Leads and the Closeups: More on Structures

Ricketson has effectively summarized the best principles for journalists. Although his choice of example features is a little bit hazy for me, I like certain portions of the book.   A feature writer must learn how to:

Generate fresh ideas
Organise time efficiently
Gather factual and personal information
Sift and sort raw material
find the best way to tell the story
Write the story
Edit and proofread the work
Work with Editors

Leads and Closeups are as important if not more than the body of the feature. Ricketson has dedicated almost a chapter for them. It should be relevant to the theme, not too complicated, attention grabbing. The subject matter must deliver what is promised otherwise readers will feel betrayed and your credibility and livelihood is at the stack.

LEADS

SUMMARY LEAD
A good summary lead is effective as it captures a key element in one enticing paragraph and hard to write for the same reason.

SUSPENSE LEAD
The suspense in features is to play with readers expectations and withholding information to entice them to keep reading.

DESCRIPTIVE LEAD
Describing a scene  is the most novelistic way of drawing the reader in. It is engaging and it attracts literary talents. weather can be used effectively so are the scenic details.

ANECDOTAL LEAD
Where a descriptive lead paints a scene anecdotal lead tells a mini story. Two leads may cross over, but the emphasis differs for each lead.

SURPRIZE LEAD
Surprise lead may be shocker or teaser.

CLOSEUPS

The task of ending is to help the reader remember the story so finishing a story well is important. However don't save your best material for the ending. That should have been used in the body of the story. If you have a strong anecdote, keep it in the lead. Remember it is journalism, not a novel.

Ricketson categorizes the endings in four main groups:

ROUNDING UP OR ROUNDING OFF 
Works with summarizing and restating the features theme in an appetizing way. A final quote from a key person may achieve this or alternatively  a witty line to round off the piece.

CIRCLING BACK ENDING
Returning the idea or scene is a way of unifying a piece and is commonly used.

LOOKING AHEAD
Cast your gaze forward, but in a way that also circles back to the theme running through the piece.

SPREADING OUT
At the end broaden the focus  and give the reader a  glimpse of new terrain.