Common Types of Leads

Why is a powerful lead so important? A lead is what draws the reader into your story. A good lead hooks readers from the beginning and makes them excited to continue reading. THE LEAD The lead is the beginning or introduction to your story. It gives the reader a preview of what your story will be about.

Effective Leads Action Lead Character Lead Fact Lead Opinion Lead Question Lead Dialogue or Quote Single Word Lead

Once upon a time….. My name is… and I’m going to write about…

__________ Lead: Someone is pictured. Ex. The old man sat on a bench reading a newspaper. He was dressed up in a suit and tie. The only odd thing about him was the baseball cap that sat backward on his head.

__________ Lead: A piece of ___________ is given. Ex. The largest crossword puzzle ever published had more than 5000 clues across and a similar number down.

__________ Lead: A belief is stated. Ex. Cats are a thousand times smarter than dogs.

__________________ Lead: Words are taken from another context. Ex. “Always chew your food slowly,” my mother says.

__________ ________ Lead: An important word is set off by itself, and then followed by explanatory sentences. Ex. Mud. Mud was everywhere. It was on the rug. It was on the furniture. I have never seen so much mud in my life. **Interjections are good examples of this kind of lead.** Examples of Interjections are...

An interjection is a word used to get attention or express a feeling. Examples: Wow! Yahoo! Ouch! Yuk! Yum! Without them you would have lots of trouble saying how you feel.

10. It was a dark and stormy night (Cliché) 9. Let me tell you about... (just get to the point) 8. This weekend I... (ho-hum) 7. My topic is... (just make a statement that clues us in) 6. Once upon a time... (Brothers Grimm have that copyrighted already)

5. I feel that... (just make a statement that clues us in) 4. I think that... (ditto) 3. The dictionary defines (topic) as... (a real show stopper—NOT!) 2. (Topic) is a very exciting thing. (Show us, don’t tell us) 1. Hello, my name is... (if it’s a letter, we’ll figure that out; if it’s not, your name is listed as author under the title)

Practice Writing Assignment: Choose two of the following topics to practice writing. Use two different effective leads.

Lake Tahoe

Disneyland

McDonald’s

A Famous Person

Outdoor Education

Effective Beginnings: Action Description of characters State a fact Opinion Lead Question Lead Dialogue or Quote Single Word Lead Writing Topics: Lake Tahoe Disneyland McDonald’s A Famous Person Outdoor Education

Now knowing the common types of leads and worst kinds of introductions:  Choose two (or three) of the common leads to introduce your personal narrative. (Introductions are a paragraph in length not one sentence.)  Draft due Monday. Be prepared to share.