Q&A for How to Write a Human Interest Piece

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Question

What makes a good human interest feature story?

Gerald Posner
Author & Journalist
Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.

Gerald Posner

Author & Journalist

Expert Answer

Good human interest stories grab your attention—they leave you feeling a certain way, whether that's positive or negative. As a writer, it's essential to tell the reader what's unique about this particular story and why they should care about it.

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Question

How many words should the human interest story be?

Community Answer

Keep it as short as possible so that the audience won't get lost. Preferably about 3 - 5 minutes.

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Question

Can you give example of human interest story?

Tom De Backer

Top Answerer

A baby elephant being born in the local zoo; girl scouts helping in a search for a missing child; a contest for the city's best-decorated school; a review of a school's field trip to a museum.

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Question

Can a review also make a human interest story?

Community Answer

If you use the review to center a person or issue then it could be seen as human interest. Human interest means that it is of interest to people which is centered around people. So If you had a movie that talked about racial conflicts and the review hated the movie, it would be interesting to look at how the movie or review changed the environment by interviewing people that it affected.

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