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25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing a Breeze

Understanding what makes a good thesis statement is one of the major keys to writing a great research paper or argumentative essay. The thesis statement is where you make a claim that will guide you through your entire paper. If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your paper or your topic, then it's likely due to a weak thesis statement.

Let's take a minute to first understand what makes a solid thesis statement, and what key components you need to write one of your own.

A thesis statement always goes at the beginning of the paper. It will typically be in the first couple of paragraphs of the paper so that it can introduce the body paragraphs, which are the supporting evidence for your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute . An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic.

Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body, and playfulness." These are three things that can be debated on. Some people might think that the cutest thing about puppies is the fact that they follow you around or that they're really soft and fuzzy.

All cuteness aside, you want to make sure that your thesis statement is not only debatable, but that it also actually thoroughly answers the research question that was posed. You always want to make sure that your evidence is supporting a claim that you made (and not the other way around). This is why it's crucial to read and research about a topic first and come to a conclusion later. If you try to get your research to fit your thesis statement, then it may not work out as neatly as you think. As you learn more, you discover more (and the outcome may not be what you originally thought).

Additionally, your thesis statement shouldn't be too big or too grand. It'll be hard to cover everything in a thesis statement like, "The federal government should act now on climate change." The topic is just too large to actually say something new and meaningful. Instead, a more effective thesis statement might be, "Local governments can combat climate change by providing citizens with larger recycling bins and offering local classes about composting and conservation." This is easier to work with because it's a smaller idea, but you can also discuss the overall topic that you might be interested in, which is climate change.

So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you're getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.

Thesis statement examples

A quick note that these thesis statements have not been fully researched. These are merely examples to show you what a thesis statement might look like and how you can implement your own ideas into one that you think of independently. As such, you should not use these thesis statements for your own research paper purposes. They are meant to be used as examples only.

• Vaccinations Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
• Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don't forget what they've learned throughout the school year.
• School Uniforms School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.
• Populism The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
• Public Libraries Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities.
• Cyber Bullying With more and more teens using smartphones and social media, cyber bullying is on the rise. Cyber bullying puts a lot of stress on many teens, and can cause depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Parents should limit the usage of smart phones, monitor their children's online activity, and report any cyber bullying to school officials in order to combat this problem.
• Medical Marijuana for Veterans Studies have shown that the use of medicinal marijuana has been helpful to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medicinal marijuana prescriptions should be legal in all states and provided to these veterans. Additional medical or therapy services should also be researched and implemented in order to help them re-integrate back into civilian life.
• Work-Life Balance Corporations should provide more work from home opportunities and six-hour workdays so that office workers have a better work-life balance and are more likely to be productive when they are in the office.
• Teaching Youths about Consensual Sex Although sex education that includes a discussion of consensual sex would likely lead to less sexual assault, parents need to teach their children the meaning of consent from a young age with age appropriate lessons.
• Whether or Not to Attend University A degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, but not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Some students may benefit from a trade school or a "gap year" where they can think more intensely about what it is they want to do for a career and how they can accomplish this.
• Studying Abroad Studying abroad is one of the most culturally valuable experiences you can have in college. It is the only way to get completely immersed in another language and learn how other cultures and countries are different from your own.
• Women's Body Image Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture.
• Cigarette Tax Heavily taxing and increasing the price of cigarettes is essentially a tax on the poorest Americans, and it doesn't deter them from purchasing. Instead, the state and federal governments should target those economically disenfranchised with early education about the dangers of smoking.
• Veganism A vegan diet, while a healthy and ethical way to consume food, indicates a position of privilege. It also limits you to other cultural food experiences if you travel around the world.
• University Athletes Should be Compensated University athletes should be compensated for their service to the university, as it is difficult for these students to procure and hold a job with busy academic and athletic schedules. Many student athletes on scholarship also come from low-income neighborhoods and it is a struggle to make ends meet when they are participating in athletics.
• Women in the Workforce Sheryl Sandberg makes a lot of interesting points in her best-selling book, Lean In , but she only addressed the very privileged working woman and failed to speak to those in lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs.
• Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
• Celebrity and Political Activism Although Taylor Swift's lyrics are indicative of a feminist perspective, she should be more politically active and vocal to use her position of power for the betterment of society.
• The Civil War The insistence from many Southerners that the South seceded from the Union for states' rights versus the fact that they seceded for the purposes of continuing slavery is a harmful myth that still affects race relations today.
• Blue Collar Workers Coal miners and other blue-collar workers whose jobs are slowly disappearing from the workforce should be re-trained in jobs in the technology sector or in renewable energy. A program to re-train these workers would not only improve local economies where jobs have been displaced, but would also lead to lower unemployment nationally.
• Diversity in the Workforce Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds.
• Re-Imagining the Nuclear Family The nuclear family was traditionally defined as one mother, one father, and 2.5 children. This outdated depiction of family life doesn't quite fit with modern society. The definition of normal family life shouldn't be limited to two-parent households.
• Digital Literacy Skills With more information readily available than ever before, it's crucial that students are prepared to examine the material they're reading and determine whether or not it's a good source or if it has misleading information. Teaching students digital literacy and helping them to understand the difference between opinion or propaganda from legitimate, real information is integral.
• Beauty Pageants Beauty pageants are presented with the angle that they empower women. However, putting women in a swimsuit on a stage while simultaneously judging them on how well they answer an impossible question in a short period of time is cruel and purely for the amusement of men. Therefore, we should stop televising beauty pageants.
• Supporting More Women to Run for a Political Position In order to get more women into political positions, more women must run for office. There must be a grassroots effort to educate women on how to run for office, who among them should run, and support for a future candidate for getting started on a political career.

Still stuck? Need some help with your thesis statement?

If you are still uncertain about how to write a thesis statement or what a good thesis statement is, be sure to consult with your teacher or professor to make sure you're on the right track. It's always a good idea to check in and make sure that your thesis statement is making a solid argument and that it can be supported by your research.

After you're done writing, it's important to have someone take a second look at your paper so that you can ensure there are no mistakes or errors. It's difficult to spot your own mistakes, which is why it's always recommended to have someone help you with the revision process, whether that's a teacher, the writing center at school, or a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape .

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How to Begin an Essay: 13 Engaging Strategies

ThoughtCo / Hugo Lin

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

An effective introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your essay is about and it encourages them to keep reading.

There are countless ways to begin an essay effectively. As a start, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers.

State Your Thesis Briefly and Directly

But avoid making your thesis a bald announcement, such as "This essay is about...". 

"It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday...." (Michael J. Arlen, "Ode to Thanksgiving." The Camera Age: Essays on Television . Penguin, 1982)

Pose a Question Related to Your Subject

Follow up the question with an answer, or an invitation for your readers to answer the question.

