How to Write an Effective Lead
- Gary-Alan Hopkins
- Apr 1, 2021
- 4 min read
Table of Content
A well-crafted lead (lede) can pull the reader into your story or it can fall on deaf ears. In the following post we will discuss why a lead is so important to a story, the most common types of leads and examples and tips on how to write an effective lead.
Lede vs Lead
Join me in a short deep dive into how to create a lead that will grab your reader's attention and pull them into the story but first, we need to address the spelling of "Lede" or "Lead."
I will not go into the whole history behind why the word "Lede" is used in journalism but if you would like to know more you can read about it here.
For this post, I will be using "Lead" instead of "Lede" because according to Google Trends more people in the United States search for the phrase "How to write a lead" more than they do "How to write a Lede." Since I want to make this easy for people to find I opted to spell Lede "Lead."
Why Leads Are Important
Leads introduce the story to the audience; usually in a condensed manner within the first sentence or two of the story. The lead gives key details about the story and will contain the five Ws and an H. A lead should be able to tell you the - Who, What, Where, When, Why and How - of a story.
A well-written lead will pull the audience into the story and intrigue them enough to read the entire story. They also act as a way to introduce the story to your audience. The audience should be able to understand the most important information about a story by reading only the lead.
But what characteristics make for a well-written lead and are there different types of leads?
Most Common Types of Leads
Direct Lead (summary lead) - these are very short, to-the-point one or two sentences at the beginning of an article. A direct lead should be able to withstand the "cut test." The "cut test" means you could cut out anything in the story after the lead and the reader should be able to understand what the story is about. Direct leads will include the 5 Ws and the H - Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. They are preferred for most media writing and news.
"In what does not appear to be an April Fools Day joke – although on April 1, you can never be too sure – North Carolina Tar Heels head basketball coach Roy Williams has announced his retirement." Andrew Holleran, April 1, 2021
Delayed Lead (anecdotal lead) - a delayed lead is not a lead that will be within the first sentence or two. This type of lead can be several sentences or even a couple paragraphs into the story. A delayed lead is often used in writing human interest or stories that can run any time.
"MALIBU — A line of burned-out cars on the side of a road. The charred remains of an old pickup truck, brightened by a pristine American flag draped over the cab. Desperate residents fleeing, cars packed with people and family heirlooms, anything that could be frantically scooped up." Tim Arango, Nov. 13, 2018
Contrast Lead - this type of lead compares opposite facts in an attempt to grab the reader's attention and pull them into reading the rest of the story. A contrast leads are used in human interest or investigative journalist piece.
"Our reporting began in early 2019 with a tip about a rich Canadian playboy accused of sexually abusing poor teenage girls in the Bahamas. By the time we finally went to press last month, the story had morphed into an epic fight between ultrarich neighbors in a hall of mirrors." Kim Baker, Feb. 5, 2021
How to Write an Effective Lead?
Tip 1: If you are struggling trying to come up with the perfect lead, don't worry. Just write the story first then you will have a clearer picture of how to write an effective lead.
Tip 2: Use the appropriate type of lead for the story you are writing. You don't want to use a delayed lead for a news story.
Tip 3: The whole purpose of the lead is to capture the attention of the reader. A lead should not only be appropriate for the type of story but should also be intriguing to your audience. Use emotion and colorful but professional language.
Conclusion
Leads are an important part of any media article. Whether you are writing a breaking news story, an investigative piece or a blog post writing an effective lead to capture the attention of potential readers is important. Now the we discussed why a lead is important, the most common types of leads and tips on how to write an effective lead; what is the most memorable lead that you can remember reading? What made that lead so memorable and what type of lead was it?
References
Arango, T. (2018, Nov. 13). Burned-Out Cars, Smoke in the Air, Aerial Assaults, All in California. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/us/california-wildfires-war.html
Baker, K. (2021, Feb. 5). Lies, Spies and Double Agents: On the Trail of Peter Nygard in the Bahamas. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/reader-center/peter-nygard-bahamas-reporting.html
Holleran, A. (2021, April 1). Breaking: Coach Roy Williams Announces He's Retiring. The Spun. https://thespun.com/acc/north-carolina/roy-williams-retiring-north-carolina-april-1
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