mportant part of a story

3  What is a good news lead? Should be brief, no more than 25-35 words. Write tight. Should get the
reader’s attention in an appropriate way Should tell reader where you got the info, if necessary

4  What is a good news lead? Start with the MOST important information Covers the who, what,
where, when, why and how of the news Use third person. Just the facts.

5  What’s a bad news lead? Cluttered with lots of unfamiliar names Starts with dates or numbers Uses
too much passive voice (is, was, were, have, had, etc.) Is too “generic” or not specific to the story

6  News Lead Writing No-Nos Avoid chronological order of events (rarely does the most exciting thing
happen first at any event) Avoid second person “you” or first person “I” or “we”

7  Lead Writing No-Nos Avoid stating the obvious (“Winter is here”) Avoid starting with a question or
quotes (they’re vague and usually not that thought-provoking) Avoid using the name of your school
(the name is on the cover, right?)

8  Lead Writing No-Nos Avoid cliches Avoid opinion When & Where W’s usually not the most
important

9  News Lead Rubric Does the lead summarize the main facts of the story in 1-2 sentences? Is it
concise, direct and interesting? Does the lead avoid expressing the writer’s opinion? Does the lead
start with the most important information first? Has the writer avoided questions and quotes in the
lead? Is the lead free of errors?

10  Lead writing activity For each of the following leads, discuss one strength and one weakness of
the lead. Look back through your list of do’s and don’ts so you understand what to expect.

11  Sample Lead 1 A reminder to those who enjoy new recordings. The South library has 22 new
compact discs that it’s willing to loan out! All students are invited to come and look them over!

12  Sample Lead 2 Some kids at South took the state assessments.

13  Sample Lead 3 At long last, the citizens of Smithville opened their pocketbooks in recognition of
the value of higher education. Yesterday they demonstrated their faith in the youth of America by
approving a $5-million bond issue for a new high school.

14  Sample Lead 4 Seven children and seven adults died in a plane crash Sunday in Butte, Montana,
according to the FAA.

15  Sample Lead 5 Your Student Council is considering several new projects.

16  Sample Lead 6 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go snow boarding at Snow
Creek?

17  Your Assignment Working with a partner, write a lead based on the following information.
Remember the “rules” we discussed. Write your lead on paper & be prepared to share.

18  Your Assignment Who: Three passengers were injured What: A private plane crashed When:
Friday night, 9:12 p.m. Where: The Mudflap River behind Mudflap Airport Why: A bolt of lightning
struck the plane, killing the engine
Model for feature article genre
(Non-Fiction )

A feature article is an opinionative piece of writing that provides

background
information on, and adds interest to, a current news story or topic
of public
concern. Feature articles are most commonly found i
n newspapers and
magazines
The writer uses an opinionative style to elaborate on specific
features or a
topic for a reader’s information and interest.
Purpose
Style

Inform

Offer opinion

Provide
background

Interest
reader

Informative

Opinionative

inte
rpretative
Components

provocative

audience
interest
EYE CATCHING HEADLINE

current interests or
personality

large print

involve
audience

introduce
theme
INTRODUCTION TO TOPIC

background
information

place topic in
context

writer’s
opinions

others
’
opinions
DEVELOPMENT OF TOPIC

witness or expert
support

elaboration of
theme

recommendat
ion
CONCLUSION

possible outcomes
Additional components:
byline, photos/illustrations, provocative/emotional, print
variation, captions, narrative style
Presentation on theme: "Writing a Good Lead English. What is a Lead
(Lede)? A lead or lede (as it is sometimes referred to in journalism) is an
attention grabbing opening to."— Presentation transcript:
1  Writing a Good Lead English
2  What is a Lead (Lede)? A lead or lede (as it is sometimes referred to in journalism) is an
attention grabbing opening to an introduction in an essay. It sometimes is only mildly related to the
thesis. There are many different types of leads, and each one has its strengths and weakensses.

3  Example Introduction Brrrrrrring! The alarm clock sounds in my ear. I grab the clock and throw it
against the wall, and let out a loud groan. Another Monday morning has arrived, and I never
opened a book all weekend. What if Mr. Johnson gives another one of his diabolical pop tests
today? Suddenly I feel too sick to eat breakfast. My poor study habits are giving me nervous
indigestion, ruining my self-confidence, and destroying my hopes for a college scholarship.

4  This is the lead: Brrrrrrring! The alarm clock sounds in my ear. I grab the clock and throw it
against the wall, and let out a loud groan. Another Monday morning has arrived, and I never
opened a book all weekend. What if Mr. Johnson gives another one of his diabolical pop tests
today? Suddenly I feel too sick to eat breakfast. My poor study habits are giving me nervous
indigestion, ruining my self-confidence, and destroying my hopes for a college scholarship.

5  What does a Lead Do? It grabs the reader’s attention. It gives you something to kickstart your
paper without having to be so serious right off the bat. It eases the reader into understanding your
thesis. It focuses your awareness of audience.

