2.2 Developing Unique Angles

Feature writing demands unique angles to captivate readers and stand out. A fresh perspective can transform a mundane topic into a compelling narrative, uncovering new insights and human elements. It's the difference between forgettable content and must-read stories.

Developing original angles is crucial for feature writers to produce high-quality work consistently. By considering audience demographics, tapping into cultural conversations, and understanding publication goals, writers can craft angles that resonate deeply and open doors to more opportunities.

Finding Fresh Angles for Features

The Importance of Unique Perspectives

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• Feature stories require unique perspectives or "angles" to engage readers and stand out from other content
  • A fresh, compelling angle is often what differentiates a feature from straight news reporting
• Angles allow feature writers to explore a topic more deeply, uncovering new insights, human elements, or thought-provoking ideas
  • The right angle can make a feature timely, relevant, and impactful (a profile of a little-known inventor whose work is suddenly at the forefront of a major industry trend)
• Without a strong angle, features risk being forgettable or redundant
  • Developing original angles is critical for feature writers to consistently produce high-quality, must-read content
• Skilled feature writers are always searching for novel ways to approach a story, even with well-covered topics or events
  • They understand the power of an unexpected, revelatory angle to attract readers (examining a major political event through the eyes of a single, pivotal behind-the-scenes player)
• Editors and publications value feature pitches centered on innovative, well-developed angles
  • Mastering the art of finding fresh angles opens more opportunities for feature writers to get their work published and build their reputations

Tailoring Angles to Audience and Outlet

• Considering the demographics, psychographics, and interests of the intended readership is crucial for developing angles that connect
  • Knowing what matters to the audience allows writers to find angles that speak to their lived experiences, aspirations, or concerns (exploring the challenges of work-life balance for a parenting magazine's largely millennial readership)
• Angles that tie into broader cultural conversations, tap into zeitgeist moments, or explore universal human themes tend to have wide appeal
  • Framing stories through these lenses can make even niche topics feel relevant to general audiences (using a celebrity's high-profile divorce to examine shifting societal attitudes about marriage and commitment)
• Understanding the mission, voice, and aesthetic of the target publication ensures the angle fits the outlet
  • An angle that might be ideal for a cerebral literary magazine could fall flat in a breezy lifestyle blog (a deeply philosophical musing on the nature of time would be better suited to the former than the latter)
• Angles that advance the publication's editorial agenda or special issue themes are more likely to be greenlit
  • Familiarizing oneself with the publication's recent features and upcoming initiatives provides insight into what angles might complement their content strategy (pitching a story about the history of a lesser-known Olympic sport for a sports magazine's special issue previewing the upcoming games)
• Highly shareable angles that spark conversation or inspire further reader engagement are increasingly valuable in the digital media landscape
  • Crafting angles with viral potential, without resorting to sensationalism, is a key skill for 21st century feature writers (a thought-provoking take on a hot-button social issue that encourages readers to share their own perspectives in the comments section or on social media)

Creative Thinking for Story Ideas

Brainstorming Techniques

• Brainstorming is an essential tool for feature angle ideation
  • Mind mapping involves visually diagramming the connections between different aspects of a topic to identify unexplored relationships or storylines
  • Free writing entails writing continuously without stopping to edit, allowing the mind to make surprising leaps and associations that can lead to fresh angles
  • Question storming, or rapidly generating as many questions as possible about a topic, can help writers identify knowledge gaps or curiosities that could be turned into angles
• Shifting perspectives is a powerful way to find new angles
  • Writers can view the story through the lens of different stakeholders (a major corporate merger from the perspective of employees rather than executives), time periods (examining a contemporary issue through its historical antecedents), or contrasting contexts (comparing how a social problem manifests in urban versus rural communities) to spark ideas
• Introducing constraints or "what if" scenarios pushes the brain to make unusual connections, which can lead to imaginative angles
  • Envisioning a world where a key story element is altered or amplified can yield innovative approaches (imagining how a city might change if a long-promised infrastructure project had actually been completed on schedule)
• Researching beyond obvious sources provides fodder for story angles others may have overlooked
  • Specialized publications (trade journals), archives (historical society records), or expert interviews (conversations with academics studying an obscure aspect of the topic) can uncover the seeds of fresh angles
  • Curiosity and relentless digging are essential for finding hidden gem angles

Stepping Outside Comfort Zones

• Actively seeking out experiences, people, or stories that challenge the writer's assumptions or biases creates space for unexpected angles to emerge
  • Stepping outside one's comfort zone can provide valuable new vantage points (a staunchly conservative writer spending time with a progressive activist group to understand their motivations, or an urban reporter visiting a rural town facing economic hardship)
• Intentionally pursuing stories that make the writer uncomfortable, or that they feel unqualified to tackle, can push them to find angles that transcend clichés or stereotypes
  • Wrestling with the complexities and contradictions of an issue, rather than relying on conventional wisdom or easy narratives, often yields more nuanced and compelling angles (a writer exploring the opioid crisis discovering that many addicts developed dependencies after being prescribed painkillers for legitimate injuries, challenging the stereotype of the "junkie")
• Cultivating a sense of empathy and a genuine interest in perspectives different from one's own is essential for finding angles that humanize and illuminate
  • Angles that emerge from a place of open-minded curiosity and a desire to understand tend to be more authentic and revelatory than those imposed by a writer's preconceived notions or agendas (a feature on the experiences of refugees that focuses on their resilience and aspirations rather than solely on their trauma and victimhood)

