Human Interest Story

Human Interest Story The Art of Telling Stories

Human Interest Story • Human Interest Feature Involves persons rather than things. It’s a story that will make the reader think AND feel.

So What is a Human Interest Piece? • Human Interest Stories are told in a less hurried and generally more creative way than a Feature Story (5W and H news). • You don’t use the inverted pyramid and don’t have to start with the most important details. • You choose a unique subject, or unique angle to hook in the reader.

Human Interest Structure  Lead Billboard Transition/Quote Body Conclusion

The Human Interest Lead • This is your opening paragraph or two. • It’s important to set the table and hook in your readers with creative, descriptive writing. • Try some of the following creative options …

Human Interest Lead Options • Focus on a single person for your lead. Tell the story through one person’s eyes. • Focus on an incident or anecdote. Describe a specific moment or scene. Show, don’t tell. • Try a startling statement or dialogue or other devices. • Describe a setting as a way of establishing the theme of a piece

More Great Human Interest Leads • Quotation: begins with an unusually revealing quote. • “If you never try, you never succeed.” With Mrs. Nelson’s words of encouragement, nervous students began tryouts for the school play, Our Town. • One Word: captures the reader in a single word. • Fire! Chemistry lab partners Jill Nelson and Todd Anderson took the “heat” when their test tube exploded. • Contrast: describes two extremes or opposites. • Night and day. Speech Club members worked ‘round the clock to finish their Homecoming float. • Astonisher: begins with an exclamation that catches the reader off guard. • Nothing is worse than a bad hair day! Especially when it’s time to take your yearbook picture. • Punch: features actions or makes a dramatic statement. • “C’est magnifique!”When the French Club dined at Chez Paul, members feasted on baguettes and brie!

More Great Human Interest Leads • Summary: summarizes the most important of the five W’s and H. • While senior cheerleaders watched from the gym bleachers, sophomore “wanna-bes” tried out for the squad during the first week of school. • Question: leads the readers into the story. Be cautious with this one. It’s the most abused feature lead, too often leaving readers with a feeling of “who cares?” • Why do fools fall in love? • Sequential: presents the events in the order in which they happened. • Painting the town red (and black), basketball fans create pep signs before the State Championship send-off rally. • Sights & Sounds: creates a scenario bringing the event to life. • Steam fogged the windows as the marching band’s bus sped through the pouring rain carrying them to the Memorial Day parade.

Human Interest Lead … Let’s Write It! • Gather your thoughts and write 3 different types of leads for your feature article. • If you can’t write them now, write down the 3 different types you plan to write, then write them later after interviews or research. • Select the strongest, hookiest one! Single PersonIncident or Anecdote Startling statement Describe a setting Quotation One Word Contrast Punch Summary Question Sequential Sights & Sounds

Now, Let’s Critique Some Human Interest Leads • With your partner, read each of the student-written leads on the handout and determine which you think are the strongest and which need more work. • Be prepared to give reasons for your choices. • Also, be prepared to suggest how to improve the leads that you consider weak.

Back to the Human Interest Structure Lead  Billboard Transition/Quote Body Conclusion

The Billboard • After the lead, write the billboard paragraph. • The billboard is a summary of what the story is about. • It’s the 5 Ws and H that you didn’t answer in the lead.

The Billboard • Include the basic facts • Who is involved in the story? • Where does the story take place? • When does the story take place? • Explain what the twist of your fairytale is • What causes the twist?

Sample The young girl, Rapunzel, had the longest hair in the entire land. Its beauty was well-known. Her hair glowed in the sunlight and was softer then a kitten's fur. The only downside of her remarkable hair was that it always knotted. Her brush was her greatest savior. Too bad it could not get her out of this tangled mess. Rapunzel was found dead in her castle by her mother. This was a very bizarre death. She was reported to have gotten tangled up in her beautiful hair and had taken a fatal fall. She was found on Thursday, but the police have released a statement that she has been dead for a week. This death is still under investigation by the FFAPD. “I told her to cut her hair,” her mother sobbed. “It looked so beautiful, but it was always causing accidents. I am so upset that I wasn't there when she truly needed my help!” Lead Billboard Transition/Quote Body

Transition/Quote Body • After the Billboard is the Body of the Story • Keep related material together and weave your subtopic (legs) from your topic spider into the story. • Divide the subtopics into sections (paragraphs). • Each paragraph tells a different part of the story. • Between each new section, there must be a transition sentence that segues from one subtopic to the next. • Your transition sets up all the information in the next paragraph and ties it in with what’s already been written.

Transition/Quote Formula If you have quotes (sources), try something called the transition/quote formula … T: Jeb still needs four more surgeries, but none of them will help him regain his sight. Q: “I am glad that they are going to make me look more like my old self,” Jeb said. “But I am upset about my eye. I wanted to be a pilot and now that dream is shattered.” T: Jeb’s said his little brother, Shane, found the gun in his father dresser bureau on that summer day. Q: “I think he was just curious,” Jeb said. “I didn’t think the gun was loaded so I just told him to put it away. And then, bam, my life changed forever.”

The Conclusion • Once you have used all your information and included all your subtopics in the body, it’s time for the conclusion. • The conclusion brings a sense of finality and resolution. • Wrap up loose ends and leave reader with a single, significant thought. • End stories in memorable ways. • Often it’s a good to use a powerful quote. This is called a clincher. • Or, tie the ending back to the lead (call-back to earlier in the story). • You could also make a statement that looks to the future.

The Conclusion • The FFAPD is still working day and night to solve this mystery. It is clear that someone stole Rapunzel's brush, and the police strongly believe that Flynn Rider knows more then he is letting on. If you have any information about Flynn's whereabouts, please contact your local authorities. Do not let this horrendous crime go unpunished; Rapunzel is relying on you to avenge her murder.

Human Interest Story