6  What kinds of Leads are there? Question ◦ Open with an interesting question that relates to the
main idea.  Example: Have you ever wondered how you would survive if you found yourself
alone in the wilderness? How would you defend yourself against predators? What would you eat?
Where would you find water? Riddle ◦ Open with a riddle that the reader can solve by reading
further. You may want to give the answer right away or save it for the conclusion.  Example:
What textbook has no pages, is miles wide, and smells like a creek? It's been around for millions
of years. That's right--Outdoor School.

7  What kinds of Leads are there? Bold and Challenging Statement ◦ A bold and challenging
statement is similar to an announcement, but is meant to cause some people to disagree with
what you say. It's like one side of an argument. It can be an opinion, but don't immediately state
that it is your opinion.  Example: Using horses and cattle in the sport of rodeo is animal abuse.
What makes it more aggravating is that it is legal. According to the law, there is nothing wrong with
chasing an animal down, tightening a rope around its neck, knocking it to the ground, and tying its
legs together so it cannot move.

8  What kinds of Leads are there? Definition ◦ Open with a definition of the term you are
discussing. It can be your own or come from a dictionary or textbook. If you take it from a
dictionary or textbook, be sure to use quotation marks and give credit to the source.  Example:
According to Webster's Dictionary, a government is the authority that serves the people and acts
on their behalf. How can the government know what the people want if the people do not vote? If
we do not vote, the government may act on its own behalf instead of on the behalf of the people.
Opinion ◦ Open with your opinion about the topic. This is similar to a bold and challenging
statement, but you let the reader know that it is your opinion right away. This method can be risky.
 Example: In my opinion, the driving age should be lowered to fourteen. Most teenagers are more
responsible than adults give us credit for being. Just because we are teenagers does not mean we
are irresponsible and dangerous.

9  What kinds of Leads are there? Well Known Quotation or Quotation from a Famous Person ◦
Open with a quotation that is well known or from a famous person. Be sure to put quotation marks
around the quotation and give credit to the person who said it. Of course, the quotation must be
directly related to your topic. A good source is a book of quotations or the Internet. Look in the
library or ask your teacher.  Example: President John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your
country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." I think today's Americans have
forgotten Kennedy's message. We expect our country to take care of us, but we are not taking
care of our country. Quotation from a Non-Famous Person ◦ Open with a quotation from a person
that is not famous. It could be a character from the story or someone you know personally. You
still must put it in quotation marks and give credit to the person who said it.  Example: When I
was a child, I was given the "mother's curse" by my mom. Oh, it is not anything mean or evil. She
just said, "When you have children, they will act just like you." I laughed. Well, now that I have
children of my own, I am not laughing anymore. The "mother's curse" really works!

10  What kinds of Leads are there? Personal Experience ◦ Open with something that has
happened to you, or a personal experience. It could be a part of the story, or it could be something
that is not a part of what you are writing about but still relates to the topic.  Example: Although I
did later in my room, I never cried at my grandfather's funeral. I guess that is why I felt so sad for
the little girl standing next to her grandma's coffin. She looked so lost and afraid. Figurative
Language ◦ Begin with a simile (comparison using like or as), metaphor (comparison saying one
thing is another thing), personification (giving something nonhuman human qualities), or hyperbole
(exaggeration.) The figurative language must relate directly to your topic.  Example: The pencil
sharpener was always hungry. It ate my pencil every time I went to sharpen it. It never seemed to
do this to anyone's pencil but mine. What was so special about my pencils?

11  What Kinds of Leads are there? Anecdote ◦ An anecdote is a brief story that ties into the main
topic of your essay. It may not be entirely clear at first how it relates to your topic, but it should be
short, easy to follow, and poignant.  Example: Johnny was out taking a walk in his neighborhood
on an ordinary Tuesday evening. As he rounded the corner, he spotted an elderly woman
struggling to carry home her groceries. Johnny didn’t know her, he had never seen her before in
his life, but he offered to help her carry the package home. Johnny’s random act of kindness didn’t
cost him anything but time, but it made a significant difference in that woman’s life.

12  What Kinds of Leads are there? Allusion ◦ An allusion is a reference to something in history,
religion, pop-culture, or literature that most of an essay’s audience will be familiar with.  Example:
Everyone has their nemesis. Frodo had Gollum. Harry had Voldemort. Luke had Darth Vader.
Your nemesis may be procrastination, apathy, or a bully at school.

13  What kinds of Leads are there? Surrounding your Thesis Statement ◦ Begin with a general
statement containing three or so ideas about your topic. The information given in the lead is
general, not specific, but comes both before and after your thesis statement in order to ease the
reader into the body of your piece.  Example: There are many characteristics that a good teacher
possesses. However, the three most important characteristics include being a good listener, being
knowledgeable about the subject, and having a kind heart. All of the teachers who positively
influenced me had all three of those characteristics in common.

14  What to Remember Just remember that Leads are supposed to be fun and interesting. The
thesis is the business end of the introduction. So, enjoy writing your leads. Be creative! And
always remember to keep your audience in mind. Good luck!