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- To accomplish brevity (ideally, a lede should consist of less than thirty words), choose strong, vivid nouns and verbs, eschew verbosity and redundancy, and make every word count. To test the lede, read it aloud, and omit adjectives, adverbs, and wordy constructions — and, especially in these search-engine-driven times, focus on keywords.
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May 22, 2017 · There is more competition for a potential reader’s attention now than ever before, but you can rise to the challenge and capture readers from the start. Cast aside fear, kick doubt in the face, and write a simple, emotionally engaging, conflict-filled lead paragraph that demands to be reckoned with.
- Straight news lead. Just the facts, please, and even better if interesting details and context are packed in. This kind of lead works well for hard news and breaking news.
- Anecdotal lead. This type of lead uses an anecdote to illustrate what the story is about. Here’s a powerful anecdotal lead to a story about Brazil’s murder rate and gun laws by NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro
- Scene-setting lead. Byrd Pinkerton, a 2016 NPR intern, didn’t set foot in this obscure scholarly haven, but you’d never guess it from the way she draws readers into her story
- First-person lead. The first-person lead should be used sparingly. It means you, the writer, are immediately a character in your own story. For purists, this is not a comfortable position.
Oct 16, 2012 · To be specific, remember who and its friends. Pick one, or another question, to answer, and wrap the lede around it. To accomplish brevity (ideally, a lede should consist of less than thirty words), choose strong, vivid nouns and verbs, eschew verbosity and redundancy, and make every word count.
- Tips For Writing A Lead
- What to Avoid
- Types of Leads
- Examples
The Five W’s and H:Before writing a lead, decide which aspect of the story – who, what, when, where, why, how – is most important. You should emphasize those aspects in your lead. Wait to explain l...Conflict:Good stories have conflict. So do many good leads.Specificity:Though you are essentially summarizing information in most leads, try to be specific as possible. If your lead is too broad, it won’t be informative or interesting.Brevity: Readers want to know why the story matters to them and they won’t wait long for the answer. Leads are often one sentence, sometimes two. Generally, they are 25 to 30 words and should rarel...Flowery language:Many beginning writers make the mistake of overusing adverbs and adjectives in their leads. Concentrate instead on using strong verbs and nouns.Unnecessary words or phrases:Watch out for unintentional redundancy. For example, 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, or very unique. You can’t afford to waste space in a news story, especially in the lead...Formulaic leads:Because a lot of news writing is done on deadline, the temptation to write tired leads is strong. Resist it. Readers want information, but they also want to be entertained. Your lea...It:Most editors frown on leads that begin with the word it because it is not precise and disorients the reader.Summary lead:This is perhaps the most traditional lead in news writing. It is often used for breaking news. A story about a city council vote might use this “just the facts” approach. Straight news leads tend to provide answers to the most important three or four of the Five W’s and H. Historically this type of lead has been used to convey who, wha...
Summary lead: County administrator faces ouster By Tony Cook for The Cincinnati Post, Jan. 14, 2005 Commentary:This lead addresses the traditional who, what and when. If this information had been reported on TV or radio the day before, this lead might not be a good one for the print edition of the newspaper; however, if the reporter had an exclusiv...
Aug 9, 2024 · As my journalism professors explained, the lead paragraph should contain as many of the five Ws (who, what, when, where, why) and Hs (How) as possible. A good rule of thumb is to include at...
Aug 13, 2024 · Want to level up your lead writing? Our in-depth guide covers the do's and don'ts and some top examples to help.
Jan 11, 2023 · Enter the lead: a single sentence, paragraph, or section that summarizes the who, what, where, when, why, and how of your story. Think of leads as being like teaser trailers for movies. You get a sense of what the movie is about, yet the teaser leaves you wanting more. A great lead does the same.
