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01An Inspiring Quote
••• mihailomilovanovic/E+/Getty Images Since many of my articles are profiles, the inspiring quote is one of my favorites. You may be fortunate enough to interview a subject who can distill a feeling, position or process into one amazing quote. If so, lead with it!
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02A Shocker!
Sometimes this overlaps with statistics (see below), but one way to hook your reader is to insert a lead sentence that has a lot of pop, such as describing a harrowing journey or a gross injustice.
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03A Statistic
This may be a little overdone, but sometimes you must establish the "why" of an article in terms of numbers. Why is this article important? Because the subject is relevant to xxxx number of people? Because xx million people have this disease? You get the point. One of the best spots to find those pesky statistics is the Bureau of Labor Statistics or the Census data.
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04Dictionary Definition
Ok, in my personal opinion, this one can be a little boring, but sometimes a formal definition is necessary to establish a piece. An interesting twist on this might be to translate the word into a foreign language and look for its cognates.
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05Set a Scene
I once interviewed a college president who'se office was filled with old automobile memorabilia. Getting to the root of his personality through his passion for cars was fun and made for a great article.
5 Easy Ways to Start Your Magazine Article
Sometimes the simple act of getting started is the hard part. If you find the "perfect" lede, perhaps the information will flow from there! It's worth a try! Here are 5 ways to start your magazine article.