Spark Creativity with Fresh Story Starters

You’ve got the interview. Now it’s time to write. But how do you start? The strength of a lede makes — or breaks — a story. Here are a few styles of ledes from recent Regional Telco Magazine features to get your creativity flowing.

Set the Scene

An explanatory lede paints a picture of a person, place or group. What images, sounds and smells struck you during the interview? Create a sense of place that makes your readers feel like they’re on the scene.

Examples:

• Josh Hass runs his fingers across the tape measure, feeling for the raised markings as he lines up the pieces of wood. He wants to make sure each piece fits together nicely.
  — From  by Lisa Savage, Peoples Telecom,Texas.
  

• Ronnie Miller grew up in a holler in Clay County in the 1950s and ’60s. It was a time when almost everybody was poor like him, but nobody really knew it. Coal mining was king, and the county was full of the stuff. For many Appalachians then, running water was a luxury, and outhouses and dirt roads remained the norm. — From Links to the past: Clay County’s swinging bridges offer visitors a step back in time by Jen Calhoun, PRTC, Kentucky.
  

• As the hot afternoon sun bore down, Jerry Ellis stopped to rest underneath a shade tree. He took off his shoes and socks and rubbed his aching, blistered feet. — From Walking the Trail by Lisa Savage, FTC, Alabama.
  

Anecdotal or Narrative

Some topics might feel a little dry or abstract to a reader. An anecdotal or narrative lede, however, gives them a person or an idea that can ground the story. Narrative ledes often incorporate a quote or two to set the scene.

Examples:

• Paul Cantrell says his co-workers at Mountain Telephone like to give him a hard time about being a techie. “I don’t think I am,” he says with a chuckle. “But I guess I was one of the first people around here who used a smartphone. And when everybody else had one laptop, I maybe had two or three.” — From Digital Defense by Jen Calhoun, Mountain Telephone, Kentucky.
  

• As an Eastex customer service representative, Missy Cannon gets questions all the time. Lately, the biggest questions she hears are, “When is fiber broadband coming to my house?” and “What’s all this construction?” —From What happens next? Answers to all your questions about fiber construction and installation by Jen Calhoun, Eastex, Texas.
  

Surprising Statistics or Trend

Do you have a fact that would startle readers? Grab their attention with surprising statistics, big financial sums and other figures. Numbers like these show how a community is impacted.

Examples:

• Every month, about 10,000 people walk into the Lawrence County Public Library to attend an event, borrow a book, use the library’s reference materials or experience one of the organization’s many public services. — From Wisdom Wonderlands by Jen Calhoun, Foothills Communications, Kentucky.
  

• It’s about 1,000 miles from the Virnig Manufacturing facility in Rice, Minnesota, to the company’s second location in Pikeville, Tennessee. As teams from both locations work together, though, it’s like they’re in the same room thanks to state-of-the-art fiber internet technology. — From Smooth Operations by Lisa Savage, BTC Fiber, Tennessee.
  

• The addition of Aviagen’s Pikeville feed processing facility earlier this year to the poultry-breeding company’s other area operations will have a tremendous impact on the state’s economy — to the tune of a $35 million investment. — From At home in Pikeville by Lisa Savage, BTC Fiber, Tennessee.
  

Contrast

Sometimes the best way to hook a reader is to share a before and after image or show a stark contrast. The rest of the story explains the change.

Examples:

• You’d never know it to talk to him, but Martin Connelley is kind of a big deal. By day, the Salyersville native is a friendly, hardworking delivery driver for UPS. But when he’s finished with a long day, he takes off. Literally. — From Buckle Up! Local drag racer keeps on winning by Jen Calhoun, Foothills Communications, Kentucky.
  

• Miranda Harris describes her son, Mykah, as a gentle giant with a big, warm smile, a full heart and a calming way. By the age of 15, Mykah stood 6 feet tall and dominated his high school’s lacrosse and football teams. Despite his drive, he always offered a hand to any player who fell. — From An Incredible Journey by Jen Calhoun in the November/December 2022 issue of Highlander, Highland Telephone, Tennessee.
  

• Chip Hale started his dream of making independent films in Hollywood. It was more than a decade before he realized his star actually shone the brightest back home in Kilgore, Texas. — From Action! REEL East Texas Film Festival rolls out the red carpet by Jen Calhoun, Eastex, Texas.
  

Got your lede? Great!

Don’t forget to follow it with a “nut” graph: a paragraph that ties the lede into the larger scope of the story. Let the creative sparks fly!