Are you leading me on?
There are as many elements to a good lead, as there are opening sentences. Sometimes called the intro, the lead is the most important part of the story. It should
be sharp, punchy and convince your audience that they will be better positioned if
they read on.
Work that lands in the editors bin, often belongs to writers who under estimate the function and requirement of a good lead to their story.
It helps to think of the lead as an advertisement for your article, it is a device used to grab attention, and it should appeal to the self-interests of a reader in such a way, that it stimulates a desire to know more. Editors will choose articles with leads that influence their target market into action, and this is achieved by running with a lead that appeals to reason or emotion, which in turn generates a powerful call-to-action response.
There are times when a lead is obvious, it almost jumps of the page to write itself, and there are times when nothing seems to grab. Often writers get the opportunity to be clever and witty, but avoid ‘catchy’ if the article relates to death or terminal illness.
An editor will approach your article from the perspective of their target market: if it doesn’t hold their attention, more than likely it won’t make it into print. It’s not unusual for an editor to accept an article with a weak lead and have it re-written, however … to have an advantage over other submissions - it’s wise to do the job as effectively as you can. Editors tend to build relationships with writers who create less, not more, work for them.
It’s good to get into the habit of reviewing your work from an editor and readers perspective, this is one reason why you need to know the publications’ target audience. If they are 15 - 18 year old girls - would they be interested in what you have submitted.
Always check and recheck your lead for these things: is it as punchy as you think it is; does it makes sense; is it an attention grabber; does it provoke you to read on. Sacrifice being clever if your lead is confusing or too lengthy. Always keep in mind that the main purpose of a lead is to persuade the audience to keep reading on, it’s not an opportunity to demonstrate how witty you are.
Question leads often work well because they create a natural inducement to read on. People are curious when it comes to themselves, they want to know, and the advertising and marketing industry capitalise on this. Here’s an example:
Are you a candidate for heart disease? More than 60 per cent of the Australian population ….
If your inspiration runs dry and nothing seems to work, try using a direct or indirect quote as an opening. Here’s an example of an indirect quote:
Australia is heading toward a major drought, a senior meteorologist warned yesterday.
In general, a short lead works best, so avoid tedious wording. Keep it simple, tight and punchy - add a twist of fresh and interesting and you’ll have a winning lead and a happy editor.
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