Journal #7: Introductions

1. Journal #7: Introductions • Look at the opening to the piece you have selected. • Evaluate your introduction from the perspective of a reader. • Is the opening interesting? • Does it make you want to keep reading? Why or why not? • Does it set up a clear subject or dominant impression?

2. Journal #7 part 2 • Revise your introduction using one of the following techniques. WRITE FOR 10 MINUTES WITHOUT STOPPING. • Start with an interesting, even startling, image • Sirens screeching, four ambulances barreled past my door and stopped at the corner. • Begin with dialogue and/or start in the middle of a scene. • “Something’s burning. I hear sirens. Something’s burning!” Marcus shouted. Sally screeched, “Quick, grab the cat and let’s get out!” • Create a profile of a key figure, place, or item in your story. • “Abraham Lincoln wasn’t the sort of man who could lose himself in a crowd. After all, he stood 6 foot 4 inches tall, and to top it off he wore a high silk hat. His height was mostly in his long, bony legs, and when he sat in a chair, he seemed no taller than anyone else.” –Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Feedman • Tell a brief anecdote or example to frame your paper. • Abe Lincoln walked two miles to return several pennies he had overcharged a customer. • Lead with a bold statement. • I started my life as an arsonist by burning down my own family’s house when I was only ten years old.