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

The methods and techniques you learn (and apply) on a daily basis through teaching, coursework and eventually exams crop up again and again in both job applications and jobs themselves – the course content is directly relevant to the realities of the industry. 

James Saunders
, Digital News Reporter
, GB News

The training scenarios are as real to life as you could possibly get. They took considerable time to research our current plans and issues and used these to design a series of true to life radio and TV interviews. The team is outstanding, and their expertise and knowledge has been invaluable. Book them – you’ll be glad you did.

NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group
, Communications Manager

Not only did I develop the necessary toolkit to become a journalist, but I also did so in an environment that fosters a real sense of community and personal career support.

Erin Waks
, Trainee Sub-Editor
, Daily Mail

I honestly thought that the whole day was fabulous!!! You really couldn’t have done anymore for us. The combination of practical exercises and feedback was particularly useful, it was a challenging day (in a very good way) in that we really had to think, learn and adapt quickly. I know the team are significantly better prepared for media interviews after this training.

Fragile X Society
, Managing Director

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 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

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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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.