FEATURE LEADS

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FEATURE LEADS

• PUNCH a short, snappy sentence in a paragraph
  by itself.
• EXAMPLE
• Its not the end of the world, but dont tell
  that to OHS basketball fans.
• The team eliminated all playoff hopes after
  losing to No. 1-ranked rivals Mountain Ridge last
  night, 58-57.

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FEATURE LEADS
2. BACKGROUND a descriptive lead that focuses
on the circumstances surrounding the event, not
the participants. EXAMPLE Water runs through
hallways, drips onto lockers and seeps into
classrooms. Still, after five days, custodian
John Doe cant find a leak.
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FEATURE LEADS
3. DESCRIPTIVE Concentrates on the senses,
telling the reader what an event or person
sounded/looked/smelled like EXAMPLE He has a
gruff, coarse beard and smells like a mixture of
sawdust and tobacco, but his blue eyes light up
when he has a tale to tell. Sam Smith is just one
of 87 residents at Verde River Retirement home, a
place full of good stories.
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FEATURE LEADS
4. CONTRAST plays up an opposite to sharpen the
focus on the news. EXAMPLE While most Arizona
high school students are fretting over AIMS, 67
percent of OHS juniors can relax -- theyve
already aced it.
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FEATURE LEADS
5. PARODY relates the situation to a well-known
poem, song or quote. EXAMPLE Your bags are
packed, youre ready to go. But dont leave on
that jet plane just yet -- the senior trip may
not happen after all. be careful with this -
dont be cheesy!
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FEATURE LEADS
6. SUSPENDED INTEREST builds intrigue or
mystery EXAMPLE Somewhere beneath the
classrooms and walkways of OHS, a predator
waits. Just six months after its opening, the
school is infested with termites who are eating
away at the beams, facilities director Mike
Cornish said yesterday.
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FEATURE LEADS
7. DIRECT ADDRESS talks directly to the reader
(only use when its absolutely necessary to get a
readers attention.) EXAMPLE Keep your fingers
crossed -- the district will decide today whether
to add two hours tp your school day.
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FEATURE LEADS
8. ANECDOTAL tells a short, in-the-moment story
relevant to the main issue. EXAMPLE Sarah Smith
looks right, then left. She yields, checks her
mirrors, then proceeds through the intersection.
Only 10 more feet before she hears those magic
words You passed your driving test.