Thirty Days to Unlock FCAT Writing Success - Polk County School ...

Day Two: Introductions
Right from the Start: Effective Leads
Read examples of effective leads, and then use selected examples to write your own.
Effective leads pull readers into any piece of writing. Good leads fit the topic, and hook the reader's
attention from the start.
Directions: Read each of the leads below, studying both the organization and wording. Then, choose
three styles and write your own examples.
Setting: It was one of those dark, muggy, misty New Orleans nights when gentle people avoid the back
alleys.
Situation: Willie and Sarah looked dumbfounded at each other; their television picture had just gone
black.
Former Action: Willie and Sarah had longed for a house in the suburbs, yet each time they had
accumulated a few dollars in their savings account, they had to bail Sarah’s no-good step brother out of
jail.
First incident: Joe stopped the truck and, against company orders, picked up the hitchhiker.
Effects: Two cars were completely wrecked, seven people were hospitalized, and three bodies were in
the morgue just because Joe had gazed a bit too long at a passing blonde.
Establishment of the point of view: As I was walking down Main Street last night, I saw...
Importance of subject: Knowing how to ....may save your life one day.
Quotation: "Use it up; wear it out; make it do; or do without"—that's a saying that helped my
grandmother learn to manage money.
Evaluation of the subject: Alexander Pope was probably the most arrogant and powerful literary
dictator, and yet the most....
An explanation of the writer's qualification: For seventeen years I have studied the effects of poor diet
on the human body.
Your Examples:
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