Writing Leads

By: Renee Burress

What is a
lead?
A lead is the
beginning
of your story.
A good lead catches the
reader’s attention,
making them want to
read on. It also makes
the writer want to write
more.
Different Types
of Leads
• Question Lead
• Set-up Lead
• Talking Lead
• Snapshot Lead
Question Lead
Draw your reader in
with a question.
 Set-Up Lead
Set up the action for
the entire story in a few
sentences.
 Talking
Lead
Start with a line or two of
dialogue.
Snapshot Lead
Create a picture of the
setting or a character
in the reader’s mind.
 How can you use some of these
ideas in your biography?
 Question: Have you ever had a best friend?
 Set-up: I could have never made it through the
year without my best friend.
 Talking: “Why are you crying?” Sam asked.
“I’ve lost my papers and don’t know what to do!”
 Snapshot: I sat staring out the window when my
telephone rang. I was watching the raindrops
slide down my window. Suddenly the phone rang
and I saw it was my best friend.