More on Leads

Like Deb wrote on Tuesday, writing compelling leads is worth our time and effort.

I also like to use anecdotes. Other techniques that work well for me are intriguing quotes, fascinating statistics, or puzzling questions.

Once in an effort to discover the features of a compelling introduction, I borrowed ten best-selling books from the library. I determined to read the first page of each and identify the elements that made each introduction compelling and best-selling.

The first book introduced an intriguing character. The second started with a vivid scene construction. The third? I was well into chapter four before I remembered that I'd set out to identify elements of an introduction. It was John Grisham's The Client. I finished reading it before I studied another introduction.

It was the suspense that pulled me through the book. The sooner we get our readers asking, "What happens next?", the sooner we will have them hooked.

What is the most compelling introduction you remember reading?