Can you hook your reader from the get-go?

To inform people you need to first get their attention. In journalism that’s the job of “the lead.” But crafting it is difficult.

Journalists are obsessed with leads.

That was my lead to this article. It is journalese for the start of a story. It is often the most difficult part of an article to write and it is the most important. That’s because we live in an attention-deficit world and to get and keep someone’s attention you have to interest them. That’s hard to do when there is so much media out there.

Consider: I want to tell you a story about laws on homelessness and a friend comes up and says, “Did you hear what G-Dragon did?”

How can my story compete with that? But you have to try. So here are some tips on writing stronger leads.

First, don’t blather on. Picture the most boring person you know and imagine that person trying to tell the story you are writing. That’s definitely NOT how your lead should go.

Triage your information.

Instead, think about the essential elements of any news story: The Who, What, Where, When and Why. Then consider a tried-and-true format in journalism called the “inverted pyramid.” It was designed for newswire stories that would be sent out to hundreds of newspapers, understanding that editors would slap the story into the paper and cut it from the bottom to make it fit.

Reporters needed to put all the important stuff up at the top where it wouldn’t get cut.

In telling a story, your friend, Mr. Boring, would try to stuff all the elements into the lead: Cities across the country are passing laws to prevent homeless people from camping in downtown areas.

Then compare it to your other friend’s lead: “Did you hear what G-Dragon did?” That lead has just one element: The Who.

In an inverted pyramid format, the most important information goes in the lead. But since almost all news stories are published electronically, where space is fluid, no one has to cut from the bottom. You don’t have to stuff the most important information at the top. You could start with what’s most interesting.

How about this:

Soon, you won’t see homeless people camping in the middle of your town.

It doesn’t tell you a lot but it might get your attention. Then you can give a little bit of clarity.

That is if you live in one of the many cities across the country passing anti-camping laws.

Your reader might want to know what cities you are talking about. So they will read on. It is important to get specific quickly. People have a hard time processing generalities.

That’s what Fremont, California did last year.

Write and revise.

So how do you craft a lead for the story you want to write?

First, collect all your facts. You must know the whole story to accurately summarize what’s going on. Second, boil it down. If you had to tell the story to someone over the phone with only 2% battery left, what would you say? Try jotting down the Who, What, Where, When and Why.

Then prioritize those Ws. The lead needs only the most interesting facts. Ask yourself: What do I need to say right away and what can wait for a paragraph or two? If the Who is someone no one knows, maybe start with the What. 

Fourth, take a stab at a lead. Then ask yourself: Would this grab my attention? Is it clear and concise? Is it easy to grasp? Are there unnecessary adjectives or adverbs?

A general rule of thumb is that a standard lead should be no more than 25 words long. That last sentence was 18 words. The lead to this story is five words.

Now, here is something that sounds counterintuitive. Don’t follow the example of most major news organizations. Consider this lead from a New York Times article dated 16 June:

The framework deal between the United States and Iran sets the stage for an end to the bursts of violence and debilitating disruption of energy deliveries and trade in the Persian Gulf.

It is wordy and suggests that the writer is counting on an audience already interested in the topic. But terms like “framework deal” and “debilitating disruption of energy deliveries” are enough to put anyone to sleep. How to make it a little more snappy?

People desperate for gas prices to come down are counting on the latest deal between the United States and Iran. It promises an end to the bombing attacks that have closed the Strait of Hormuz.

So again, how to start your story? Gather your facts, sort them into what’s most interesting and important. Write a draft and ask yourself how you can say it better.

Sometimes it helps to just write the whole darn story and then go back to the lead when you are done. Only after you have finished the story do you fully get what it was about.

And that’s your lead. 

Questions to consider:

1. What is meant by a lead to a story?

2. What might make a lead boring?

3. Imagine telling people a story about something you did last week. How would you begin the story?