James Headshot.JPG

When I was a newspaper reporter in Derry, NH, I used to have the devil of a time writing the introductory paragraph to my news stories (these are commonly called ledes). These ledes have to sum up the story in two sentences as well as do it in a way that impels and compels the reader to read the second paragraph and then on through the story. The qualioty of a journalist and his/her writing is often captured or judged by these first two to three sentences. Carreers have literally been made by writing good ledes.

But I had a tough time with them for a few reasons. The first was inexperience. The second was that I covered fairly complex political and legal issues (everything from a NH supreme court impeachment to the presidential race and constitutional law issues) in addition to the traditional bread and butter newspaper fair of car crashes fires and etc. Therefore, it was tough to sum up complex issues in a single compelling sentence.

About six months into my work as a journalist a coffee shop opened down the street, which was great because I could finally get an espresso. After going there a few times I became friends with the owner who was a former journalist for the Baltimore Sun, which I have always considered to be a fairly good newspaper. One day we talked about writing and I asked him if he had read any of my stuff and what he thought. He said he thought I was a good writer and reporter, but that my ledes sucked.

I wasn't surprised by that, but still a bit bummed out. I asked what he would do and he told me about a guy he worked with--a fairly famous journalist whose name I have forgotten. He said that this person wrote the best ledes of any journalist he had ever worked with. They were sharp, to the point and punchy (another common journalism word). My friend asked him how he did it and the guy replied, "In my head I say to myself, 'You won't fu**ing believe this, but,' and then I write the next words that come to mind."

I laughed at the story, but when I returned to work I tried it and it worked. In fact, it worked well and I soon won a number of journalism awards including writer of the year. I'm not saying that this was the only reason, but it helped me crystalize what I was writing at the very start, which always helped bring the rest of the material into focus. I think the primary reason for this is that it was my way of havesting what Malcolm Gladwell calls my blinks--the bit of thinking that happens spontaneously and naturally, and is often very good.

As a fiction and narrative nonfiction writer I still use this same technique. In particular, I am trying to put together a good query for my book on the Americans that fought in the Spanish Civil War (go to www.orchardwriting.com for samples) and have had a tough time coming up with an opening to the letter that is really captivating. After a few tries I think I may have found it, though.

This also points to one of the biggest problems with so much writing--especially short fiction and nonfiction--which is that the opening line and paragraph don't do anything to pull the reader in. They are boring, which sends the signal to the reader that what follows likely is going to be any more exciting. Another method to avoid this was taught to me by Chris Offutt, which is to start writing your short stories in the middle of the actual story. This way you may find that the whole beginning that you had planned on is unnecessary.