This document provides techniques for writing feature articles, including anecdotes, vignettes, flashbacks, comparisons/contrasts, snapshots, foreshadowing, quotes, and facts. It encourages writing about topics you are knowledgeable about or care about to make the article more interesting. Examples of each technique are given and readers are asked to practice identifying the techniques in sample articles and writing a short piece using one or more of the techniques.

1. The Big Issue
L/O Feature article techniques

2. what do you know?
• What do you know more about than anyone?

3. Why did we do that?
• Writing about what you know will make your
article more interesting, informative and well
written.
• Writing about something you care about will
make your audience care about it too.

4. Sharing ideas
• There are many techniques used by writers to
share the information. Today we will learn
about 8 techniques.

5. • Anecdotes
• Vignettes
• Flashbacks
• Comparisons/contrasts

6. Anecdotes
• an·ec·dote
• [an-ik-doht] Show IPA
• noun, plural an·ec·dotes or for 2, an·ec·do·ta [
an-ik-doh-tuh] Show
IPA .1.a short account of a particular incident
or event, especially of an interesting or amusi
ng nature.
• 2.a short, obscure historical or biographical ac
count.

7. Vignette
• A “sketch” in words or pictures. Can be used
to set the scene in an article or to ‘profile’ a
character/person.

8. Flashbacks
• A sudden change in time. Referring to
something that happened in the past.

9. Comparison/contrast
• Comparing and contrasting one topic, person
or item with another for effect.

10. Practice
• Read through one of the articles.
• Look for any/all of these four techniques.
.

11. Train your skill – 10/15 mins
• Extension: Write a short piece including any/all of the
four techniques
Ideas:
1. you are interviewing a celebrity, write a vignette to
set the scene (describe the person and place.
2. You are writing an article about school. Start with a
flashback of schools in ‘the old days’
3. Choose a topic you know something about and have
experience of. Start by telling a short amusing
anecdote.
4. Choose your favorite sports team. Compare them
with a team at the opposite end of the table/league

12. 4 more
• Snapshot – description of how something
looks
• Foreshadow – Predictions about the future
• Quote – direct quote of something said.
• Facts – useful and relevant facts related to the
topic.
-Read another article, look for the techniques.

13. Plenary
• How useful was today’s lesson?
• What would you like to learn next?
• Exit pass – name a technique, type of article
or weekly word to leave the classroom.