Leads are rather overwhelming because there is a lot to remember when it comes to do’s and don’ts. The most important thing to remember while writing them is to be as specific and to the point as possible. It is easy to exaggerate on a subject, especially when you are trying to entice a reader. That is why it is so important to be concise and keep your lead to only one sentence or two. Also, be sure to use strong active verbs to paint a mental picture in your readers mind.
There are a few things to avoid while writing leads. Stay away from stating the obvious because you run the risk of sounding cliche or even dull. Be sure to stay away from lists for this same reason, in addition to your reader losing interest because you are giving away so much information. Also try not to mislead your readers, you are setting the tone for the story which needs to be based on accurate and truthful information.
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7 comments:
Yes, it is important not to use cliches or to state the obvious. I like your view on the lead "setting the tone" of the rest of the story. Leads with strong verbs are the best.
I believe that it is important not use the obvious. I really like that you also wrote how a lead should be with strong active verbs so to give the reader a mental picture of the story.
Grade: 9/10
Mistakes:
• Missing possessive apostrophe on reader's
• The last sentence should be broken up into two not linked by a comma. Or, you could link it with a semicolon.
Stating the obvious may seem repetitive to the reader even though it hasn' t been already stated. When stating the obvious too many times, the reader may get bored and not finish the article.
Avoiding cliche's is very hard!! And strong verbs is hard to remember as well!
I agree with you. Leads can often times be overwhelming because there are so many things to remember. I also think that it is very important to use strong active verbs to create a mental picture of the situation for the reader.
I also agree with that notion. Leads are overwhelming. You pretty much need to capture th central idea of an entire story in a few sentences.
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