Narrative Structure: The Backbone of Great Feature Stories
Formula as Foundation: The 4-Part Story
A story structure formula is a key that unlocks how to tell a story. With experience, reporters can develop several structures. But the classic one for a public radio feature includes four distinct parts.
Reporter Tom Banse used this 4-part structure to produce a story about storm trends in the Pacific Northwest. Click on each step below for a description of each part, and an audio example from his story.
Listen to the full story to hear how it all comes together.
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