"What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn't afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul. When photographers discuss the way in which a photograph reduces the reality it represents, they mention not only the passage from three dimensions to two, but also the selection of a point de vue that favors the top of the body rather than the bottom, and the front rather than the back. The face is the jewel in the crown of the body, and so we give it a setting." (Emily R. Grosholz, "On Necklaces." Prairie Schooner , Summer 2007)

State an Interesting Fact About Your Subject

" The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you cannot buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground. The hat was imagined, constructed, and then forthrightly worn by the ornithologist as he patrolled this loitering ground, singing, Chee-up! Chee-up! and bowing like an overpolite Japanese Buddhist trying to tell somebody goodbye...." (David James Duncan, "Cherish This Ecstasy." The Sun , July 2008)

Present Your Thesis as a Recent Discovery or Revelation

"I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people." (Suzanne Britt Jordan, "Neat People vs. Sloppy People." Show and Tell . Morning Owl Press, 1983)

Briefly Describe the Primary Setting of Your Essay

"It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be hanged within the next week or two." (George Orwell, "A Hanging," 1931)

Recount an Incident That Dramatizes Your Subject

"One October afternoon three years ago while I was visiting my parents, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in the birdbath in the weak Connecticut sunlight. Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. “Please help me get Jeff’s pacemaker turned off,” she said, using my father’s first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked." (Katy Butler, "What Broke My Father's Heart." The New York Times Magazine , June 18, 2010)

Use the Narrative Strategy of Delay

The narrative strategy of delay allows you to put off identifying your subject just long enough to pique your readers' interest without frustrating them. 

"They woof. Though I have photographed them before, I have never heard them speak, for they are mostly silent birds. Lacking a syrinx, the avian equivalent of the human larynx, they are incapable of song. According to field guides the only sounds they make are grunts and hisses, though the Hawk Conservancy in the United Kingdom reports that adults may utter a croaking coo and that young black vultures, when annoyed, emit a kind of immature snarl...." (Lee Zacharias, "Buzzards." Southern Humanities Review , 2007)

Use the Historical Present Tense

An effective method of beginning an essay is to use historical present tense to relate an incident from the past as if it were happening now. 

"Ben and I are sitting side by side in the very back of his mother’s station wagon. We face glowing white headlights of cars following us, our sneakers pressed against the back hatch door. This is our joy—his and mine—to sit turned away from our moms and dads in this place that feels like a secret, as though they are not even in the car with us. They have just taken us out to dinner, and now we are driving home. Years from this evening, I won’t actually be sure that this boy sitting beside me is named Ben. But that doesn’t matter tonight. What I know for certain right now is that I love him, and I need to tell him this fact before we return to our separate houses, next door to each other. We are both five." (Ryan Van Meter, "First." The Gettysburg Review , Winter 2008)

Briefly Describe a Process That Leads Into Your Subject

"I like to take my time when I pronounce someone dead. The bare-minimum requirement is one minute with a stethoscope pressed to someone’s chest, listening for a sound that is not there; with my fingers bearing down on the side of someone’s neck, feeling for an absent pulse; with a flashlight beamed into someone’s fixed and dilated pupils, waiting for the constriction that will not come. If I’m in a hurry, I can do all of these in sixty seconds, but when I have the time, I like to take a minute with each task." (Jane Churchon, "The Dead Book." The Sun , February 2009)

Reveal a Secret or Make a Candid Observation

"I spy on my patients. Ought not a doctor to observe his patients by any means and from any stance, that he might the more fully assemble evidence? So I stand in doorways of hospital rooms and gaze. Oh, it is not all that furtive an act. Those in bed need only look up to discover me. But they never do." ( Richard Selzer , "The Discus Thrower." Confessions of a Knife . Simon & Schuster, 1979)

Open with a Riddle, Joke, or Humorous Quotation

You can use a riddle , joke, or humorous quotation to reveal something about your subject. 

" Q: What did Eve say to Adam on being expelled from the Garden of Eden? A: 'I think we're in a time of transition.' The irony of this joke is not lost as we begin a new century and anxieties about social change seem rife. The implication of this message, covering the first of many periods of transition, is that change is normal; there is, in fact, no era or society in which change is not a permanent feature of the social landscape...." (Betty G. Farrell, Family: The Making of an Idea, an Institution, and a Controversy in American Culture . Westview Press, 1999)

Offer a Contrast Between Past and Present

"As a child, I was made to look out the window of a moving car and appreciate the beautiful scenery, with the result that now I don't care much for nature. I prefer parks, ones with radios going chuckawaka chuckawaka and the delicious whiff of bratwurst and cigarette smoke." (Garrison Keillor, "Walking Down The Canyon." Time , July 31, 2000)

Offer a Contrast Between Image and Reality

A compelling essay can begin with a contrast between a common misconception and the opposing truth. 

"They aren’t what most people think they are. Human eyes, touted as ethereal objects by poets and novelists throughout history, are nothing more than white spheres, somewhat larger than your average marble, covered by a leather-like tissue known as sclera and filled with nature’s facsimile of Jell-O. Your beloved’s eyes may pierce your heart, but in all likelihood they closely resemble the eyes of every other person on the planet. At least I hope they do, for otherwise he or she suffers from severe myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or worse...." (John Gamel, "The Elegant Eye." Alaska Quarterly Review , 2009)

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Sentence Starters: Ultimate List to Improve Your Essays and Writing

Ashley Shaw

This blog post is going to be about … No. Too boring.

Today, I am going to talk to you about ... No. Too specific.

This is a blog post for all writers ... Nope. Too generic.

Has this ever been you while writing? I get it. Writing a good sentence can be hard, and when you have to string a whole lot of them together, the task can become daunting. So what do you do?

From the first sentence you write to the very last, you want each one to show your style and motivate your reader to keep reading. In this post, we are going to think about how you start your sentences.

What Is a Good Sentence Starter for an Essay Introduction?

What is a good sentence starter for a body paragraph, 25 useful transitions, can i repeat a sentence starter, how can i rephrase "in conclusion".

The first paragraph of a paper can make or break your grade. It is what gets your audience into the topic and sets the whole stage. Because of this, it is important to get your readers hooked early.

The first sentence of a paper is often called the hook. It shouldn’t be anything ordinary. It should have strong language and be a little surprising, with an interesting fact, story, statistic, or quote on the topic.

Because it is designed to pull the reader in and surprise them a little, it is often good to avoid pre-written sentence starter examples when writing your hook. Just get into it here, and worry about the flow later.

Here are some examples:

Spider webs were once used as bandages.

I taught myself to read when I was three. At least, that’s the story my parents tell.

Recent studies suggest that the average person lies at least once in every conversation.

“The world is bleeding and humans wield the knife,” or so says environmental scientist So Andso.

(P.S. Except for example 1, which is true, I just made all of these up to demonstrate my point. So, please don’t quote me on these!)

Once you jump right in with your hook, it is time to start working on ways to move sentences along. Here is where you may need some sentence starter examples.

In your first paragraph, you basically want to connect your hook to your thesis. You’ll do this with a few sentences setting up the stage for your topic and the claim you will make about it. To do that, follow the tips found in the next section on body paragraphs and general sentence starter tips.

Many of the tips I am about to discuss can be used anywhere in a paper, but they are especially helpful when writing body paragraphs.

Let’s start with one of the most important types of sentence starter in essay writing: transition words.

How Do I Use Transitions in an Essay?

If you want to start writing terrific sentences (and improve your essay structure ), the first thing you should do is start using transition words.

Transition words are those words or phrases that help connect thoughts and ideas. They move one sentence or paragraph into another, and they make things feel less abrupt.

The good thing about transition words is that you probably know a lot of them already and currently use them in your speech. Now, you just need to transition them into your writing. (See what I did there?)

