How To Write Special Feature Articles

gs that first catch the eye of the reader as he turns over the pages of a newspaper or magazine. When the

ements. Just as the striking heads on the front page of a newspaper increase its sales, so, also, attractive titles on the cover of a ma

e title is good, he carries over this favorable impression to the first page or two of the article itself. To secure such favorable consideration for a manuscript among the hundreds that are examined in ed

regular edition; others have pages only half as large. Some newspapers use large eight-column display heads on their special articles, while others confine their headlines for feature stories to a column or two. Some papers regularly employ sub-titles in their magazine sections, c

r purpose most effectively titles should be (1) att

idea it expresses has timeliness, novelty, elements of mystery or romance, human interest, relation to the reader's life and success, or connection with familiar or prominent persons or things. Not only the idea expressed, but the way in which it is expressed, may catc

e Sunday magazine section. All that has been said concerning unwholesome subject-matter for special feature stories applies to sensational titles. So, too, exaggerated, misleading headlines on news and advertisements are ma

etween title and article. When the story is familiar and colloquial in style, the title should reflect that informality. When the ar

r articles it is not always necessary to conform to the strict requirements as to letters and spaces that limit the building of news headlines, it is nevertheless important to keep within bounds. A study of a large number of titles will show that they seldom contain more than

of a small group of words yields its meaning at a glance. Unless the reader catches the idea in the title

l images are called up by specific words; vague ones usually result from general,

the "decks" and "banks" in news headlines. Their purpose is to give additional information, to arouse g

Occasionally the two together make a continuous statement. The length of the sub-title is generally about twice that of the title; that is, the average sub-title consists of from

nto fairly distinct, if not mutually exclusive, groups may prove helpful to inexperienced writers. The following are the nine most distinctive types of titles: (1) label; (2) "how" and "why" statement; (3) striking statement

ect. It has only as much interest and attractiveness as t

1

INEA PIGS

nds a Ready Market

2

AS SEEN BY A

3

IAL SIDE O

4

S OF AN UN

5

PING ON

6

TY WOOD-C

7

THE FARM THINK

e given a "how" title that indicates th

1

EALTH IN THE

2

RE YOUR CA

3

R'S WIFE MA

4

UCCEED A

e Could Write" Tel

ot on the

rticle that explains some phenomenon or p

1

NETTLE

2

OLIVES

3

REIGHT CA

ses and reasons are appropriately g

1

AR COSTS

2

IKE A R

3

OAL SUPPL

use of the striking character of t

1

: $50,

2

LS OF COR

3

ES A HEAR

4

OGY OF SECO

ity by seeming to make a self-contradictory

1

S OF

ete Vessels an

2

TIAN

3

E THAT POI

4

WITH YO

5

ILORS WIT

6

T HOME WHIL

7

TS THAT C

e stimulates the reader's imagination

1

THE RIVE

2

OUSE WITH

3

Y-BEE SA

4

G ON

5

ANCE OF

stand alone, but often a sub-title is desirable to show

1

EARD 'ROUN

irst Victor

2

L AND A

ally Means and Why

3

ANT IN T

Won't Stay

ing may be paraphrased in a novel wa

1

THE TRACT

2

THE RIC

3

NG BY

4

S SPIDER AND

ies our Ideas of

be heightened by addressing the question to the reader with "you," "your," or by presenting it from the reader's point of view with the use of "I," "we," or "ours

1

FAIR PRICE

2

T IS THERE I

3

THE BE

Work For a Man

4

BY THE BOW

5

E KEEP WARM

6

EP PLOW

ent Tests Hav

7

RT A CANNIN

rative form of title, as well as in a

1

THE SU

That Make Misc

2

AND TAN T

3

E! FOR

4

UMP OUT

ious Self a Chance

5

ISH ON

6

P! LOOK! A

s alliteration and rhyme, or by rhythm such as is produced by balanced elements

1

E OF TH

2

INISHIN

3

TELEPHON

4

RE AND AG

5

ILL AGAINS

6

CAMPUS

7

NERS AND HOM

8

RY MILL AT

raining His Field

9

RS VS.

1

ON P

Gun's Away, C

1

AT AND

1

HOL FROM G

rent kinds of farm land need to be most productive. A simple label title like "The Value of Soil Analysis," obviously would not attract the average person, and probably would interest only the more enterprising of farmers. The analysis of soil not unnaturally suggests the diag

1

NG FOR RU

ctor is Doing to

2

OCTOR AND

medies for Wor

3

G ILLS OF

Remedies for

eveloped without much effort from the ideas that so

1

M LAND G

d Causes of Ex

2

WON'T W

s of Soil Expe

3

RATIONS F

Farm Land is Nece