Photo Composition

 Avoiding Mergers

 Framing

 Simplicity

 Lines

 Rule of Thirds

Balance

Feature Story Project

Part 1:

Brown’s Royal pedigree shines

http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/AustinAmericanStatesmanNIE/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=QUFTLzIwMTMvMTIvMjk.&pageno=MjM.&entity=QXIwMjMwMQ..&view=ZW50aXR5

Lead:

Sixteen years ago, Texas came to North Carolina in search of the next Darrell Royal.

   With a few glaring exceptions of bold, on-the-field strategy, the Longhorns found him in Mack Brown.

I think this is a personality feature story since the story is basically an in depth analysis of Mack Brown's career as head coach of Texas. 

Part 2:

5 Best Details - 

• "A beat of nothingness"
•  "The players rocked on their cleats"
•  "...wiped sweat from their faces, swigged blue Powerade from paper cups."
•  "The big running back clasped his hands in his lap and bit the hem of the collar of his jersey"
•  "The coach was calm, wholly paternal, with measured words of reassuring faith."

Feature Story Analysis

1.  Ted Williams was wearing a camo coat with a hoodie underneath and a pair of jeans. His hair is all over the place and he has facial hair, both of which look unkept. Lastly, his teeth are yellowed.
2. Ted Williams has a very smooth voice and sounds like he should be a radio announcer or something of the like. His voice is similar to Morgan Freeman in that it sounds perfect for voiceovers. 
3. When the reporter finds him, Williams is standing at an intersection with a sign asking for money. 
4. Williams is newsworthy because he caters to human interest. Instead of being what you think he would be since he's homeless, Williams is actually a guy with a great voice and who's really trying to stay clean and get back on his feet. Most people really like stories like this since they're heartwarming.
5. Three Details: He's been two years sober, he attended broadcasting school, and he rejected offers to relocate to a shelter. 

Feature Story Notes

Types of Features

• Personality - A profile of an unusual or outstanding person.
• News Feature - An up-close angle on a recent news story.
• Human Interest - Stories with a heartwarming twist, drama, or unique turn on human lives.
• Occasional Pieces - Based on holidays or special events, yet taking an unfamiliar slant. 
• Historical Feature - A story based on a current event or person that has a unique connection to the past. 
• Informative Feature - A story based on information your readers need to know. (News you can use). 
• First-hand Experience - A story based on the first hand account of a unique experience. 
• Consumer Report - A story based on the investigation of a product or service. 
• Background Feature - A story that gives readers an insider or a "behind the scenes" account of a person or event.

Characteristics of Feature Stories

• Timelessness
• Creative Style
• Unlimited Subject Possibilities

Feature Writing Guidelines

• Show, don't tell
• Personalize and localize
• Find the angle
• Built on good quotes
• Provide resolution
• Use examples to illustrate
• Look for details
• What did it look like?
• What did it smell like?
• What did it taste like?
• What did it feel like?
• What did it sound like?

My 2013 Top 10 List

My Favorite Hip Hop Albums of 2013

10. Because the Internet - Childish Gambino

9. Trap Lord - A$AP Ferg

8. Yeezus - Kanye West

7.  LONG.LIVE.A$AP - A$AP Rocky

6. Legends Never Die - R.A. The Rugged Man

5. Doris - Earl Sweatshirt

4. Marshall Mathers LP 2 - Eminem

3. Old - Danny Brown

2. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels

1. My Name Is My Name - Pusha T

2013 in Review

World Events - Yahoo 2013 Year in Review

This is a list of the top-searched news stories of 2013 by Yahoo. I think the most interesting thing on the list was the story of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Celebrity News - Celebs who shined on Twitter in 2013

This is a list of the celebrities who racked up the most followers in 2013 and 10 noteworthy celebrities who joined Twitter in 2013. I think the most interesting thing on the list was Michelle Obama barely joining in on Twitter last year.

Famous Deaths - Celebrity Deaths in 2013: Stars We've Lost

This is a list of celebrities that passed away in 2013. The interesting thing to me on the list was Roger Ebert's death.

Entertainment (Movies, Music, etc.) - Spotify reveals 2013's most-streamed artists

This is a list of the most streamed tracks and artists on the music streaming service, Spotify. I think the most interesting thing on the list is Drake being the most streamed artist.

Extreme Weather - The 5 top U.S. weather stories of 2013

This is a list of the top U.S. weather stories. I think the most interesting thing on the list was the low number of hurricanes and tornadoes last year.

Photos - Photos of the year - 2013

This is Yahoo's list of the best photos of 2013. I think the most interesting photo on the list was the 23rd one of the teachers carrying the children away from a school that was destroyed by the Oklahoma tornadoes.

My Choice - Top 10 Video Games

This is a list of the best video games of 2013. I think the most interesting thing about the list was "The Last of Us" being all the way at #6.