Before we get into examples of what a good transition word is, let’s look at a paragraph without any transitions:

I went to the store. I bought bacon and eggs. I saw someone I knew. I said hello. I went to the cashier. They checked me out. I paid. I got my groceries. I went to my car. I returned home.

Yikes! That is some boring writing. It was painful to write, and I am sure it is even worse to read. There are two reasons for this:

• I start every sentence with the same word (more on this later)
• There are no signposts showing me how the ideas in the paragraph connect.

In an essay, you need to show how each of your ideas relate to each other to build your argument. If you just make a series of statements one after the other, you’re not showing your instructor that you actually understand those statements, or your topic.

How do we fix this? Transition words. Roughly 25% of your sentences should start with a transition word. If you can hit that number in your essay, you’ll know that you’ve made meaningful steps towards demonstrating your understanding.

Of course, hitting that number isn’t enough—those transitions need to be meaningful. Let’s look at the different types of transitions and how you can use them.

What Are Words Like First , Next , and Last Called?

You probably already use some transitions in your essays. For example, if you start a paragraph with firstly , you’ve used a transition word. But transitions can do so much more!

Here are 25 common transitional words and phrases that you could use in your essay:

• Additionally / In Addition
• Alternatively / Conversely
• As a result of
• At this time
• Consequently
• Contrary to
• First(ly), Second(ly), etc.
• In contrast
• Nonetheless
• On the other hand
• Particularly / In particular
• In other words

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it is a good start.

These words show different types of relationships between ideas. These relationships fall into four main categories: Emphasis , Contrast , Addition , and Order .

What Are Emphasis Transition Words?

These phrases are used when you want to highlight a point. Examples from my above list include clearly , particularly , and indeed . Want to see some more? Follow my bolded transitions: Undoubtedly , you understand now. It should be noted that you don’t need to worry.

How Do You Use Addition Transitions?

These words add on to what you just said. These are words like along with , moreover , and also . Here are some more: Not only are you going to be great at transitions after this, but you will also be good at writing sentences. Furthermore , everyone is excited to see what you have to say.

How Can I Use Transitions to Contrast Ideas?

This is the opposite of addition, and you use it when you want to show an alternative view or to compare things. Examples from my list include words like nonetheless , contrary to , and besides .

Here are some more: Unlike people who haven’t read this article, you are going to be really prepared to write great sentences. Even so , there is still a lot more about writing to learn.

How Do I Order Ideas in My Essay?

A good first step is using order transition words.

This set of transitions helps mark the passage of time or gives an order to events. From the list, think of things like first and finally . Now for some extras: At this time yesterday , you were worried about starting sentences. Following this , though, you will be an expert.

Now that you get the concept of transitions, let’s go back to that poorly written paragraph above and add some in to see what happens:

This morning , I went to the store. While I was there, I bought bacon and eggs. Then I saw someone I knew. So I said hello. After that , I went to the cashier. At that time , they checked me out. First , I paid. Next , I got my groceries. Following that , I went to my car. Finally , I returned home.

(Notice the use of commas after most of these transitions!)

This isn’t the best paragraph I’ve ever written. It still needs a lot of work. However, notice what a difference just adding transitions makes. This is something simple but effective you can start doing to make your sentences better today.

If you want to check your transition usage, try ProWritingAid’s Transitions report . You’ll see how many of each type of transition word you've used so you can pin-point where you might be losing your reader.

Sign up for a free ProWritingAid account to try it out.

What Are Some Linking Phrases I Can Use in My Essay?

As well as individual words, you can also use short phrases at the beginning of your sentences to transition between ideas. I just did it there— "As well as individual words" shows you how this section of the article is related to the last.

Here are some more phrases like this:

As shown in the example,

As a result of this,

After the meeting,

While this may be true,

Though researchers suggest X,

Before the war began,

Until we answer this question,

Since we cannot assume this to be true,

While some may claim Y,

Because we know that Z is true,

These short phrases are called dependent clauses . See how they all end with a comma? That's because they need you to add more information to make them into complete sentences.

• While some may claim that chocolate is bad for you, data from a recent study suggests that it may have untapped health benefits .
• Since we cannot assume that test conditions were consistent, it is impossible to reach a solid conclusion via this experiment .
• As a result of this, critics disagree as to the symbolism of the yellow car in The Great Gatsby .

The bolded text in each example could stand on its own as a complete sentence. However, if we take away the first part of each sentence, we lose our connection to the other ideas in the essay.

These phrases are called dependent clauses : they depend on you adding another statement to the sentence to complete them. When you use a sentence starter phrase like the ones above in your writing, you signal that the new idea you have introduced completes (or disrupts) the idea before it.

Note: While some very short dependent clauses don’t need a comma, most do. Since it is not wrong to use one on even short ones (depending on the style guide being used), it is a good idea to include one every time.

Along with missing transitions and repeating sentence structure, another thing that stops sentences from being great is too much repetition. Keep your sentences sharp and poignant by mixing up word choices to start your sentences.

You might start your sentence with a great word, but then you use that same word 17 sentences in a row. After the first couple, your sentences don’t sound as great. So, whether it is varying the transitional phrases you use or just mixing up the sentence openers in general, putting in some variety will only improve your sentences.

ProWritingAid lets you know if you’ve used the same word repeatedly at the start of your sentences so you can change it.

The Repeats Report also shows you all of the repeats in your document. If you've used a sentence starter and then repeated it a couple of paragraphs down, the report will highlight it for you.

Try the Repeats Report with a free ProWritingAid account.

Now that you have your introduction sentences and body sentences taken care of, let’s talk a little about conclusion sentences. While you will still use transitions and clauses as in the body, there are some special considerations here.

Your conclusion is what people will remember most after they finish reading your paper. So, you want to make it stand out. Don’t just repeat yourself; tell them what they should do with what you just told them!

Use the tips from above, but also remember the following:

Be unique. Not only should you vary the words you use to start different sentences, but you should also think outside of the box. If you use the same conclusion sentence starter everyone else is using, your ideas will blend in too.

Be natural. Some of the best writing out there is writing that sounds natural. This goes for academic writing, too. While you won’t use phrases like "at the end of the day" in essay writing, stilted phrases like "in conclusion" can disrupt the flow you’ve created earlier on.

Here are some alternatives to "in conclusion" you could use in an essay:

• To review, ... (best for scientific papers where you need to restate your key points before making your final statement)
• As has been shown, ...
• In the final analysis, ...
• Taking everything into account, ...
• On the whole, ...
• Generally speaking, ...

If you’re looking for more ways to rephrase "in conclusion," take a look at our complete list of synonyms you can use.

There may not be a set word or words that you can use to make your sentences perfect. However, when you start using these tips, you’ll start to see noticeable improvement in your writing.

If you’ve ever heard people talk about pacing and flow in academic writing, and you have no idea what they mean or how to improve yours, then this is your answer. These tips will help your writing sound more natural, which is how you help your ideas flow.

Take your writing to the next level:

20 Editing Tips from Professional Writers

Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article, or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas., this guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Ashley Shaw is a former editor and marketer/current PhD student and teacher. When she isn't studying con artists for her dissertation, she's thinking of new ways to help college students better understand and love the writing process.

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How to Get the Perfect Hook for Your College Essay

What’s covered:, developing your hook.

