Creative Expression

I originally signed up for this class to try out a style of writing I really knew nothing about. All I knew was that feature stories really interested me when I read them and that they were always really captivating. I realized that they were structurally different than other forms of reporting but I didn't exactly know how to go about writing a feature story.

When we went around class the very first day and stated why we took the class I answered with something along the lines of, "To get better at writing and expand my horizons."

I feel like I have accomplished both of these but also so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed learning and practicing feature writing...even more so than I thought I would coming into the class.

Feature writing is a nice change in that it allows for the writer to include some of his or her own creative expression. I have always enjoyed telling stories, however, coming into this class I had never really written stories. Instead, I had always focused on hard news where I was limited to facts and making sure information was presented quickly and easily.

This class challenged me, especially at first, because it was so different than any writing I had ever done. It took some time to get used to straying away from the hard leads and structure of hard news articles. Gradually I felt as though my work displayed more details and descriptions that enabled my features to progress and become more interesting.

I learned more than just how to write a feature article in this class. The skills acquired in this class translate magnificently to all of my writings. Noticing details, using figurative language, and gathering tons of background information has strengthened all of my writing not simply my feature writing.

As I progress, I would love to continue working on these skills and getting better at feature writing. I never considered being a sports feature writer before this class, however, now after all I know and have learned I'd love to explore and pursue an opportunity of that nature. I think telling people's stories is so interesting and sharing them with an audience makes it that much more fulfilling.