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 LEADThe 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.

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.