• 5 College Essay Hook Examples

5 Tips and Examples for Crafting a Great Hook

Your essay is one of the best tools available for standing out in a crowded field of college applicants (many with academic portfolios similar to yours) when applying to your dream school. A college essay is your opportunity to show admissions committees the person behind the grades, test scores, and resume. To ensure your college essay receives the full attention of admissions committees, you need to lure them in with a great hook—that is, a compelling opening that makes your audience hungry for more.

You need a strong start to capture the attention of the admission committees. When it comes to college essays, first impressions are everything. In fact, there’s no guarantee that anyone is going to read more than your first sentence if you bore them to tears within a few words, which is why it’s essential to craft an effective and engaging hook.

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for composing an attention-grabbing hook. A well-crafted hook can be anything from an image to an anecdote to an interesting fact while factors like writing style, essay structure, and prompt can all influence what makes for a good hook. That said, memorable hooks share a number of attributes, most notably they draw readers in,  connect with the topic you’re writing about, and leave a lasting impression, often in a creative or unexpected way.

For example, let’s construct a hypothetical essay. Let’s say that after some careful consideration, Jane Doe has decided to write her personal essay about her experience running canine obedience classes. She isn’t quite sure how to start her essay, so she’s practicing with some proven essay hooks. If you’re ready to develop your own hook, check out four of our favorite college essay hook strategies and how they work for Jane below!

College Essay Hook Examples

There are a number of proven strategies that Jane can use to craft a compelling hook. A few tried-and-true hooks include:

1. Open with an Anecdote

People love stories, so it makes sense that telling one is a great way to attract readers. Detailing a relevant anecdote provides context for your essay and can give the reader an idea of what you are up against if you’re overcoming an obstacle or rising to a challenge.

On the day that I told my mother I wanted to start my own canine obedience school, she smiled and muttered something under her breath about the irony of my youthful disobedience and my newfound passion for enforcing rules. What she didn’t know then was that it was not in spite of, but rather because of, my tendency to push the boundaries that I was confident in my ability to succeed.

2. Set the Scene

One fantastic way to get your essay moving and to draw your readers in is to plunge them into the middle of an important scene. Provide readers with descriptive details and dialogue to make them feel like they’re watching a movie from your life and have just tuned in at a critical moment.

I jumped back as the dog lunged for my leg, teeth bared and snarling. “It’s okay, Smokey, it’s okay,” I soothed as I tried to maneuver closer to the post where I had tied his leash. In the back of my head, I heard my brother’s taunts swirling around.

“A dog trainer?” he had scoffed. “What kind of person would hire you as a dog trainer?!”

I pushed the thoughts away and grasped the leash, pulling it tightly to my side as Smokey, surprised by my sudden confidence, fell into stride beside me.

3. Ask a Question

Asking a question at the beginning of your essay can activate your reader’s critical thinking and get them hungry for the answer that you won’t offer until later. Try to come up with a question that’s broad enough that they won’t know the answer right away, but specific enough that it isn’t a generic hook that could work on just any college essay.

How do you respond when you’re faced with a very real physical threat to your safety, yet you literally can’t afford to back down? This is the question I faced on my very first day as a dog trainer.

4. Use a Metaphor or Simile

A metaphor or simile can pull readers in by helping them make connections between seemingly unrelated topics or by encouraging them to think about topics from a different point of view.

Running canine obedience classes is a lot like navigating high school. It’s a dog-eat-dog world with a lot to learn, many personalities to manage, peril around every corner, and everyone anxious to graduate.

Selecting the right hook is a great first step for writing a winning college essay, but the execution is also important.

1. Narrow Down Your Scope

Sometimes the best way to tackle big projects like writing an attention-grabbing hook or captivating college essay is to think small. Narrow down on a specific incident or even a moment that leads into your topic.

It’s my first time teaching a canine obedience class. I’m surrounded by strangers and the dogs are barking so loud I can’t hear myself think, but I have a gnawing feeling that I’m losing control. I put my fingers to my lips and let out the loudest whistle I’m capable of. Suddenly there was silence.

2. Use Adjectives

Adjectives are used to add a description and make your writing clearer and more specific. In other words, they’re the details that make your writing stand out and suck readers in. Jane didn’t simply reward the dog for sitting, she…

It was a battle of wills between me and the eight-month-old Australian Shepherd—defiance was in his sparkling blue eyes, but so was desire for the bit of hot dog hiding in my hand. Reluctantly he sat, earning his treat while I claimed my alpha status.

3. Use Emotion

Use emotion to connect and entice your reader. Emotions make readers feel, pulling them into your essay, and are memorable. You can use them for everything from sharing a fact about yourself to putting the reader in your shoes.

When I was young, I would have been extremely lonely if not for my dog Trevor. I struggled to make friends and Trevor provided companionship, helped me overcome my shyness (he was a great icebreaker), and is responsible for shaping who I am today. When Trevor passed away in high school, I set out to train canine obedience and help dogs become the best versions of themselves—just like what Trevor did for me.

4. Short and Sweet

Admissions committees have a lot of essays to read, so the quicker you get to the point and capture their attention, the better.

Mere moments into my dream job, someone had already peed on the floor and another had bitten a person. Welcome to the life of a dog trainer.

5. Just Start Writing

Sometimes the hook of your college essay isn’t clear. Rather than getting hung up, start developing your essay and see if it adds clarity as to how to best implement a hook. Some students even find that it’s easiest to write a hook last, after writing the body of the personal statement.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay Hook

Wondering if you created an effective hook? It’s difficult to evaluate your own writing, especially a line or two you read and reworked numerous times. CollegeVine can help. Through our free Peer Essay Review tool , you can get a free review of your hook, and overall essay, from another student. Then you can pay it forward and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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How to Write a Great Opening Sentence

Examples of great first sentences (and how they did it), how to write a strong opening sentence & engage readers (with examples).

“I’ve never met you, but I’m gonna read your mind.”

That’s the opening line to The Scribe Method . It does what great opening sentences should: it immediately captures the reader’s attention. It makes them want to read more.

The purpose of a good opening line is to engage the reader and get them to start reading the book. That’s it.

It’s a fairly simple idea, and it works very well—but there are still a lot of misconceptions about book openings .

Many first-time Authors think they have to shock the reader to make them take note.

That’s not true. There are many ways to hook a reader that don’t require shocking them.

I also see Authors who think the purpose of the first paragraph is to explain what they’ll talk about in the book .

Not only is that wrong, it’s boring.

Readers can sense bullshit a mile away, so don’t try to beat them over the head with shock. Don’t give them a tedious summary. Don’t tell your life story. Don’t go into too much detail.

Use your first sentence to connect to the reader and make them want to keep reading.

This guide will help you write a great opening line so you can establish that authenticity and connection quickly.

Everyone knows some of the great opening lines from fiction novels:

• “Call me Ishmael.” – Herman Melville, Moby Dick​​​​
• “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
• “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” – Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

The common thread between these opening lines is that they create a vivid first impression. They make the reader want to know more.

They’re punchy, intriguing, and unexpected.

The first words of a nonfiction book work the same way. You want to create an emotional connection with the reader so they can’t put the book down.

In some ways, nonfiction Authors even have an advantage. They’re writing about themselves and their knowledge while having a conversation with the reader.

They can establish the connection even more immediately because they don’t have to set a fictional scene. They can jump right in and use the first person “I.”

