Feature Writing Essentials: Building great ideas

Learn how to develop and refine brilliant ideas, and the secrets of a well-structured feature

This four-hour feature writing course focuses on helping you write engaging copy that need less editing.

What You’ll Learn: Generating ideas to using quotes and adding colour

What makes a great feature? How do you come up with ideas and successfully pitch them to editors? We’ll discuss how the best in the business conjure concepts that keep you reading to the end, equip you to think critically while assessing the current features landscape, and help you build a toolkit for developing winning ideas. You’ll take part in brainstorming and pitching sessions that will leave you feeling inspired.

Working as a group, you’ll examine what makes a great feature before we take you through the key principles of feature writing, from how to write engaging introductions to the art of weaving in quotes. You’ll learn how using case studies can bring complex topics to life and how snippets of colour can elevate your work.

How you’ll learn

This two-module course will be led by an experienced editor and trainer who will share their practical expertise through presentations, discussion and practical exercises – ensuring you have opportunity to reinforce your learning and test your understanding. As feature writing can often be a relatively solitary exercise, we lean into the opportunity to bring people together to discuss their experiences.Who the course is for

Who this course is for

This course is for you if you want to build a features toolkit of skills and knowledge that will elevate your ideas and writing. You should have professional writing experience. You may wish to follow this course with Features Writing Advanced which focuses on interviewing skills and telling complex stories

We currently offer this course as bespoke training for teams and can deliver it remotely or in your offices. Get in touch using the button below to discuss times and dates, as well as how we can tailor it to your needs. 

Course Modules

Generating Brilliant Ideas

  1. Exploring feature formats
  2. Generating features ideas
  3. Developing your idea
  4. Regular and returning features
  5. Build your own ideas – practical workshop

Feature Writing Fundamentals

  1. Structuring your story
  2. The intro: from scene-setting to drop intro
  3. Establishing tone of voice
  4. Sourcing and using quotes
  5. ‘Colour’ and what it constitutes

Feature Writing Essentials: Building great ideas

Learn how to develop and refine brilliant ideas, and the secrets of a well-structured feature

Get in touch

What our students say

View all testimonials

What a great session we had on Communicating with Impact. Bridgid shared practical techniques to enhance and develop our communications skills so we can present and speak publicly or to senior stakeholders with confidence and impact.  I speak for my whole team in highly recommending Bridgid Nzekwu if you are after effective and fun communication training.

Vodafone
, Group Legal Director, Corporate Commercial & Compliance

The team is flexible, slick, well-resourced and overall simply first class. Their expertise and knowledge have been invaluable. I was delighted with our choice, so I’d have no hesitation in recommending them

Prostate Cancer UK
, Head of External Relations

PA Media Training were efficient, well organised and genuinely lovely people to deal with and, importantly for us, able to provide flexibility around our needs to create the bespoke training we required. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for further training or to recommend them to other organisations.

Mayor of London’s Press Office
, Head of Media

The small class sizes nurture a comfortable environment where everyone supports and learns from each other. The staff helped me hone in on my writing skills and develop the confidence to feel comfortable on camera.

Camilla Foster
, Reporter
, Newsquest

Contact us

Do you wish to train on one of our specialist courses? Start by filling in the application form – we’ll ask you for some important information such as your education and employment history.

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If you would like to receive regular updates from PA Media Academy, please tick here:

Contact us

For more information , simply fill out the form and a member of our team will be in touch.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
By submitting this application form you confirm your acceptance that the information you have provided will be used during the recruitment procedure. Once the recruitment procedure is completed, the data will be stored for one year and then destroyed. If you are the successful candidate, relevant information may be taken from this form and used as part of your personnel record.
If you would like to receive regular updates from PA Media Academy, please tick here:

Contact us

For more information , simply fill out the form and a member of our team will be in touch.