LEADS
PURPOSE: The purpose of the lead is to hook the reader’s attention and set up anticipation for the story that follows. Some common narrative leads that might work with a memoir include:
· A Fact that relates to the story.
o Example: “Scientists tell us that human beings only use ten percent of the gray matter that resides in their craniums. Last summer I am pretty certain that I only used 1%.”
· Some Humor – a funny line that hooks or catches the reader’s attention
o Example: “The ironic thing about divorce is that, as painful as it is, you can end up with twice as many the Christmas presents!”
· Some Jeopardy - a moment of extreme stress or tension to launch the story strong
o Example: “I had never known what it felt like to get caught doing something stupid that I would later regret and feel ashamed of… where it tears your heart deep down inside and you feel like you can’t really trust yourself. At least, up until last summer I never had.”
· A Flashforward
o Example: “As my father’s BMW careened into the oncoming traffic, I thought to myself – am I going to die?”
o If you use a Flashforward, you will need to use a transition to go back to the beginning, often as a separate paragraph.
· A Question – asked directly to the reader, a question that is dealt with directly in the story. Must be strong, compelling, and original in the delivery. This is the most overused and trite lead if handled poorly.
o Example: “If you could start all over again, would you choose to have the same friends, live in the same house, or behave the same way as you do now?”
o Bad, BAD Example: “Have you ever ________? Well I have. Here’s my story:”
· A Quotation / Lyric – that gives the following story some context, tone, or theme
o Example: “It is said that to err is to be human, but to forgive is divine. After what happened to me, I kind of wonder what it is when the act of forgiving someone is the error.”
· A Pop Culture or News Reference – keying into a common cultural movie, TV show, music, musical, or event.
o Example: “In the musical Les Miserables, the line that I remember most is “To love another person is to see the face of God.” That’s how it felt the summer my grandfather passed away.”
· Definition – Begin your piece with a definition that is relevant to a thing or an idea within of the story. The word should be unusual or uniquely interconnected with your story.
o Example: “According to Dictionary.com the word “pizazz” means energy, vitality, or vigor. That’s the word we most often used to describe my pet goldfish Archibald.”
· Character Throwing: Begin the story abruptly, immediately introducing a character with little or no warning. This catches the reader’s attention. Later, be sure that you come back to this character. Obviously this character should be important to the story.
o Example: “Teddy Holland was the ugliest, skinniest kid in all of Caseville.”
Questions to ask:
1. Is it boring? If it is, try something different.
2. Is it relevant? Does it connect or relate to my story?
3. Is it clever? Do I show my blazing wit and intelligence in the play of words?
4. Is it original? Does it sound like everyone else’s, or am I expressing my own unique voice?
5. Does it create anticipation? Do you leave the reader wanting more?
6. Do you deliver on that anticipation later on? Don’t make a promise to the reader that you don’t deliver on!