Let’s go back to The Scribe Method ‘s opening paragraph:

I’ve never met you, but I’m gonna read your mind. Not literally, of course. I’m going to make an educated guess about why you want to write a book.

When you read that, at a minimum, you’re going to think, “All right, dude, let’s see if you really know why I want to write a book .” And you’re going to keep reading.

At best, you’re going to think, “Wow. He’s inside my head right now.” And you’re going to keep reading.

In both cases, I’ve managed to create an emotional connection with the reader. Even if that emotion is skepticism, it’s enough to hook someone.

So where do you start when you’re writing your book ? How do you form that connection?

The best hooks usually start in the middle of the highest intensity.

In other words, lead with the most emotional part of the story.

If you’re starting your book with a story about how you got chased by the police, don’t begin with what you had for breakfast that day. Start with the chase.

A good hook might also be a question or a claim—anything that will elicit an emotional response from a reader.

Think about it this way: a good opening sentence is the thing you don’t think you can say, but you still want to say.

Like, “This book will change your life.”

Or, “I’ve come up with the most brilliant way anyone’s ever found for handling this problem.”

Your opening sentence isn’t the time for modesty (as long as you can back it up!).

You want to publish a book for a reason . Now’s your chance to show a reader why they should want to read it.

That doesn’t mean you have to be cocky. You just have to be honest and engaging.

When you’re trying to come up with a great opening line, ask yourself these 3 things:

• What will the audience care about, be interested in, or be surprised by?
• What is the most interesting story or inflammatory statement in your book?
• What do you have to say that breaks the rules?

The best opening lines are gut punches.

They summarize the book, at least in an oblique way. But they’re not dry facts. They’re genuine, behind-the-scenes glimpses into a human life. They establish who you are and what you’re about, right from the beginning.

Human beings respond to genuine connection. That means being vulnerable. You have to break down any barriers that you might usually keep around you.

That’s one of the hardest things to do as an Author, but it makes for a great book.

Reading about perfection is boring, especially because we all know there’s no such thing.

In the next section, I’ll go through examples of great first sentences and explain why they work.

Every one of these strategies helps create an instant, authentic connection with readers. You just have to pick the one that makes the most sense for your book.

1. Revealing Personal Information

When most people think about comedian Tiffany Haddish, they think of a glamorous celebrity.

They don’t think about a kid who had trouble in school because she had an unstable home life, reeked of onions, and struggled with bullying.

From the first line of her book, Tiffany reveals that you’re going to learn things about her that you don’t know—personal things.

I mean, really personal.

The book’s opening story concludes with her trying to cut a wart off her face because she was teased so much about it (that’s where the “unicorn” nickname came from).

That level of personal connection immediately invites the reader in. It promises that the Author is going to be honest and vulnerable, no holds barred.

This isn’t going to be some picture-perfect memoir. It’s going to be real, and it’s going to teach you something.

And that’s what forms a connection.

2. Mirroring the Reader’s Pain

Geoffrey and I chose this opening sentence because it let readers know right away that we know their pain.

Not only that, we knew how to fix it .

If a reader picked up the book and didn’t connect to that opening line, they probably weren’t our target audience.

But if someone picked it up and said, “This is exactly what I want to know!” we already had them hooked.

They would trust us immediately because we proved in the first sentence that we understood them.

In this sentence, Geoffrey and I are positioned as the experts. People are coming to us for help.

But you can also mirror your reader’s pain more directly. Check out this example from Jennifer Luzzato’s book, Inheriting Chaos with Compassion :

That’s a gut punch for anyone. But it’s an even bigger one for Jennifer’s target audience: people who unexpectedly lose a loved one and are left dealing with financial chaos.

Jennifer isn’t just giving the reader advice.

She’s showing that she’s been through the pain. She understands it. And she’s the right person to help the reader solve it.

3. Asking the Reader a Question

Readers come to nonfiction books because they want help solving a problem.

If you picked up a book about team-building, culture, and leadership, you likely want answers to some questions.

Daniel Coyle’s book shows the reader, right off the bat, that he’s going to give you answers.

His question also isn’t a boring, how-do-organizations-work type of question.

It’s compelling enough to make you keep reading, at least for a few more sentences. And then ideally, a few sentences, pages, and chapters after that.

Starting with a question is often a variation on tactic number 2.

If the reader picked up your book hoping to solve a certain problem or learn how to do something, asking them that compelling question can immediately show them that you understand their pain.

It can set the stage for the whole book.

You can also pique the reader’s interest by asking them a question they’ve never thought about.

Nicholas Kusmich ‘s book Give starts with the question,

It’s a unique question that hooks a reader.

But the answer still cuts straight to the heart of his book: “Both entrepreneurs and superheroes want to use their skills to serve people and make the world a better place.”

The unexpected framing gives readers a fresh perspective on a topic they’ve probably already thought a lot about.

4. Shock the Reader

I said in the intro to this post that you don’t have to shock the reader to get their attention.

I never said you couldn’t .

If you’re going to do it, though, you have to do it well.

This is the best opening to a book I’ve ever read. I’m actually a dog person, so this shocked the hell out of me. It was gripping.

As you read, the sentence starts making more sense, but it stays just as shocking. And you can’t help but finish the page and the chapter to understand why. But my God, what a way to hook a reader (in case you are wondering, the dogs were licking up blood from dead bodies and giving away the soldiers’ positions to insurgents. They had to kill the dogs or risk being discovered).

I read this opening sentence as part of an excerpt from the book on Business Insider .

I plowed through the excerpt, bought the book on Kindle, canceled two meetings, and read the whole book.

5. Intrigue the Reader

If you don’t read that and immediately want to know what the realization was, you’re a force to be reckoned with.

People love reading about drama, screw-ups, and revelations. By leading with one, Will immediately intrigues his readers.

They’ll want to keep reading so they can solve the mystery. What was the big deal?

I’m not going to tell you and spoil the fun. You’ll have to check out Will’s book to find out.

There are other ways to be intriguing, too. For example, see the opening line to Lorenzo Gomez’ Cilantro Diaries :

Again, the Author is setting up a mystery.

He wants the reader to rack his brain and say, “Well, if it’s not the famous stuff, what is it?”

And then, when Lorenzo gets to the unexpected answer—the H-E-B grocery store—they’re even more intrigued.

Why would a grocery store make someone’s top-ten list, much less be the thing they’d miss most?

That kind of unexpected storytelling is perfect for keeping readers engaged.

The more intrigue you can create, the more they’ll keep turning the pages.

6. Lead with a Bold Claim

There are thousands of books about marketing. So, how does an Author cut through the noise?

If you’re David Allison, you cut right to the chase and lead with a bold claim.

You tell people you’re going to change the world. And then you tell them you have the data to back it up.

If your reader is sympathetic, they’re going to jump on board. If they’re skeptical, they’re still going to want to see if David’s claim holds up.

Here’s the thing, though: only start bold if you can back it up.

Don’t tell someone you’re going to transform their whole life and only offer a minor life hack. They’ll feel cheated.

But if you’re really changing the way that people think about something, do something, or feel about something, then lead with it.

Start big. And then prove it.

7. Be Empathetic and Honest

One Last Talk is one of the best books we’ve ever done at Scribe. And it shows right from the first sentence.

