Use to help generate ideas for creating strong introductory paragraphs in essays. This was originally developed for high school seniors creating personal essays for the admissions process, but it can be adapted to work for any essay.

Why not start with a question? You can use a real question (How many people die in this novel?) or a more rhetorical question (What would the world look like if we were free of prejudice?)

Another option is to start off with some sort of startling or shocking or thought-provoking statement. Examples: Ignorance is a crime... Our education system is diseased... Women are better than men...

Use a quotation to start things off right. You can use a famous quote ("A stitch in time saves nine")- but be sure to do something unexpected with it. You could also use an infamous quote. Wouldn't it be fun to use Mitt Romney's unfortunate 47% comment and put a twist on it? Or you can use a quote from your crazy Uncle Dan. Just be sure it fits with your essay and moves it forward.

Sometimes you can start off with a personal story and use that story to bookend your essay. For example, if you're writing an essay about racism, maybe you start off with the tale of your first encounter with it. Consider, if you use this technique, bucking the expected and starting off with the end of the story (Typically calm and collected, today she threw her drink in his face and slammed the door as she left.) You can also start in the middle (She sat there wondering how to react to his racist comment: should she ignore it or confront him?) rather than starting at the beginning. The nice part of using this technique? Your conclusion will write itself!

Ah statistics. To quote Homer Simpson, "Facts?!?! They can use fact to prove almost anything these days!"

Writing about the education system? Why not include stats about the correlation of standardized test scores and parental income? Writing about racism in To Kill a Mockingbird, why not include stats about racial disparities in our prison system today?

Be sure to use great sources and be sure to cite them!

Pull in a bit of dialogue to start things off with a bang. This can be actual dialogue from your life or dialogue from the literature you're exploring.

Example?

"I think we both know why I called you in today," scowled the man behind the desk.

"Yes," she said, "You want to fire me."

Be sure to work to tie it into your thesis in a strong and clear manner. And be sure to cite it if you're working with someone else's published works.

What in the heck is this sign?

Big danger! Only tell what's necessary. Don't summarize a whole book if you're writing about a particular character. Don't give us a narrative form of your resume in a personal essay. Get to the point.

OK. I must admit that this is purely my own bias... but I am sick to death of reading the definition of "hero" when my students write about Oedipus, of "love" when they write about Romeo and Juliet, and of "courage" when they write about To Kill a Mockingbird.

Some teachers are ok with this; it makes me want to cry (n. to sob uncontrollably, to excrete tears from the eyes, to wail out loud).

Put your broom away. This is no time to sweepingly generalize.

Throughout history...
Everybody...
All people...
Every child....
Since the beginning of time...
Great men throughout the world...

Just. Don't.

This is ok for little kids and beginner. It's even ok for your first draft. But after that? Please don't just restate your prompt.

Examples:

What is the main theme in To Kill a Mockingbird?
The main theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is...

What experiences do you bring to University of Whatever?
The experiences I bring to University of whatever are...

You can be more inventive than that! I know you can!

Similarly? Don't start with "In this essay I will..." Just do it!

Let's summarize. What are your takeaways from this presentation so far?

Don't sit there with your pen quivering nervously. Jot a few ideas down. Strive to create four options for yourself as openers. Be happy if you get to throw out three. A sculptor starts with a large stone and finds the art by cutting away at it. Do the same with your writing.

Look through your outline or your draft. You might have a great sentence or two hiding in there that can be repurposed for your opening paragraph!

Don't try to sound like a snobby academic if you are in fact a caustic skeptic with a dark sense of humor. I mean, avoid slang and informal language that shows off the self that doesn't belong in the classroom-- but let your personality shine through. Humor, passion, anger... it's all good stuff in writing! You want your reader to feel connected to you... so be yourself!

Next time, we'll talk about conclusions.

http://www.haikudeck.com/p/ZQbV43L9Rx/conclusions