Ephron & Didion's writing tips about leads

Nora Ephron writes movies, articles, books and essays. If you haven't read her stuff, you've probably seen her movies, which include When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. Ephron can be the source of many writing inspirations and writing tips.

About writing leads, Ephron says:

"I don't write a word of the article until I have the lead. It just sets the whole tone - the whole point of view. I know exactly where I'm going as soon as I have the lead."

Joan Didion adds her two cents with this writing quotation:

"What's so hard about the first sentence is that you're stuck with it. Everything else is going to flow out of that sentence. And by the time you've laid down the first two sentences, your options are all gone."

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Writing tip: If writing your lead first works for you, then take Ephron and Didion's advice. If, however, you need to write the whole piece before you write your lead, then good on ya. Yo be a great writer, you have to do what feels natural.

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These great writing quotations are from Shoptalk: Learning to Write With Writers by Donald Murray, which has hundreds of writing ideas, writing habits, and writing inspirations.

writing great leads

Here's a freelance writing tip you've probably heard before: writing a great lead is like hitting the bull's eye. If your lead doesn't hook the editors and publishers first, or it won't ever hook readers, much less grab their attention.

A great lead:

• brings the subject to life
• intrigues, excites, or startles readers
• appeals to the reader's emotions

Sometimes the article or chapter tells you how to write the lead. Other times, you need to figure out exactly how you'll hook readers. Anecdotes, questions, quotes, paradoxes, dramatic examples or startling statistics all draw people in. Real life can give you writing inspirations for leads.

Here's two examples of anecdotal leads: The Risks of Liposuction and Setting Healthy Boundaries. Are they interesting enough? If not, how would you improve them?

Writing tip: "Nothing hooks readers faster than a question that asks something they've always wondered about," writes Frank Peterson in The Magazine Writing Handbook. I'm getting ready to write a query for a Father's Day article, and I'm struggling with the lead. What have people always wondered about, with regard to Father's Day?

Hmmm.......what to give to their dads and how to celebrate are the natural answers. But what about asking a question that readers haven't thought of? For instance, what would it be like to meet your dad for the first time? I think a question like that might hook readers.

In fact, I think I'll try that writing idea right now.