Facing a blank screen with a full notebook and the clock ticking toward deadline can be, well … daunting.
No matter your story topic or how much reporting material you have to work with, finding the hook to engage your reader within the first few lines or paragraphs is essential. Ledes and nut grafs that get to the core of your story take energy and focus — often lacking when time is short.
On Friday, May 2, 2025 participants joined a writing-focused workshop on crafting ledes that grab the reader’s attention and identifying the nut graf before getting too far into the writing process.
Read highlights from the program here.
Participants learned:
- Practical tips to punch up languid ledes
- Ways to quickly identify and focus nut grafs
- Approaches to story structure to rethink — or reshape — the narrative
- A new framework for self-editing that will improve or tighten your copy, guaranteed.
- Additional tips for effective storytelling
Speakers
- Beth Francesco, Executive Director at NPCJI
- Elliot C. Williams, Training Manager at NPCJI