Analyzing Effective Angles

Deconstructing Exemplary Features

• Close reading of acclaimed feature stories, across a range of styles and subjects, provides insight into the architecture of effective angles
  • Dissecting how the angle is introduced (often through an emblematic anecdote or scene), substantiated (with supporting evidence and storylines), and resolved (in a way that feels satisfying and resonant) can reveal replicable techniques
• Identifying the central question, theme, or tension that drives exemplary features can help writers understand what makes an angle compelling
  • These elements create a sense of stakes or momentum that propels the narrative (a profile of a controversial artist that grapples with the question of whether great art can be separated from the flawed human who created it)
• Noting storytelling devices like scene-setting, character development, and metaphor in strong features illustrates how angles are brought to life on the page
  • Vivid, specific details make an angle feel tangible and relatable (describing the cluttered workshop where an eccentric inventor tinkers with their creations, using sensory details to immerse the reader in the environment)
• Evaluating how masterful feature writers pivot between angles or weave multiple angles together provides models for nuanced storytelling
  • This can help writers avoid oversimplifying complex topics or missing opportunities for secondary angles (a story about a major scientific breakthrough that explores both the potential benefits and the ethical quandaries it raises)

Learning from Diverse Examples

• Studying features across multiple publications and genres helps writers understand how angles can be tailored to different audience expectations, editorial styles, and subject areas
  • Successful angles often align with the sensibilities and intentions of the outlet (a wry, irreverent angle for a pop culture website versus a earnest, humanistic angle for a social justice magazine)
• Analyzing features outside one's preferred genre or beat can provide fresh inspiration and cross-pollination of ideas
  • A profile writer might borrow techniques from travel writing to bring a vivid sense of place to a piece, or an investigative journalist might adapt storytelling devices from narrative nonfiction to create a more immersive reading experience
• Deconstructing the angles of stories that didn't quite land for the reader can be just as instructive as studying the angles of favorites
  • Identifying where an angle fell short (perhaps it was too broad, too esoteric, or too predictable) can help writers avoid similar pitfalls in their own work
• Comparing multiple features on the same topic can illustrate the range of possible angles and the importance of finding a distinctive approach
  • If every other writer is using the same obvious angle, it's a sign to dig deeper and find a more original take (instead of writing another profile lionizing a celebrity's achievements, focusing on a pivotal failure or challenge that shaped their trajectory)

Crafting Resonant Angles

Connecting to Broader Themes and Conversations

• Angles that tie into broader cultural conversations, tap into zeitgeist moments, or explore universal human themes tend to have wide appeal
  • Framing stories through these lenses can make even niche topics feel relevant to general audiences (using a profile of a professional gamer to explore issues of mental health and burnout in the digital age)
• Identifying the deeper implications or resonances of a story can help elevate a narrow angle into something more expansive and meaningful
  • Asking "so what?" and "why now?" can push writers to find the larger significance of their angle (exploring how a local battle over a proposed big-box store reflects wider anxieties about globalization and the erosion of community identity)
• Grounding an angle in timeless human experiences or emotions, even if the specific story is tied to a particular moment or place, can give it a more enduring quality
  • Readers are drawn to stories that illuminate something fundamental about the human condition, whether it's love, loss, betrayal, resilience, or the search for meaning (a story about a high-stakes political campaign that focuses on the candidate's marriage and family life, revealing universal truths about the sacrifices and compromises people make for their ambitions)

Crafting Shareable and Engaging Angles

• Highly shareable angles that spark conversation or inspire further reader engagement are increasingly valuable in the digital media landscape
  • Crafting angles with viral potential, without resorting to sensationalism or clickbait, is a key skill for 21st century feature writers (a nuanced take on a hot-button issue that avoids easy answers and encourages readers to grapple with the complexities)
• Angles that provoke a strong emotional response, challenge conventional thinking, or offer a fresh take on a familiar topic are more likely to be shared and discussed
  • Features that make readers feel something deeply, question their assumptions, or see the world in a new way have a better chance of cutting through the noise and making an impact (a story about a death row inmate that humanizes them and challenges readers' beliefs about crime and punishment)
• Anticipating and addressing potential counterarguments or objections to an angle can make it feel more credible and well-rounded
  • Acknowledging the limitations or uncertainties of an angle, rather than glossing over them, can paradoxically strengthen its persuasive power (a piece making the case for a controversial new public policy that directly addresses the most common criticisms and explains why they're misguided or overstated)
• Ending a feature with a thought-provoking question, a call to action, or a memorable image that encapsulates the angle can encourage further reflection and engagement
  • Giving readers something to ponder or act on after they finish reading can extend the impact and shareability of the piece (concluding a story about the plight of a disappearing indigenous language with a stirring quote from one of its last surviving speakers, urging readers to help preserve endangered tongues and cultures)