Taking the first step is hard, whether you’re launching a business or writing a post. You may have tons of good ideas that you’re eager to share, but it’s tough to decide where to begin. So what’s a blogger to do?
Here’s a hint: write your introduction last.
Think about it - by the time you’ve written everything down and organized your thoughts, you’ll have a very good idea of where your post is going - after all, it’s almost done! You might also come up with an excellent idea for an opener while you’re writing, plus you’ll have a better understanding of your piece should be introduced - have you ever written something that’s gotten totally derailed, and the conclusion and introduction say completely different things? It happens to the best of us. However, by writing your first paragraph last, you’re preventing this problem and ensuring that you’ll end up with a more cohesive, coherent post.
We all know that the headline (your title) and the opening paragraph (in publishing it’s called the lede) are some of the most important things to consider when you’re composing your posts. Of course, these things are also some of the most difficult things to write well (related: North x East has an excellent list of 10 Ways to Write a Great Lead for a Blog Post), so it does pay to devote extra time to your intros.
Just make that extra effort at the end of your post composition time, not the beginning. You may be pleasantly surprised at how productive you become.
Posted by: Blogging Coach
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