SNAPSHOT LEAD
When you paint a picture with words, you draw the reader in.
Boring:
Ice-skating is my favorite sport.
Better:
It’s ten degrees below zero, and the river is frozen a foot thick. It makes
snapping sounds like the limbs of a tree cracking. A lone figure glides along the
black ice, moving towards 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.
QUESTION LEAD
This lead begins by asking an interesting question.
Boring:
In this story I will tell you about playing football with my
friends.
Better:
In what sport can you tackle opponents, catch 30-yard touchdown
passes in overtime, and sack the quarterback before he can even
complete a pass? In football, of course. It’s my favorite sport.
FLASHBACK LEAD
This lead takes the reader back to a specific event in the past that
relates to the topic.
Boring:
I remember the time when I won the game for my team.
Better:
I could feel the sweat pouring off my body as I watched the seconds tick off
the clock. It was as if I was dribbling in slow motion, weaving in and out of the
defenders, and heading towards the hoop. As the buzzer sounded, I felt the
ball roll off of my finger tips, and I watched anxiously as it spun around the rim
for what seemed like an eternity. I finally heard the swish of the net. I had
won the game for my team!