Open any report and you’ll see the problem: a wall of numbers. Percentages, graphs, trend lines. Useful, yes — but for most readers, lifeless. Raw data has the strange effect of shutting our eyes even as it tries to open them. We know the figures matter, but without context, they rarely move us.

Feature writing thrives on curiosity, character, and narrative depth. Whether you’re a journalist, content writer, or creative nonfiction author, the strongest features are built around people and the human-interest angles that bring issues to life. Below are 20 proven types of feature stories, drawn from Bruce Garrison’s Professional Feature Writing and Susan Pape & Susan Featherstone’s Feature Writing: A Practical Introduction. Each one offers a doorway into compelling, memorable writing.

One of the most common confusions among writers is the difference between the types of editing. Ask five people and you may get five answers: “Developmental editing is structure,” “Line editing is grammar,” “Copyediting is just proofreading.” In truth, each of these labels describes a specific layer of intervention that builds on the one before it.

Writers should thoroughly research publications before submitting.