More than just a list of achievements, it should paint a "word portrait" of the subject.
From "America's Best Newspaper Writing":
"If one goal of the feature writer is to find the human being behind the celebrity, another is to discover what is worth celebrating in the life of uncommonly common men and women."
Elements of a profile: - Name, identification of subject.
- Background, including age and hometown.
- Reason for profile. Is there a news peg?
- Anecdotes and incidents.
- Physical description of subject.
- Observations of subject, woven into scene-setting.
- Ample quotes, put high in story.
- Quotations as well from secondary sources, people who know the primary subject and can provide additional insights and information.
- A beginning, middle and end
Profiles should be written from the standpoint of an observer, NOT in first-person.
They should be DESCRIPTIVE,
but still OBJECTIVE.
Al Tompkins, Poynter Institute:
"Let the characters evoke emotions, express feelings, and give opinions in their soundbites. The journalists' copy should contain objective words, facts, and truths."
Example:The principal hated what the teacher said.
vs.While the teacher spoke, the principal left the room shaking his head.
Where to get ideas: - "writing off the news"
- tell a friend
- brain-training
Putting your subject to the test:
- Is s/he interesting enough to carry a story for up to 20 inches?
- What about him/her is unusual or different?
- And what's universal?
- Are you personally interested?
- Can you FOCUS your topic to a manageable chunk?
- Is s/he quotable? If not, can you find secondary sources to do the talking?
- Are there great scene-setting opportunities available