Philip starts with a bold claim: “If you let it, this book will change your life.”

But then he gives a caveat: it’s not going to be fun.

That’s the moment when he forms an immediate connection with the reader.

Many Authors will tell their readers, “This book will change your life. It’s going to be incredible! Just follow these steps and be on your way!”

Not many Authors will lead with, “It’s going to be worth it, but it’s going to be miserable.”

By being this upfront about the emotional work the book involves, Philip immediately proves to his readers that he’s honest and empathetic.

He understands what they’re going to go through. And he can see them through it, even if it sucks.

One piece of advice we give at Scribe is to talk to your reader like you’re talking to a friend.

Philip does that. And it shows the reader they’re dealing with someone authentic.

8. Invite the Reader In

Joey starts the book by speaking directly to the reader.

He immediately creates a connection and invites the reader in. This makes the book feel more like a conversation between two people than something written by a nameless, faceless Author.

The reason this tactic works so well is because Joey’s whole book is about never losing a customer.

He immediately puts the book’s principles into action.

From the first sentence, Joey’s demonstrating exactly what the reader is there to learn.

The Scribe Crew

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How to Write a Motivational Book: How Self-Help Leaders Turn Wisdom into Written Word

How To Write Good Essay Openers

Writing good starting points are often those that lead the essay reader into your thoughts about the thesis statement of the essay topic.

• The first step of essay writing is thesis statement. Your thesis statement writing is a summary of your entire paper. It states an opinion or point of view, and previews the evidence you will use to support that opinion. Here is an example of writing thesis statement.
• Some students try to write their introduction last because they do not know exactly how the English essay will be structured until it is in draft form.

Your essay reader is given a summary route map to help clarify what is to follow. There is, however, a much more fundamental reason for thinking carefully about your essay introduction and thesis statement. Writing supporting evidence keep in mind essay paragraphing coherence.

Thesis Statement Sample

Thesis Statement: Daytona Beach is a great place to take a vacation because of its warm climate, good beaches, reasonably priced motels, and major auto/cycle race track.

Notice that this English essay thesis statement has two parts:

(a) A statement of opinion; and

(b) A list of the supporting evidence.

Here are the two parts:

• Statement of opinion: Daytona Beach is a great place to take a vacation.
• Supporting evidence for essay thesis statement: warm climate, good beaches, reasonably priced motels, major race track.

Now try these exercises.

Exercise 1. Write the two parts of the following thesis statement in the spaces.

Thesis Statement: Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise since it tones the muscles, decreases the risk of heart attack, and does not strain the back or joints.

• Statement of opinion:
• Supporting evidence:

Essay Writing: What Are The Main Tips?

Writing the introduction is your opportunity to set the intellectual and conceptual level of your college essay.

Reference to established research or important issues is not compulsory in an introduction, but you do yourself no service by beginning in a way that creates a poor impression.

Making reference to writers and researchers has a curiously reassuring effect on some readers who feel more confident that as a writer you have taken notice of other sources of authority from the very beginning.

You may not like this convention, but an early reference to serious issues, perhaps with a sideways glance at existing research, does not go amiss if you want to pitch the level of your college essay writing as high as you can.

Writing interesting academic essays obviously helps, but you need not sacrifice substantial content for fear of boring your reader.

Academic essays writing is usually assessed rather than published.

Our Professional Writing Assistance

Without any doubts, you need a professional to edit and format your thesis statement, and then you may address our writing service for this purpose.

Instead of searching everywhere for some tips how to write a thesis statement, you may give it into hands of our professionals, who will be glad to do it according to all existing rules.

Just contact us and be sure to receive the supreme results

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How to Hook Your Audience with a Great Opener

Want to grab listeners' attention and engagement immediately? Here's how to hook your audience with a great opener!

"I speak to you for the first time as Prime Minister in a solemn hour for the life of our country, of our empire, of our allies, and, above all, of the cause of Freedom."

That's Winston Churchill, in his first broadcast speech as Prime Minister on May 19, 1940. Most of us don't have a topic as momentous as the "tremendous battle raging in France and Flanders" [i] to speak about—or a talent as great as Churchill's. But we have just as much need to hook our audiences at the start of our speeches and presentations.

Do you know the best practices for high-impact speaking? Discover how to motivate, inspire, and activate people! Get my Free Guide , "Six Rules of Effective Public Speaking."

So how are you doing in this department? It's not going too far to say that the success of your talk depends upon your getting listeners to get engaged and stay that way . That's what a speech "hook" or "grabber" is designed to do. 

What Is a Speech Hook and How Does It Work?

A hook or grabber is the part of your presentation that compels an audience to sit up and pay attention. It should come at the beginning of your talk, where it can do the most good. Audiences have a lot on their minds as they prepare to listen to your remarks. They might in fact be attending a number of presentations that week. So you need to let them know right away that you're the speaker who is going to be interesting .

Once engaged, listeners will stay with you. That is, as long as the body of your speech doesn't fail to live up to expectations. But it's that hook that gets everything started.

Doesn't that sound like a formula for speaking success? To get there, see my 12 foolproof ways to grab an audience . It's all about knowing how to start a speech.

An Effective vs. Ineffective Opening

To grasp the difference between an opening that hooks and one that lets your listeners slip away, consider the following two speech openings. They're both from TED talks, and both are delivered by scientists. Which one grabs your attention?

(A) "We're going to go on a dive to the deep sea." [ii]

(B) "I study ants . . . in the desert, in the tropical forest, in my kitchen, and in the hills around Silicon Valley, where I live." [iii]

I'll bet it's the first one. Who wouldn't want to go on a virtual dive with oceanographer David Gallo to explore the ocean depths (choice A)? It's nice that biologist Deborah Gordon studies ants (choice B). But it doesn't sound compelling.

In fact her topic—the link between ants, the human brain, and cancer—is fascinating. But her opening keeps her speech firmly tied to the earth. Like every speech, however, it needs to get airborne right off the launch pad.

You Can Be Creative, Can't You?

So how can you make that happen in your own speeches and presentations? Here are what I believe are the four key elements of a successful speech hook, along with speech introduction examples. Keep in mind, they should occur as early in your speech as possible, so you tap into the critical first 60 seconds of a speech . What then does a good speech hook do?

(1) It resonates with the audience.

If your topic happens to be of general interest to everyone, this requirement should be easy. Sir Ken Robinson ,  for instance, pulls it off in just  nine seconds  in his TED talk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" Here's his opening, referring to the previous speakers at the event: "It's been great, hasn't it? I've been blown away by the whole thing. In fact . . . I'm leaving." [iv] Humor done well is always a winner. Equally successful is an opening that has special relevance to listeners (rather than being a topic that anyone can relate to). If you know your industry and your audience, you should be able to come up with a hook that absolutely resonates in this way.

(2) It surprises them.

Have you ever sighed resignedly because a speaker began, "My topic today is . . . " How differently we react when he or she approaches us from an unexpected direction! That speaker may elicit delight rather than heavy eyelids. Here is someone who does that: Gavin Pretor-Pinney in his TED Talk. He starts out: "Clouds ... have you ever noticed how much people moan about them?" [v] If I mention the talk is titled "Cloudy with a Chance of Joy," you'll understand his surprising yet logical choice of an opening.

(3) It's concise.

