How to write and pitch features with Kira Cochrane and Tom Lamont

Learn how to pitch story ideas to editors and craft beautifully written pieces – with two of the Guardian’s most experienced journalists

Features are a fantastic way for writers to get to grips with a subject and express their personality. Whether you’re considering a career as a features writer, or want to improve a piece you’re working on, this masterclass offers expert advice on how to stand out from the crowd. During the course, you’ll learn how to impress editors with story ideas, as well as how to craft a beautifully written story that will keep readers captivated.

This fun and informative class is led by features writer and editor Kira Cochrane, currently acting editor of the Guardian’s Comment is Free section, and Tom Lamont, one of the Guardian and Observer’s most prolific and engaging feature writers. In the space of just three hours, Kira and Tom will demystify the whole process of writing features – from how to approach commissioning editors, to how to gather detail for your story and file high-quality copy. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn from two of the Guardian’s most experienced journalists – book your place now and make a commitment to improving your craft.

Course content

• How to construct the perfect pitch email to a commissioning editor
• What kind of stories you should be pitching to get your foot in the door
• How open journalism has created opportunities for new voices to emerge
• How to impress editors you really want to work with
• Important advice on how to keep going in the face of rejection
• What differentiates a feature from other forms of journalism (such as a news report or a comment piece)
• Crafting a beautifully written feature
• Tips on how to write with personality, colour and detail
• How to gather detail for your feature, how to use it in your writing – and why it makes a difference
• Q&A – a great chance to pick the brains of a Guardian writer and a commissioning editor

This course is for you if…

• You're a young or aspiring journalist who wants to learn more about the art and mechanics of feature writing
• You want a better understanding of how to pitch to commissioning editors – and what they're looking for
• You write a blog and want to get published in traditional media
• You're a working journalist who wants to expand your skillset and get a fresh perspective on your writing

Tutor profiles

Kira Cochrane joined the Guardian in 2006 as women's editor, became a features writer in 2010, and has been acting editor of Comment is Free since December 2014. She’s written two novels, edited the Guardian anthology Women of the Revolution and co-edited Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs. In 2013, All the Rebel Women, her account of the modern feminist movement, was published as part of the Guardian Shorts series.

Tom Lamont writes features for the Guardian and the Observer. Over the last year he’s profiled a man who believes we're all about to be destroyed by killer meteorites, as well as Dolly Parton, a Premier League footballer and the boyband One Direction.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website