The Lead Paragraph - How to Hook the Reader in 25 words or less!
In a news story, it's called a lead. In a novel, it's called a prologue. In a TV screenplay, it's the teaser. No matter what you call it, the introduction is one of the most important parts in a piece of writing. If the opening is boring or unfocused, too long or too short, the reader won't bother to read any further. An effective opening, on the other hand, delivers a one-two punch: It grabs the reader's attention and it suggests the main idea or theme of the story to follow.
Dear Bette Green,
Some people stay the same after reading a book. But your book tossed my brain all around. The risk you took in writing The Drowning of Stephen Jones makes me want to take a risk...change the way I think. That's why I am in this facility. I've had trouble changing. Because of books like yours, I want to speak out against racism and the people who hate people without even knowing them. ~ David
David's letter surprised the judges twice. First, his use of language caught our attention. It was both interesting and conversational. David's phrase "Your book tossed my brains all around" reflects his voice, the way he might talk to the author if he met her in person.
Second, David revealed something private about himself in writing "That's why I am in this facility." We could not resist. We had to read on to learn more. And in fact, David's letter did answer why he had been incarcerated in a juvenile detention center. Sharing something personal about yourself in a letter can be difficult. But that's not the only way to deliver a one-two punch. Three other ways to hook the reader's attention include beginning with:
(1) an anecdote (very short personal story) that relates to a character or event in the book
(2) a before-and-after comparison (how you thought before then after reading the book)
(3) an interest or quality you share with the author or one of the characters in the book
Example:
It's mere ink on paper. That's all. Just a "by-the-way-I-have-to-remind-Herbert-to-buy-milk-at-the-supermarket" scribble. But it lifts you up and throws you crashing to the ground. By jotting down ideas of life and love into a forty-six line poem you, Andrew, stormed into my safe bedroom chamber and aroused me from by deep sleep. You taught me there is a difference between alive and living. ~ Jane
Click here to complete this activity.
Dear Bette Green,
Some people stay the same after reading a book. But your book tossed my brain all around. The risk you took in writing The Drowning of Stephen Jones makes me want to take a risk...change the way I think. That's why I am in this facility. I've had trouble changing. Because of books like yours, I want to speak out against racism and the people who hate people without even knowing them. ~ David
David's letter surprised the judges twice. First, his use of language caught our attention. It was both interesting and conversational. David's phrase "Your book tossed my brains all around" reflects his voice, the way he might talk to the author if he met her in person.
Second, David revealed something private about himself in writing "That's why I am in this facility." We could not resist. We had to read on to learn more. And in fact, David's letter did answer why he had been incarcerated in a juvenile detention center. Sharing something personal about yourself in a letter can be difficult. But that's not the only way to deliver a one-two punch. Three other ways to hook the reader's attention include beginning with:
(1) an anecdote (very short personal story) that relates to a character or event in the book
(2) a before-and-after comparison (how you thought before then after reading the book)
(3) an interest or quality you share with the author or one of the characters in the book
Example:
It's mere ink on paper. That's all. Just a "by-the-way-I-have-to-remind-Herbert-to-buy-milk-at-the-supermarket" scribble. But it lifts you up and throws you crashing to the ground. By jotting down ideas of life and love into a forty-six line poem you, Andrew, stormed into my safe bedroom chamber and aroused me from by deep sleep. You taught me there is a difference between alive and living. ~ Jane
Click here to complete this activity.