1. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS For Writing a Good Lead Mr. Dudek Journalism

2. Thou shalt emphasize the important The lead is where the most important and most interesting facts go!

3. Keep it short The lead should be short. (30 words max) Answer the four major Ws.

4. Keep it simple Simple sentences Strong verbs Active voice (Use passive only when emphasizing the subject).

5. One Sentence Only One sentence only.

6. Grab their attention Begins sentences with specific, interesting words Avoid a, an, or the.

7. Avoid names and lists Avoid unfamiliar names (Only well-known people get to be in leads.) Don’t have a list of names You can mention the specific names in the 2 nd or 3 rd paragraph.

8. Tell us who that is If a name appears in the lead, do not assume that the reader knows who they are Identify them by title or reference.

9. Remember the “why” Don’t just say something happened. (Ex: “The new colloquium schedules were handed out yesterday.”) Emphasize its newsworthiness (Ex: “Ninety-five percent of LMSA students will have a new schedule next week.”).

10. Don’t always use a news lead School newspapers tend to use more feature leads (We’ll talk more about this later.)

11. Be appropriate The lead should reflect the mood of the story Example: Don’t start a sad story with a joke.

12. Never start with the when Preferably, start with who, what or why Avoid starting with when unless is it very important or unique