| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

View
 

Leads

Page history last edited by Wendy Rooney 4 years ago

FrontPage

Writing

Writing - Page 2

 

 

narrative lead, or "hook," is a way to grab a reader's interest or attention. It can be a sentence, a paragraph or even a few pages long. A bad or boring hook can make your reader want to throw the book across the room! A good hook makes your reader want to read more.

 

 

http://heniss.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/59195572/GoodLeadsNarrative.pdf - Narrative Leads

 

http://heniss.pbworks.com/w/file/63894284/Story_Openings.ppt - Story Openings

 

Leads in Narrative Writing

 

TALKING LEAD

This lead begins with dialogue.

Boring:

There was a bat in our house last summer.

Better:

“Quick, hit the floor,” my dad yelled. “Whatever you do, don’t look up!” my

mother added as I dropped to the floor and slid myself under my bed. It was a

terrifying night for my family when we discovered a bat in our house.

 

 

SOUND EFFECT LEAD

This lead gets the reader quickly involved in the story

by starting with an event or some kind of action.

Boring:

There was a loud storm outside my house last night.

Better:

Smash! The window cracked, the wind howled, and the door flung open. Rain

poured in through the screen, drenching the welcome mat inside our house. I

will never forget the fierce storm that invaded my house last night.

 

 

ACTION LEAD

You can get the reader quickly involved in the story by starting

with an exciting event or some kind of action.

Boring:

I was excited for my birthday party.

Better:

I threw on my favorite red dress and scrambled down the stairs as fast as I

could. It was my 8th birthday, and I couldn't wait for the party to begin.

 

 

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!

 

 

Anecdote

 

Fact

 

Startling Confession or Fact

 

Defining Moment

 

 

 

Writing a Hook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnq17dyxyu4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leads in Novels

 

 

http://readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson16/greatleads.pdf - Writing Leads

 

 

https://prezi.com/6g5ldiujajec/copy-of-writing-narrative-leads/ - Writing Strong Leads - Prezi

 

 https://sites.google.com/a/slcusd.org/writers-workshop/writing-memorable-leads - Memorable Leads

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxCG3CXmCzY - Leads in Personal Narratives - Youtube

 

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson12/greatleads.pdf - Great Leads in Novels

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3k5eBknwiA - Leads in Narrative Writing - PowToons

 

 

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.