The lead of a story is the most essential part. Without a lead, no one would even bother taking the time to read the article. It has to be eye catching, unique, and simple.
If you complicate the language, readers wouldn't read further, simply because they already have to think about it. They want you to tell them what's going on, not to have to infer what the story is about. If you simplify your words, you will not only make it easier on your readers, you will be advertising to many more groups of people. For instance, if you write a story on a medical condition and your lead contains big medical terms, doctors and nursing students would probably read it, but the elderly man just looking for news will bypass it because he doesn't know what you're even saying.
Leads also have to be eye catching and unique. You have to find the strangest fact about the story and try to use it in the lead. It's a very fine line, however, because you still have to summarize the story in the few sentences allowed. AND you have to somehow make your lead unique. Other papers are going to use the same information you have, with the same strange facts, so you have to word your lead carefully to make it completely original.
Leads can be difficult to write, but if you find a way to perfect them, you'll be in a much nicer journalistic world.
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I like how you noted that other Journalists writing for other papers are going to write the same stories as you are writing. I find that this is where the temptation to "exaggerate" my leads comes in. I've always loved to use words that stand out and draw in attention, but making sure not to exaggerate can be a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI agree that is the lead is too long and complicated, I don't even want to read the story. A lead is like a first impression, and if you don't even understand it or it's not appealing, you won't want to know more.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean about making them original. As I find most news stories are just a rehashing of the same tediously boring details.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the very nice comment.
ReplyDeleteYes, the strangest fact about a story may be good for the lead, but sometimes stories are dull. It is the lead's job to make a dull story fascinating. I agree that the words in leads must be simple and have no jargon.
ReplyDeleteGrade: 10/10
ReplyDeleteNice work!