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Berkeley Global
Develop an understanding of how feature stories blend journalism and art, exploring the dual nature of features based on facts but with the voice of a novel. Learn how to analyze features and how to research, report and write your own. You also learn how to grab the attention of editors and audiences, and create successful feature stories for magazines, newspapers and online publications.
Course Outline
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Course Objectives
- Analyze features written by others.
- Research a feature topic.
- Conduct interviews for a feature story.
- Write and revise a feature.
- Find and analyze a publication that might publish a feature on your topic.
What You Learn
- Definition of a feature, and the differences between features, hard news and opinion
- Uses of multimedia in features
- How to create feature story ideas from more general topics
- Deciding between a profile or a round-up
- The author's role in feature stories
- Possible sources for facts and figures
- Government websites to find demographic and other data
- How secondary sources are used
- Strategies for finding expert sources and for finding people to tell their stories for features; assessing the reliability of potential feature sources
- Interview questions
- Pros and cons of in-person, phone and email interviews
- How to set up and conduct an interview
- Purpose, different types and standard elements of a query letter
- Different types of leads for features
- Using storytelling, including conflict, effectively in a feature
- The value of planning before beginning to write
- Knowing which interview and research material to include in the draft
- How to assess the best structure and organization for a narrative feature
- Using quotations and numbers appropriately in a feature
- Proofreading your draft
- How to critique your own and someone else’s work
- Revision
- The publishing process
How You Learn
- Reading assignments
- Online lectures
- Writing assignments, including a feature draft and its revision
- Discussion assignments
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Sections
Spring enrollment opens on October 17!
Thank you for your interest in this course!
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Once a section for this class is available, we will email you with enrollment information.
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This course applies to the following programs:
Interdisciplinary Writing Program
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Individualized Study Plan
- Effective Writing in the Workplace
- Writing for Social Media
- Grammar, Mechanics and Usage for Editors
- Journalism Workshop
- Science Writing
- Writing the Feature Story
- Introduction to Public Relations Writing
- Writing and Editing Internship Program
- Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
- Writing Skills Workshop
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Developing the Memoir
- Developing the Memoir II
- The Craft of Reading
- The Craft of Writing
- Exploring Creative Writing
- Introduction to Writing Fiction
- Intermediate Fiction Writing
- Advanced Fiction Writing
- Developing the Novel
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Poetry Workshop
- Poets Studied and in Conversation
- American Fiction
- Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
- Mystery Fiction
- Shakespeare
- Editorial Workshop II: Intermediate Copyediting
- Advanced Editorial Workshop
- Indexing: Theory and Application
- Technical Communication I
- Technical Communication II
- Technical Communication III: Information Design
Professional Writing Program
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Required Courses
- Effective Writing in the Workplace
- Introduction to Public Relations Writing
- Writing for Social Media
Electives
- Writing Skills Workshop
- Journalism Workshop
- Writing the Feature Story
- Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
- Technical Communication I
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Science Writing
Capstone Project
Course of Related Interest
Certificate Program in Writing
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Required Courses
Electives (Literature)
- American Fiction
- Contemporary Voices: Speaking From the Margins
- Fact or Fiction: Reading and Writing the Personal Essay
- Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
- Great Writers Steal: How the Work of Other Writers Can Inform and Inspire You
- The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing Dystopia, the Female Gothic and Social Commentary
- Mystery Fiction
- Re-envisioning the Past Through Historical Fiction
- Shakespeare
- Short-Story Masterpieces
- Meet the Writer: Guided Study and Discussion With Fiction Writers
- Ursa Minor Production Class
Electives (Writing Workshop)
- Exploring Creative Writing
- Introduction to Writing Fiction
- Intermediate Fiction Writing
- Advanced Fiction Writing
- Writing Genre Fiction: Science Fiction, Mystery, Romance and More
- Mystery Writing
- Developing the Novel
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Screenwriting Workshop
- Writing and Appreciating Poetry
- Poetry Workshop
- Poets Studied and in Conversation
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Developing the Memoir
- Developing the Memoir II
- Journalism Workshop
- Science Writing
- Writing the Feature Story
- Writing and Editing Internship Program
Courses of Related Interest
Instructional Types
- Live Online
- Live Online courses provide an interactive learning experience with scheduled synchronous online sessions held via Zoom video conferencing (Pacific Time). Learn more about the Live Online format.
- Online, Start Anytime
- Continuous enrollment course begins when you enroll. You have a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of 180 days to complete the course.
- Online, Fixed Date
- Enroll in this course by its start date and complete it by its specified end date. There are no live sessions, but plenty of opportunities to collaborate with your classmates and instructor.
- Classroom
- Take classes in-person at one of our buildings or partner locations.
English Language Proficiency Requirements
All of our courses are taught in English. If English is not your first language, please use the following test scores as guides in order to be successful:
- TOEFL: 90
- IELTS Academic Format: 7
- DAAD: C1
- TEM-4 or TEM-8: Level 70
- Duolingo: 115
Note: You do not need to submit test scores.