Writing: How To Get Started

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Principles of Effective Writing:
How To Get Started

By Cheryl and Peter Reimold

"And should I then presume? And how should I begin?"
-- T.S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

If you have ever had trouble beginning a letter, memo, or report -- take heart. You are not alone. Most people find getting started the hardest part., and for good reason. The first words often determine the fate of the piece. To a great extent, they establish whether or not the reader will go on reading, for the reader tends to judge the value of the rest of the piece by its opening words.

Accepting that your first paragraph is the most important one need not lead you to instant paralysis. On the contrary, this knowledge can be the first step to a good start.

The "Tell" Start

Try this start when you want the first paragraph to give the reader new information. Here, you will focus on presenting the essential facts and explaining their significance to the reader, all in the broadest terms. The structure is usually Information followed by Meaning.

Imagine your reader(s) asking you these two questions:

One: "What do you want to tell me?"
Two: "So what?"

Answer each question conversationally, on paper. Your answers will form your opening paragraph.

For example, suppose you are responding to a request for an analysis of a faulty product. You can generate your first paragraph this way:

(Answer to Question 1) Our analysis of Sample A shows traces of X and Y.
(Answer to Question 2) X can cause weakness in bonding, leading to cracks in the final product. Y, even in small amounts, can produce the discoloration you observed.

The "Sell" Start

Use this start when you want the first paragraph to move the reader to action. You want to first grab the reader's attention and then say clearly what he or she must do. The structure is Attention Grabber followed by Call for Action.

One effective approach is to hit the reader with a barrage of arresting or disturbing facts and then immediately follow them with a statement of what must be done. Suppose there is a leak in the roof of a storage room. Because of other pressing demands, no one has fixed the leak. You want it fixed! Here's a possible opening paragraph to the person responsible:

(Disturbing fact) Last year, 20 boxes of X in Storage Room 13 were damaged by the leak in the roof above that room. (Disturbing fact) Two weeks ago, a package containing samples of our chief competitor's product was soaked through. (Disturbing fact) Yesterday, John Reynolds slipped on the wet floor under the leak and broke his wrist. (Call for action) To avoid further injury or loss, we must get the leak repaired immediately.

The "Help" Start

Sometimes, you will find that you know what you want the first paragraph to do, but you haven't a clue how to do it. Don't despair. Here's a "help" start.

Start in the middle of your piece. Determine that you will write the first paragraph later, when have got several ideas and facts on paper. Write down anything you can think of about your subject. There is only one rule: you must write something. You will find it much easier to draw your first paragraph from ideas on paper than from disjointed thoughts flying through an increasingly worried brain.

Say you want your first paragraph of a progress report to give the reader the highlights of your team's latest research. You know you need a "tell" start, but you're not sure which findings are really the "highlights."

Start in the middle. Write down one finding, describe it, and show the significance. Then go on to another. Once you start to see the relationship of your facts and their relative significance, you can go to the "tell" start.

Or, suppose you want to alert the boss to the need for more regular informal communication between managers and staff in the department. You know this needs a "sell" start, but you don't know how to get your boss's attention without offending him.

Start in the middle. Note problems that have occurred because of poor communication, unfounded rumors that have been flying around, or your own observations. When you feel you have a good attention getter or series of powerful facts, try a "sell" start.

Remember, you don't always have to begin at the beginning. Good luck with your new starts!

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