You want impact. You may tell a great story , but its effect will evaporate if it goes on too long. Always consider the total time you have and craft an opening that helps balance the talk as a whole. Mark Twain once began a speech following a toast to the New England weather by saying, "I reverently believe that the Maker who made us all makes everything in New England but the weather." [vi] (I bet that opening surprised his listeners, too.)

(4) It taps into something larger than your topic.

Remember, your topic is only your doorway to a place where you help change the world of your listeners. No speaker understood this better than President John F. Kennedy in 1961, when he said in the opening of his inaugural speech: "We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom." [vii]  

And here's the unmatched simplicity and understatement (and mischief) of Sojourner Truth's opening in her 1851 speech on women's rights, "Ain't I a Woman," which reflects on that issue as well as the other great one of the day: slavery.

"Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter." [viii]

Resonant, surprising, concise, and connected with a much larger issue. Take away that lesson to help change your own world—one speech, and one speech hook, at a time.

This article was originally published in 2016. It is updated here. 

You should follow me on Twitter   here .  

[i] http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/speeches/speeches-of-winston-churchill/91-be-ye-men-of-valour

[ii] http://www.ted.com/talks/david_gallo_shows_underwater_astonishments 

[iii] http://www.ted.com/talks/deborah_gordon_what_ants_teach_us_about_the_brain_cancer_and_the_internet#t-11094

  [iv] http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity#t-12634 

[v] http://www.ted.com/talks/gavin_pretor_pinney_cloudy_with_a_chance_of_joy 

[vi] http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3188/3188-h/3188-h.htm#link2H_4_0012 

[vii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEC1C4p0k3E 

[viii] http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth-woman.asp

Tags: speeches , how to open a presentation , how to begin a presentation , how to start a speech , speech format , how to open a speech , how to organize a presentation , speech hook , how to organize a speech , how to start a presentation , speech hooks , speech grabbers , how to begin a speech , speech introduction examples

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How to Rock an Anecdotal Opening

By Kathryn Craft   |  October 11, 2018  |  19 Comments

photo adapted / Horia Varlan

Effective opening scenes orient your reader to a story’s core conflict while raising pertinent questions about the plot to come. Most often, we writers achieve this through devising a scene in the story’s current world, pushing our protagonist toward the story event that will forever change his life because our readers want this story to get underway .

Complex story worlds may require more setup, and yet you wouldn’t want to put the story on hold while you explain pertinent matters about race, politics, cultural differences, and economic challenge.

In his #1 New York Times best-selling memoir, Born a Crime, comedian and TV host Trevor Noah ( The Daily Show, Comedy Central) jump-starts his South African world-building with an anecdotal opening from earlier in his life that interweaves these complexities.

Don’t cry foul yet.

I know this is a fiction writing blog, but you need only read the amazing opening to Leif Enger’s Peace Like a River, in which our first-person narrator conveys the story of his own birth, to see how well a dramatic vignette from the past can work in fiction. Such a setup can help us understand why the protagonist acts the way he does and why it will matter when the inciting incident forever changes his life.

Good reasons exist not to use backstory in your opening, one of the best being that it might raise the wrong question in the reader’s mind. But if you devise the right scene, its emotional resonance will create an underpinning for the entire story to come.

Let’s break down Noah’s first chapter, “Run,” to see why it works so well.

Set the hook

Sometimes in big Hollywood movies they’ll have these crazy chase scenes where somebody jumps or gets thrown from a moving car. The person hits the ground and rolls for a bit. Then they come to a stop and pop up and dust themselves off, like it was no big deal. Whenever I see that I think, That’s rubbish. Getting thrown out of a moving car hurts way worse than that. I was nine years old when my mother threw me out of a moving car….

These are Noah’s opening sentences. Does he have your attention?

Build core conflict

It was a Sunday, Noah recalls, because they were on the way to three church services because his mother was deeply religious. (Great conflict building—why would a religious mother shove her son from the car?). He explains that like indigenous people around the world, the Xhosa had adopted the religion forced upon them by their colonizers. Now his mother was “Team Jesus” all the way. Noah adopted a different perspective.

If you’re African and you pray to your ancestors, you’re a primitive. But when white people pray to a guy who turns water into wine, well, that’s just common sense.

Noah, his mother, and his baby brother went to white church, mixed church, and black church. Through Noah’s impressions of the differences, we start to understand what it means to Noah that he is half white and half Xhosa. He creeps up on the core conflict.

Christian karaoke, badass action stories, and violent faith healers—man, I loved church. The thing I didn’t love I was the lengths we had to go to in order to get to church. It was an epic slog.

Foreshadow future events

Sundays alone required hours and hours of driving, which was problematic due to the unreliability of his mother’s ancient Volkswagen Beetle.

The reason she got it for next to nothing was because it was it was always breaking down. To this day I hate secondhand cars. Almost everything that’s ever gone wrong in my life I can trace back to a secondhand car. Secondhand cars made me get detention for being late to school. Secondhand cars left us hitchhiking on the side of the freeway. A secondhand car was also the reason my mom got married. If it hadn’t been for the Volkswagen that didn’t work, we never would have looked for the mechanic who became the husband who became the stepfather who became the man who tortured me for years and put a bullet in the back of my mother’s head—I’ll take the new car with the warranty every time.

That raises a few questions to which we want the answers, right? On the Sunday in question, Noah’s mother rejects his assessment that if the car broke down, it was God’s sign they should stay home.

Build characterization

Noah contextualizes his relationship to his mother:

We had a very Tom and Jerry relationship, me and my mom. She was the strict disciplinarian; I was naughty as shit.

When Noah got in trouble his mother would chase him, seeking aid by calling, “Thief!” He’d say, “I’m not a thief! I’m her son!” They ran a lot.

Avoid “info dump” through relevance

Nelson Mandela had recently been released from prison, and Noah describes the rioting that accompanied the downfall of apartheid in a powerful way—that ties in to cars:

Once a month at least we’d drive home and the neighborhood would be on fire. Hundreds of rioters in the street. My mom would edge the car around blockades made of flaming tires. Nothing burns like a tire—it rages with a fury you can’t imagine.

Circle back to anecdote

This particular Sunday, the Sunday I was hurled from a moving car, started out like any other Sunday…

But by 9 p.m. the car was broken down, riots made it dangerous to be out that late, and public transportation would extend their nine-hour church day beyond the limits of exhaustion. So they catch a mini-bus, part of a black-run transportation system that operates outside the law. The two club-wielding Zulus up front hurl insults and threats at Noah’s mother when they pick up her Xhosa language. The driver’s constant acceleration has his mother fearing for their lives, even as beside her, nine-year-old Noah can no longer fight the exhaustion claiming him.

See how this anecdote is holding the entirety of this conflicted story world within its frame? And then, its climax: as the driver eases up on the gas at a light, Noah’s mother pushes him out of the car, curls herself around the baby she is holding, and jumps out after him.

I smacked hard on the pavement…I went from half asleep to What the hell?

His mom looked at him and told him to do the thing they’d been practicing throughout their relationship— “Run!”

The guys in the mini-bus couldn’t keep up.

Yes, this is memoir, but don’t we want our novels to resonate this way? With a character caught in the vise-grip of circumstance, pushed far enough beyond his comfort zone that he undertakes a meaningful journey?

