The Value of a Strong Introduction

April 11, 2016 by AES | Categories: Writing No Comments ↓

The journalism professor was passing out a few hints on writing. “A good introduction,” he explained, “is highly important. Always remember the young man who, desiring to marry Angus McPherson’s comely daughter, opened his interview, ‘Sir, I’d like to show you how I can save you some money.’ “” ~The Christian Science Monitor

Why write a strong introduction?

As the expression goes, “It’s hard to make a good first impression the second time around”. A strong introduction should grab your readers’ attention and make them want to continue reading. Your opening words give your readers an initial impression of your approach, writing style, and overall quality of your work. Think about your work as a foot race: The best sprinters start with a strong push off the blocks.

Some approaches to writing strong introductions

Your introduction might begin with:

An apt or provocative quotation
A thought-provoking question or a puzzling situation
A definition
An interesting or intriguing example
An interesting or surprising fact or statistic
An attention-getter
A vivid story or anecdote
Background or historical information
A short narrative or brief summary of your work
A short letter to your readers

Some tips for writing a strong introduction

Write the introduction after you’ve written your text

While it’s useful to have a written outline or table of contents before you start writing, it’s often easier and more effective to write an introduction when you can actually see what you’re introducing. On the other hand, some people find that writing some kind of introduction helps them get their writing process started. If you do that, remember to take another shot at it when you finish your main body text.

Keep it brief

The purpose of your introduction is to set up your subject. It should not be an essay unto itself. The idea is to concisely present your subject, get your readers interested, then get to it. In other words, tell your audience what you’re going to say, then say it.

“Talk” to your audience

Your introduction is your chance to welcome your readers, tell them a little about the subject, maybe why you wrote your work, and lead them into the body of your text. Decide whether to provide a big picture or a narrow focus.

A strong introduction should have a “hook”

It should have something that pulls your reader into your work. Think of your introduction as a bridge between your title and your text, or between where they are now and where you hope to take them.