Part 1 of building a strong introduction:WRITING a Strong LEAD

A strong lead will hook your reader from the beginning!

Resources

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tv2-lXHfAI (Stop at 2:43)

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/intros.htm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrXe8YDbzYs (What do movie trailers and writing hooks have in common?)

Options for Hooking Leads

1. Sharing a secret (or unknown fact)2. Incorporating an original question3. Creating a scene (with 5 senses)4. Using an anecdote (small story within

a larger piece)5. Starting with dialogue/thinking6. Introducing with strong feelings

Sharing a secret Sharing a secret:

Students share an unknown truth about their writing topic that most people don’t know.

Example: You think you know everything about Thanksgiving, don’t you? Well, listen up. I have a news flash…WE ALMOST LOST…THANKSGIVING! Didn’t know that, did you? It’s true. (Thank You Sarah: The Woman who Saved Thanksgiving)

Let’s experiment with this strategy by first sharing a secret about ourselves.

Starting with an original question

Starting with an original question: If you ask your readers a question at

the beginning, they will find themselves wanting to answer it, and this will draw them in.

Example: Do you hate homework? Do you wonder why it was even invented? Can you imagine how great it would be to come home in the afternoon and be able to watch TV, play video games, or have a snack without having to think about school?

Creating a scene Creating a scene:

Students draw the reader in with sensory and setting details.

Example: Waves thrash and winds swirl, tossing a ship about in the darkness. Then, in the distance, a light appears. It flashes three times, disappears, then flashes again. On board, the ship’s crew recognizes that it is a lighthouse signal…

Example: The campfire crackled. Glowing orange sparks shot into the sky and floated up until they cooled and faded away. Six friends huddled around the flames listening to the night.

Example: It's ten degrees below zero, and the river is frozen a foot thick. It makes snapping sounds like the limbs of trees cracking. A long figure glides along the black ice, moving toward the city. The only sound is the scraping of each blade as it bites into the river. That's me doing my favorite sport, ice-skating.

Using an anecdote

Using an anecdote: An anecdote is a little story within a larger

piece that serves as an example of an important point.

Example: If I could redo one choice in my life, I would choose not to ride my cousin’s motorcycle. Growing up, I wanted to be just like my cousin Chip, even when he got a dirt bike. When I was seven years old, I asked Chip if I could ride his new motorcycle. My hand revving the throttle, I took off, slid on the pavement, and became trapped under my aunt’s car. Just as I should have thought first about riding my cousin’s motorcycle, Ponyboy and Johnny should have thought of the consequences of their choices before acting. Because Ponyboy and Johnny made a short-sighted decision, they faced consequences with the law, their families, and with their consciences.

Starting with dialogue/thinking

Starting with dialogue/thinking: Starting with a thought gets the reader’s

attention…it’s like listening in on a conversation we’re not supposed to hear. Most of us can’t resist listening in on a good conversation. That’s why most readers like dialogue.

Example 1: This is it. I’m going to die, I thought to myself, as I closed my eyes, gripped the steering wheel tightly, and prepared for impact.

Example 2: “We’re moving.” That’s what she told me. I couldn’t believe it! I had just made the basketball team and was making more friends!

“What?!” I exclaimed

Introducing with strong feelings

Introducing with strong feelings: Be passionate. Avoid words like: I think…or

it’s kind of…

Example: My heart jumped up in my throat as I raised my fist. I was sweating like a pig and my knees felt weak. I was so scared about what might happen next that no one heard my timid tapping at the door. So I stood there, in the cold, waiting-anxious, confused, and embarrassed.