Guidelines in writing feature, Study Guides, Projects, Research of English Language

Download Guidelines in writing feature and more Study Guides, Projects, Research English Language in PDF only on Docsity! Journalism Online Training (JOT) JOT is a free, online, quality journalism training blog for campus journalists managed by Engr. Herman Lagon of Ateneo de Iloilo. For inquiries, suggestions, and tutorials, please email Sir H at jotwithsirh@yahoo.com. Do not hesitate to post your comments also at the end of every lesson. Good riddance. 1. 2. MAY 4 Lecture 8: Feature Writing Exercises and Samples FEATURE WRITING EXERCISES Describe vividly your seatmate in a two-sentence paragraph. Write a short (at most five paragraphs) feature article about abortion. It doesn’t matter if you are for or against it. What is important is you remain factual yet entertaining, convincing and informative. Provide your own title. Show your work to your group mates. You are the feature editor of your school paper. This morning while you were on your way to school, you saw a Grade 4 pupil helping an old woman cross the street. Fourth year boys, who were playing nearby saw the old woman but did not care to help her. You interviewed the young boy. Now write a feature story on the boy or on the incident. Supply the facts you gathered from the interview. Remember, you are not writing an editorial. Note also that like an editorial, a feature article is hung on a natural or artificial newspeg. Give an interesting and entertaining title. * * * Feature Examples Topic: Abortion COME TO me, Mama. Come, touch me and feel my pain. Don’t be afraid now, Mama. You weren’t when you killed me. Here, touch this… can you feel it now, Mama? The excruciating pain that consumed my helpless body? You inflicted that, remember? Look at my body, now a mass of rotting flesh and coagulated blood. The dregs of what was a tiny human body. A body that was soft with a tiny head matted with a sheen of baby hair. A tiny body with a tiny heart that pulsated in time with yours. These were my fingers and ohh!... Here’s my thumb which I sucked while snugly tucked inside you. You see, I had long lashes just like Dad’s. My sensitive mouth was just like yours. And here are my ears that heard your quickening heartbeat when you’re afraid. I could have been a wonderful child if you’ve let me live. I could have been baby boy, just what Daddy wanted. A strong, healthy and bubbly bundle in your arms. My hypersensitiveness would have exasperated you. Daddy? Hmmm… He could have coached me in playing basketball. He’ll be the passer and I am the shooter. I could have grown into a writer. You would be proud of me coz I’m gonna join contests. Mama, see I was alive but not anymore. So, please let baby brother live. He could also be as wonderful as me. His life wouldn’t be like mine. A life that never was. Topic: Abortion LISTEN TO the cry of the unborn. Listen carefully and see. He is there—frail, delicate, heart beating with the glorious thump of life. Blood running in his anemic veins, smooth hands, dainty feet, pink flesh, unseeing eyes all in the protective shell of his mother’s womb. His soul’s voice cries out in joy as he looks forward to the bountiful harvest he will reap in life. A fresh breath of life; a new creation carefully molded by the hands of God. But listen. He is there. Crying out in excruciating pain. He feels the sharp tingle of needles tearing his flesh. His unseeing eyes roll up. In confusion and rage. His once joyful soul now crying for the need of life. But no one heard him. No one heeded his call as he plunged into the world of nullity. His last breath reeked of revenge. The unborn was silent. Listen to the cry of the unborn. They stare at you and contemplate their sweet revenge. Look around you. The guilt-ridden eyes of women carrying this burden state back at you. They know their child will not be able to feel its parts during the first recital. They know she will not be able to play Chinese garter or beat up the boys next door because she is gone. They are gone. Millions of unborn children are presented with the gift of life only to be taken away by selfish ambitions. Isang likas na daan o pilapil na maaring mapagdaanan na tuloy-tuloy sa buong paligid. Sa pampang naman ito ay nakapalibot ang malilin na punong-kahoy na pawing nangayuko at animo’y nahihiyang nagbubulungan. Sa paligid pa rin ay ang mgaburol na siyang nagsisilbing muog sa sinuman o anumang ibig magsamantala sa walang batik na kagandahan nito. Sa libis naman ng burol ay para-parang inihasik and naglalakihan at nag-papaligsahang mga magagandang bulaklak. Tunay na kawili-wili at kahanga-hanga. Ang malamig na simoy nghangin ay nakapagpapadama na waring ang buhay ay walang katapusan. Ito ang mga pangunahing katangian ng lawa ng Bulusan na may labing anim na hektarya ang lawak at may tatlumpu’t dalawang metro ang lalim. Ang lawa ay tatlong daan at animnapu’t limang taong gulang na. Ito’y maaaring marating sa pamamagitan ng bus o anumang sasakyang pangkalsada sa loob ng may humigit-kumulang sa dalawa at kalahating oras. Ibig ba ninyong dumalaw doon? Kayo’y malugod na inaanyayahan at buong pusong tatanggapin ng mapang-akit na lawang nakahimlay sa tuktok ng higanteng bulkan. * * * Human Interest Feature Article George, he’s a hero! By Emilyn Martinez IT IS “natural” for women to be lavanderas if that is the best thing that they can do for a living, but have you heard of a guy who does laundry to support his family? Well, there is such an unusual guy in our school. George Francis, a 17-year-old junior, has taken on the difficult responsibility of providing for his little sister and brother. He is father and mother to them, since both his parents are deceased. His three other sisters have their own families. Fortunately, his youngest brother is cared for by an aunt. To be able to feed his siblings and send them to school, George does the laundry of a family in Moriones. Saturdays he washes their week’s laundry and Sundays, he irons them, a back-breaking job that assures him P400 a week. And for schooldays, at 5 p.m., when his classes are over, he cleans the house of his amo for a monthly wage of P500. In one month, he earns a total of P2,100 which he says is enough for their food, daily baon and monthly rent of P300. “I’ve been doing this for three years now,” he says. “Mahirap, pero nasanay na ako (It’s hard but I’m already used to it).” Despite his work, he manages to get good grades. And although he has so much to do, he does his share of the housework because he doesn’t want to tire out his brother and sister “I want them to concentrate on their studies,” he says. George Francis is only one of our many students who must struggle daily in order to survive. If Rhona Mahilom, the girl from Negros who saved her younger sisters and brothers when their house caught fire, is a hero, George is a hero for saving his sister and brother from starvation, for giving them a home and family to afford them the security they badly need in their formative years. George’s touching story serves as an inspiration to us. We give you, George, a big round of applause. We are proud of you and may your tribe increase. Posted 4th May 2008 by Unknown View comments Loading