job', 'Last Chance: The Final Draft', and 'Writing for Trades, Associations and Organizations' New sections in this edition include 'Improving Your Pizzazz and 'Original Research = Original Articles'

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1405192046
• ISBN13: 9781405192040
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Great Writing Tool

As an editor for a military base magazine, I find this textbook exactly what a journalist needs to transition into magazine style feature writing. The book adds fresh angles to the art of writing while never straying too far from the basics. I have already written better stories and improved my interviewing techniques since reading through a few chapters. I have assigned my Marines to read a few chapters, and it has helped them as well.

Enjoyable, but you shouldn't use this as your only source

I enjoyed this book, which I used as an (unassigned) textbook for a class. If I didn't know anything about feature writing, I would not just rely on this book to tell me everything I need to know, although the information provided is helpful. Sumner could make more use of examples of good feature writing (he does this to great effect with one particular fantastic article, "Mrs. Kelly's Monster" by Jon Franklin, the first article to win the Pulitzer for Feature Writing). In many cases, Sumner uses information given in other textbooks and authors' published books on writing, which means that his book is less of a primary source and more of a compendium of author comments at times. This is not a bad thing. However, the chapters were so short that by the time you really got into the material, it was over. Some of the class assignments would be really useful if done as homework for class. Overall, this book is helpful, but I do prefer the textbook by Bruce Garrison, which I am currently reading.

Fantastic text

This book gives is well written and informative. It explains feature writing without trying to bury the reader, and it is well organized throughout. It is somehow enjoyable as well.