The lead is perhaps the most important part of your story. It can also be the most difficult part to write. Learn how to grab the attention of today’s impatient audience in 40 words or less.
In This Lesson
How to Write a Lead
- What is a lead
- The Summary/Straight News Lead
- The Anecdotal Lead
- The Scene Setting Lead
- Lead writing best practices
- What to avoid when writing a lead
[Click here to view and use the presentation “How to Write a Lead”]
Activity
Crafting and Condensing the Lead
Start practicing writing a straight news lead based on the bare-bone facts of a story. In the corresponding activity, students will be given three sets of facts from which they will learn to identify Who, What, Where, When, Why and How, and write a lead prioritizing the most important information. In addition, students will practice condensing lengthy leads, helping them to understand the concept of brevity.