EIGHTEEN QUICK TIPS ON LEAD WRITING

1)      Length. Without being too restrictive, consider 25 words the cut-off point and defend adding more words.

2)      Attribution. Do you need it in your lead? Is your lead based on facts that can go without immediate attribution or is it based on someone’s point of view that requires telling readers immediately who said it?

3)      Overloading. Is the lead bogged down by too much secondary detail?

4)      Be specific. Avoid the vague or abstract. Avoid generalities. Avoid stating the obvious.

5)      What happened? Did you tell readers what happened rather than simply that an event occurred?

6)      Ask yourself questions. What is the story about? What impact does it have on my readers? Why should anyone care? What makes this story different? How would I tell it to a friend?

7)      Ask yourself more questions. From another writing coach: What one thing do readers need to know more than any other? Can you put a face on the story? Where is the tension in the story?

8)      Soft versus hard leads. The softer anecdotal, scene-setter or human interest lead has a place, but it shouldn’t be allowed to bury the news. Scenes and people must tell something important about the story, says one writing coach. A person must say and do something interesting that shows the story.

9)      One idea. A lead should tackle just one idea. Be wary of double-barrelled leads that deliver too much at one time.

10)  Numbers. Beware of too many numbers in your lead … and the rest of your story. You want a number? How about no more than two numbers in any sentence.

11)  Talk to yourself. Read your lead aloud. It’s one way to find out how smoothly it flows or where you awkwardly trip over your own words. If you trip, chances are readers will face the same obstacles.

12)  Quote leads. They rarely work unless the words are so compelling that readers are hooked immediately. A quote used as a lead may be particularly poignant for a reporter who knows the entire story and can put it in context. However, for readers first approaching the story with little or no context, a quote standing by itself so early can be puzzling.

13)  Active verbs. Try to avoid passive verbs with is, are, was and were.

14)  What should a lead do? A) grab the reader quickly; B) deliver information in an interesting and informative way; C) accurately reflect the story. And it should be clear and simple.

15)  Is every word working? Eliminate unnecessary baggage.

16)  Cliché leads. Avoid them like the plague.

17)  Buried gems. Make sure you haven’t buried a more interesting angle for your story.

18)  Rewrite. Don’t settle for the first lead you write. Rework, rephrase, refit, rewrite.

(Suggestions from Don Gibb, a former reporter  and editor at The London Free Press. He teaches reporting at Ryerson University’s School of  Journalism.)