Beginning Your Story Sometimes it may be difficult to know where to begin. Using a lead makes it easier. Talk about different types of leads that can be used. Apply them to our stories.

Cliff-Diving Lead Dive into the middle of your story and leave the reader wanting more. **This requires you to later use a flashback to catch the reader up. Ex: And suddenly everything stopped.

Snapshot Lead Create a picture in your reader’s mind. Ex: The wind blew silently, making the soft, green grass sway back and forth.

Dialogue Lead Start with a character speaking. Ex: “The Colony? What do you mean The Colony?” I exclaimed furiously as if the world was ending.

Thoughtshot Lead Start with a thought inside a character’s head. Ex: I couldn’t imagine why my father was hollering for me at 7:00 in the morning. I thought fast about what I might have done.

Action Lead Start with a main character doing something important or exciting. Ex: I gulped my milk, pushed away from the table, and bolted out of the kitchen, slamming the screen door behind me. Ex: My feet pounded on the old wood, carrying me toward the sound of my dad’s voice.

Onomatopoeia Lead Start with a sound. Ex: Bam! I smacked my head on the wall. **You also can combine some of these lead types into the same paragraph!

Writing Leads to Avoid!

AVOID the “It” Lead Don’t start with the word “it.” Ex: It was a beautiful day in The Colony. (What is “it” anyway? No one really knows, especially not your reader).

AVOID the Question Lead Don’t start with a question. Ex: Have you ever had anything bad happen to you? Readers work hard to create the illusion that they are participating in a story...as if it all is happening to them. This lead ruins the illusion.

AVOID the Definition Lead Don’t start with a definition. Ex: Webster’s dictionary defines the word “difficult” as… This is BORING and assumes your reader is stupid. Offended readers won’t continue to read.

AVOID the General Lead Don’t start with a simple statement about your topic. Ex: The memory that sticks out in my head from childhood… This also is boring and is a “DUH.” What other event would you write a PN about besides one that sticks out to you?

13 Think About It... Which of the leads that we have discussed do you find interesting? Explain why. Just in case you forgot... Snapshot, Thoughtshot, Dialogue, Cliff- Diving, Action, Onomatopoeia

#1 Identify Examples The air was sticky and made small drops of sweat bead up on my forehead. I’d just gotten outside under the burnt orange ball in the sky when I head a familiar voice call my name. When I looked back though I saw no one. I felt like the girl running in one of those scary movies.

#2 Identify Examples Under me I could hear the steady beat of my new Nikes hitting the pavement. I was racing by the houses on the street like a cheetah. I hurdled over the trash can because I had no time to stop. I was now moving so fast that the houses became a blur.

#3 Identify Examples Eeerrkkk…the door gently came open and she snapped her head up from her book. Maybe it was just the wind. Pssh, pssh, pssh…this time she swore she could hear footsteps. Elaine set her book down and took a look around the room. It was as empty as school on Saturday.

#4 Identify Examples “Hello? Is anyone there?” Mary gasped as she took a look around the room. “You are just being paranoid Mary,” Joseph said laughing. “Don’t mock me Joe! I swear I heard someone down there.” Mary had been having these feelings for a while, but Joseph never gave them much thought. While she was home alone she was convinced she heard doors opening and closing all day.

#5 Identify Examples Before she knew it the boat was rocking and she was clinging to the side like a starfish on a rock. She knew four days ago went they left things would turn bad. The giant waves swarmed their tiny life boat and the wind tossed them around the boat like dolls. She was convinced they were not going to make it. Suddenly a huge wave grew and swallowed their tiny boat.

#6 Identify Examples “What could he possibly want?” was all that went through Patricia’s head as she heard his voice. “Don’t they know I came out here for a reason? I just want to be left alone.” For two days the voice in her head had been the only one she heard. She lay face down in the moist, soggy grass in the middle of the park. By this time her clothes were damp from two mornings worth of dew covering the miles of green, crisp grass.