Mini-Lesson #1 for Revising Letters to Authors
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The Lead Paragraph – How to Hook the Reader in 25 Words or Less!
In a news story, it’s called a lead. In a novel, it’s the prologue; in a TV screenplay, the teaser. No matter what you call it, the introduction is one of the most important parts in a piece of writing. If the opening is boring or unfocused, too long or too short, the reader won’t bother to read any farther. An effective opening, on the other hand, delivers a one-two punch: it grabs the reader’s attention, and it suggests the main idea or theme of the story to follow.
Which of the examples inside grab your attention?
Which let your attention slip through their fingers?
Rate these four lead paragraphs in order from most interesting to least interesting: #1, #2, #3, #4. Be prepared to tell why you rated them as you did.
________ a. My name is Ben and I am a young writer. I write science fiction fantasy. I have started to write many stories but have been sidetracked by new ideas. I have to say your book Wolf in the Shadow greatly changed the way I write. I like your juicy details. I once started to write a story about a guy who died in Greek times and came back to life in modern times. (to David Gemmel)
_________b. It is mere ink on paper. That’s all. Just a “by-the-way-I-have-to-remind-Herbert-to-buy-milk-at-the-supermarket” scribble. But it lifts you up and throws you crashing to the ground. By jotting down ideas of life and love into a 46 line poem you, Andrew, stormed into my safe bedroom chamber and arose me from my deep sleep. You taught me there is a difference between being alive and living.
_________c. I know you are busy writing books and everything so this letter won’t be very long. I loved your book. I love how Huck went down the Mississippi. Overall, it was really quite an amazing adventure and a good book. (to Mark Twain)
_________d. Some people stay the same after reading a book. But your book tossed my brain all around. The risk you took in writing The Drowning of Stephen Jones makes me want to take a risk. . . change the way I think. That’s why I’m here in this facility. I’ve had trouble changing. Because of books like yours, I now want to speak out against racism and people who hate people without even knowing them. (to Bette Green)
Some suggestions for hooking the reader’s attention:
• Share something personal about yourself.
• Use an anecdote (a brief true story) that relates to a character or event in the book.
• Use a before-and-after comparison.
• Mention an interest or quality you share with the author or with one of the characters in the book.
Adapted from Letters About Literature at http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/
