The feature story is a potent and vital form of literary non-fiction. Here, Anthony Cockerill charts its evolution through the years.
Of all the different ways to tell stories, the feature article is one of the most compelling, especially when it’s in the right hands. It’s a mainstay of contemporary journalism: a set-piece at the core of a periodical amidst the recurring content, opinion columns and advertisements. A good feature story is authentic, without artifice or illusion, even though it can be as immersive as any great novel.
The feature article has more in common with the essay than traditional reportage, but unlike most essays, it is more akin to narrative. It makes productive use of story-telling strategies usually found in…
Want to improve your writing? Flash fiction is a great way to start.
The enduring appeal of short stories
‘Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.’ Neil Gaiman.
In one form or another, the short story has always been with us. Ancient myths, legends, oral narratives, fairytales and fables are arguably the precursor of the modern short story. …
The forest trail is gently yielding. And the forest is a place where the imagination is allowed to wander too.
The woods of the North York Moors are, without doubt, my favourite place to walk. Yes, a hike up a fell in the dales is sometimes just the job — a formidable trek as the lowlands give way to exposed limestone hunks; a narrowing path and brittle air; an ascent into cloud and moisture.
But the forest trail is gently yielding. And the forest is a place where the imagination is allowed to wander too, a place of eerie depths where the mind tends to work overtime, provoking pleasantly sublime instincts.
My favourite forest walk starts in the secluded village…
Anthony Cockerill
Writing, the written word and teaching English. ‘Stay[ing] gold.’ www.anthonycockerill.com
