“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

"Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the riverbank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book', thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversation?"

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll

The example I chose to discuss is the opening paragraph the “Alice and Wonderland.” I think this is a good ‘lead’ because it sort of, in a round-about- kind of way, tells the reader what the book is going to be about. It introduces the main character and gives you a look into her personality; showing that she is seeking adventure and excitement. 

After reading the supplemental reading for this week, I can compare this paragraph to a narrative lead. Which is obvious since narrative form is used in fiction. 

This form includes dialogue. Take the sentence “and what is the use of a book', thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversation?" for example.  Although Alice is not saying words out loud, she is thinking to herself. This is useful because it gives the reader a look into Alice’s thoughts; giving us an inside view as to what she is like. 

This example also demonstrates scene setting. You can picture a girl sitting by her sister on the riverbank. You can imagine Alice looking over her sister’s shoulder at a big, boring book with not pictures. These are all great visuals the author has created for the reader.

And lastly, the example shows foreshadowing. It gives the reader slight clues as to what might happen next. Because Alice is bored, we can assume that she is going to find some sort of adventure.

Although the opening paragraph is quite short, it conveyed a lot of information to the reader. This is what a great lead should do; with minimal words, give important information and encourage the reader to continue reading.

Weekly Editing Mistake:

I was asked to create a postcard at work. The postcard included the sentence “ages 1 thru 18.” Although, in AP style, one should be spelled out, I was more concerned with the usage of thru. Obviously, the correct word to use is ‘through’