![]() Approximately 8% of all children under five have a food allergy, twenty five years ago, it was only 4%. While you might think this is an over-reaction, the fact is that food allergies are on the increase. It is considered so dangerous that many doctors recommend you don't give eggs to children until they are at least one year old. What neither of us knew then is that egg is the most common form of food allergy in children and babies. The hook came immediately afterwards to encourage the reader to carry on reading: It gently introduces the reader to the story and so is a lead. She gave her egg "when the baby books recommended" and watched in horror as her daughter's lips swelled up and her airway started to close. Gerda Guy had previously had a similar experience with her daughter Amy. That was my introduction to food allergy. ![]() Within minutes she was screaming, her eyes and nose were running, she had a rash all over and was having difficulty breathing. When my daughter Eleanor was eight months old I gave her some scrambled eggs to eat. Your hook is what compels them to read further.įor example, here is the lead I wrote for an article on food allergy in children for Home and Family magazine. Your lead gently draws the reader into your article. While some writers treat these terms as interchangeable, they are technically very different. Also, by writing your hook last you can ensure it leads seamlessly into the rest of your article.įirst of all you need to know the difference between a 'lead' and a 'hook'. You know that your hook won't mislead people into reading your article (and cause them to be disappointed once they've done so). By writing your hook after you've written your article, you can be sure that your hook won't be a false one, the red herring lead that we dealt with last time. You know what topics are addressed and how they are dealt with. Once you've written your first draft, you know the focus of your piece. However, in order to write a good hook, one that will 'catch' the reader's attention, you might find it easier to wait until after you've written the first draft of your article. It might seem strange leaving the hook until last, especially when one of the first things we learn as writers is to give our articles a good hook. ![]() The final thing you need to sort out is to make sure the editor will actually read it. You've sorted out the structure and the flow and given it unity to ensure that it is not only readable but un-putdownable. Slowly, too slowly it might seem, your nonfiction article is taking shape. Negotiating ContractsSetting Fees/Getting Paid HELPFUL LINKS | EDITOR'S CORNER (Ramblings on the Writing Life) HOME | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SITE MAP | MASTER ARTICLE INDEX | ADVERTISE WITH US! How to Craft a Great Article, Part II: Hooks, Leads, and Endings ![]()
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