Revision Step 3: The Lead & Closing
You know the importance of first impressions, right? You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. This idea is the same when you are writing. Your lead (or opening, or introduction), is the first impression the author will have of your letter. It is important to have a "hook" to grab his or her attention. The closing is just as important in your letter. This is your opportunity to leave the author with the final words he or she will remember long after finishing your letter.
Follow these two steps to make sure your lead and closing are the best they can be. Make sure all of the revisions you make are in green.
1) Lead: Write an attention grabbing sentence that leads the reader into your letter. Here are a few ideas:
~ Begin with a quote that is related to your main idea
~ Begin with a question to make your reader curious
~ Begin with an anecdote (a short story told to make a point
~ Begin with a one word sentence
~ Begin with a surprising fact or statistic
~ Begin with a dramatic or mysterious lead
~ Begin with an interesting description to create an image
~ Begin with a moral, motto, or truism
*Never begin with "Hello, my name is" or "In my letter I am going to tell you about..."
2) Closing: Write a closing paragraph that mirrors the lead and reminds the author of the personal connection you have with the book.
~ Look back at what you wrote for your lead. Find a key idea to repeat (or mirror) in your closing. Make sure to include this in a sentence.
~ Look back at the personal connection you make in your letter (a character, conflict or theme from the book) and include a sentence about it in your closing.
Follow these two steps to make sure your lead and closing are the best they can be. Make sure all of the revisions you make are in green.
1) Lead: Write an attention grabbing sentence that leads the reader into your letter. Here are a few ideas:
~ Begin with a quote that is related to your main idea
~ Begin with a question to make your reader curious
~ Begin with an anecdote (a short story told to make a point
~ Begin with a one word sentence
~ Begin with a surprising fact or statistic
~ Begin with a dramatic or mysterious lead
~ Begin with an interesting description to create an image
~ Begin with a moral, motto, or truism
*Never begin with "Hello, my name is" or "In my letter I am going to tell you about..."
2) Closing: Write a closing paragraph that mirrors the lead and reminds the author of the personal connection you have with the book.
~ Look back at what you wrote for your lead. Find a key idea to repeat (or mirror) in your closing. Make sure to include this in a sentence.
~ Look back at the personal connection you make in your letter (a character, conflict or theme from the book) and include a sentence about it in your closing.