A writing lesson by: Ms. Deckard Beautiful Beginnings! A writing lesson by: Ms. Deckard

The Tale of Two Papers! My report is on the conspiracies relating to the Titanic disaster. I am going to tell you about the twenty second theory. In addition, I am going to tell you about the theory of the mummy. Finally, I am going to tell you about the switch theory. This is my report.

YAWN… Now, let’s look at another opening paragraph…

“Amateurs built the arc; professionals built the Titanic “Amateurs built the arc; professionals built the Titanic.” That phrase has been around since the 1912 Titanic disaster. However, just how smart were the designers, crew, and even the passengers of the Titanic? Were they smart enough to pull off some of the biggest conspiracies in maritime history? Let’s look at three of the biggest conspiracies surrounding the Titanic: the twenty second theory, the mummy theory, and, probably the most interesting of all, the switch theory. After hearing these theories, judge for yourself: was the Titanic just a “disaster” or was it something more…sinister?

Much better… Okay, so maybe the Titanic doesn’t interest you at all. But wouldn’t you rather read the second essay than the first? The writer of the second article used something called a “Beautiful Beginning” to HOOK the reader in.

BB or a “Hook” A hook is the first thing that catches your attention. Just like in fishing, you are trying to “catch” a reader. Why write something if you don’t want someone else to eventually read it?

BB or “The Hook” The Hook can take even the most boring topic and draw people in. A good Hook makes your writing pop out of the ordinary and makes the reader want to read more. Just like Pringles…once you “pop” (an introduction” the reader can’t “stop!”

So, how do you do it? You can create a beautiful beginning or hook using several different methods. Again, the key is to make your reader interested in what you have to say. So, you want to make your first sentence pop out at them. The following slides list some examples of how you can do just that!

A Fact Did you know that you can begin an essay with some sort of interesting fact? For example, let’s take our Titanic paper. The Titanic, once called the ship of dreams, now rests on the bottom of the ocean, two miles from the surface. Facts should be simple, interesting, straightforward, and hint what the paper is about.

A Question You may choose to “hook” the reader in with a question. The question should reference something that the reader is going to find out later on in the paper. So, a paper about the sixties may start out with this: Did you know that the 1960’s is largely considered to be the United State’s most turbulent decade?

A Quotation A quotation can also be added to hook a reader in. A paper about Abraham Lincoln could start off with… Four score and seven years ago…”

A Joke Adding a joke at the beginning of a paper is also a neat way to hook a reader. What is the difference between a hockey mom and a bulldog? Lipstick, or at least that is according to Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee. Be careful not to insult your reader with this one. Some jokes just aren’t funny.

Anecdote An anecdote is a lot like a joke, but here you tell a story. It is a great way to connect with the reader and to hook them in. I don’t know a lot of words. If I had been better in vocabulary and had known the difference between antidote and anecdote, maybe my best buddy would still be alive.

A Vivid Description Creating a vivid image for the reader can also hook them in. If a person can visualize something, they will be more likely to identify with it. If they identify with it, they will be more likely to read it. Take a look at the next slide for some vivid imaging. This one takes time and effort but the payoff is usually pretty great!

Through the dark blue and gray of the ocean floor, a light suddenly hits upon an impressive site. There, a massive structure of steel looms overhead. Her paint has faded, but her name remains on the side, barely whispering her identity to the world-Titanic. The sea around her is dead calm and totally silent. The only sound is your own thoughts, quietly uttering the names of the passengers who sailed on her.

Exclamation (Interjections) Strong feelings are a good way to hook your reader because it instantly makes them conscious of the writer’s world. This is a way to instantly create emotion in your story and entice the reader to continue on. Example: UGH! Oh, no! Not again! Those are just some of the statements people can hear when they enter our school cafeteria on tuna surprise day.

Combos In addition to using any of these methods, you can also use combinations of these beautiful beginnings to really make your writing “pop.” There are several other methods, as well. Onomatopoeia, vivid verbs, adjective lists, etc…can all be used to make your introduction more interesting.

So, in conclusion Beautiful Beginnings is a term that you can use to make your writing more appealing to your reader. “Hooking” a reader means to grab and hold the reader’s interest. Beginning sentences that POP are effective at holding a reader’s interest. There are several types of Beautiful Beginnings to choose from. You can use them alone or in combination.

Make your writing “POP” Using Beautiful Beginnings makes people interested in what you have to say. Making your writing interesting is a key of being a good writer. Otherwise, instead of “popping” and making your reader excited…you will bore your reader and make him or her…

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