Narrative Leads

Narrative Formats

Narrative Lead Format • Can be up to five paragraphs long – Paragraphs should be one to two sentences long, three if the sentences are short

• Take one to three paragraphs to tell a story or recreate a scene • The fourth paragraph should be a transition – Tell the reader how this narrative relates to the larger issue

• The fifth paragraph should be the “nut” graph – This is the “hard news” lead

Narrative Lead Tips • Put someone’s name in the lead so the reader gets to “know” that person – You can have more than one person in a narrative lead, but don’t add too many or it might be confusing

• Pick ONE story to focus on – If you have more than one story, choose one for the lead, then incorporate the others into the story

• You can use direct quotes in a narrative lead • This is your chance to have fun with news writing – Be dramatic, use descriptive language and appeal to emotion

Narrative Lead Types • Anecdotal – A lead that tells one person’s or one group’s story

• Scene-recreation – A lead that captures a moment in time – You are bringing the reader into a particular scene

• Descriptive – Describing what you see – Don’t use first or second person in this – just report what you observe

Narrative Stories • Start with a narrative lead • Explore the larger story –start with the nut graph • Come back to the focus at some point – quote the person again or finish the story you started • End with a quote or interesting anecdote

Midterm Review • • • • • • • • • •

Hard news leads Inverted pyramid style Transitions Choosing and attributing quotes Goals of service journalism/examples Seven news values/examples Numbers – percentage/percentage change Focus leads Four layers of writing online Examples of how journalists can use social media