The chapter ends with Noah telling his mom that maybe Jesus could just meet them at their house the next Sunday, because that day had not been fun. This has them erupt into hysterical laughter, a longer-range foreshadowing of how Noah’s career will benefit from using humor to explore our humanity.

Have you encountered novels with great anecdotal openings? If you’ve read Born a Crime or Peace Like a River, how did their openings work for you? Have you tried using this technique?

Wish you could buy this author a cup of joe?

Now, thanks to tinyCoffee and PayPal, you can!

Kathryn Craft (she/her) is the author of two novels from Sourcebooks, The Art of Falling and The Far End of Happy. A freelance developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com since 2006, Kathryn also teaches in Drexel University’s MFA program and runs a year-long, small-group mentorship program, Your Novel Year. Learn more on Kathryn’s website.

19 Comments

You just sold me the book! Thanks for unpacking that first chapter so well. It works.

I’m sure Trevor Noah would thank you, Vijaya! It’s a good read.

Kathryn, I always enjoy your posts. This is another excellent one, thank you. And yes, I want to read this book now, too. :-)

Thanks so much, Jamie! Thanks for reading.

Oh, goodness, Kathryn, that was mighty powerful—the excerpts and your analysis! Thank you for an excellent article and book recommendations.

Thanks Mike! May no one ever push you out of a car. Makes a great story, but…ouch!

I went down on a moped once and that was bad enough. Ouch is right!

Hey Kathryn – A neighbor and friend of mine is both a gourmet chef and a gourmand who likes to cook for his friends and neighbors, which is a good set of attributes in a friend and neighbor. It’s also the basis of his fondness for the fiction of Northern Michigan-born author Jim Harrison (probably best known for Legends of the Fall, but also known as a gourmet and a gourmand).

I’d been meaning to read Harrison for years, but never got around to it. My friend recently gave me the nudge that finally resulted in action. The nudge came in the form of an anecdote (offered over dinner, of course) about one of Harrison’s main characters, Brown Dog (of the book of the same title).

You’ve made me realize that the book Brown Dog starts with an anecdote: *** Just before dark at the bottom of the sea I found an Indian. It was the inland sea called Lake Superior. The Indian, and he was a big one, was sitting there on a ledge of rock in about seventy feet of water. There was a frayed rope attached to his leg and I had to think the current had carried him from far deeper water. What few people know is that Lake Superior stays so cold near the bottom that drowned bodies never make it to the surface. Bodies don’t rot and bloat like they do in other fresh water, which means they don’t make the gas to carry them to the top. This fact upsets sailors on all sorts of ships. If a craft goes down in a storm, their loved ones will never see them again. To me this is a stupid worry. If you’re dead, who cares? The point here is the Indian, not death. I wish to God I had never found him. He could’ve drowned the day before if it hadn’t been for his eyes, which were missing. *** The book isn’t a novel, but a series of novellas, all featuring Brown Dog, but from varying POVs. There is a narrative arc that vaguely stays linear, but it’s one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. And one of the most enjoyable.

At times it feels more like a series of related anecdotes (even within each novella) than a cohesive book of fiction. I’m about halfway through, but as I move on I keep wondering, with Brown Dog’s sort of strange stream-of-conscious narration and often maddening lack of purpose and integrity, how this set of interwoven pieces without a strong story-line, and with little to no emphasis on tension, and almost no evidence of character-transformation to come, is keeping me turning pages.

At first I would’ve said I’m hanging in there because it’s so often laugh-out-loud hilarious, not to mention well-written. But I’m starting to sense a clever manipulation. Unbelievably, as maddening (and sometimes unsavory) as he can be, I’ve come to care what happens to ole’ Brown Dog. I’m not really anxious to see any sort of story resolution. It’s more that have an interest in what comes of a protagonist. And, I must admit, it’s an interest born of a faint but lingering hope.

Thanks for getting me thinking, Kathryn.

I loved reading this comment, Vaughn. Super happy that it made you think more analytically about a book that already had you in thrall. We writers want to replicate thrall!

Wow, a powerful lesson, AND you just totally sold me on Noah’s book.

Thanks, Kathryn!

Thanks Keith. You’ll enjoy it!

A real eye-opener, Kathryn. A great technique. Now, if I could only apply in my RWL (real writing life)!

I’m just hoping not to live it. In a Lyft car with a maniac driver at present. Thanks for reading, Densie!

Wow! Thanks for this post, Kathryn. Not sure I’d have dared to open a novel this way, but I did love Peace Like a River. It’s one of the few books I immediately had to reread, and then I persuaded my book club to read it. I still come back to it now and then. I’ll have to look at it again now and think about the opening.

Yay, another Enger fan! That opening is always worth revisiting. Excited about him having a new book out!

Evocative and inspiring, with more valuable food for thought for my own next book. Your deft crafting of this subject made me want to read not only Trevor Noah’s book, but yours.

Oh wow, Deborah, what a nice thing to say. Thank you!

Powerful. One for my TBR PRONTO list. You just know you’re in for a journey after reading that opening. Thank you.

Hope you enjoy it, Jay!

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John R. Trimble, Writing with Style

1 “getting launched”.

1) “Pick a subject that means something to you, emotionally as well as intellectually” (4) 2) “ Delimit it so that it is manageable” (7) 3) “Stockpile data” – “readers like to be taught ” (7) 4) “Formulate a variety of searching questions … [and] begin sketching out ” your claims, using notecards, slips of paper [or the outliner on your word-processor] (7) 5) Choose one idea as “the provisional organizing principle ” or thesis (9) 6) Write a rough draft: “Scribble off two or three rough drafts” (9) [my approach is to organize and re-organize outline with pieces in various stages of completion]. “Ideas that look good initially have the unhappy habit of looking irrelevant or incomplete from hindsight” (9) “I recommend that you use the same starting formula for each draft. Simply write the words ‘Well, it seems to me that — ’” (10). “Never let yourself pause more than briefly between sentences, and don’t censor your thoughts” 7) Read the draft critically; “underline phrases that please you” (11) 8) (Re)write another rough draft but don’t stop to edit: “If you slow down to edit what you have written, you’ll put an airtight lid on those unconscious thoughts” (11) 9) (Re)write another rough draft. “Delete every extraneous idea. Brighten up lackluster phrases. Clarify muddy thoughts. Tighten up their continuity. Convert unnecessary passive contructions into active ones.” “Read every sentence aloud.” “Above all, force yourself to search painstakingly for even small lapses in continuity” [note how this differs from primary sources] (11-12)

2 “Thinking Well”

"The novice" “Self-oriented”: “ his natural tendency as a writer is to think primarily of himself and thus to write primarily for himself . Here, in a nutshell, lies the ultimate reason for most bad writing” (15) “ The success of the communication depends solely on how the reader receives it ” (15) "The veteran" “ the art of selling the reader … two things: your ideas and you … as intelligent, informed, credible, and companionable” (17) Four essentials: saying something “worth his attention”; must be “sold on its validity and importance yourself”; “furnish strong arguments”; “use language that sells – vigorous verbs, strong nouns, … assertive phrasing” (17) “You sell your reader by courteously serving him” (17) Five ways to serve reader: “phrase your thoughts clearly”; “speak to the point”; “anticipate his many questions”; “offer him variety and humor”; “converse with him in a warm, friendly, open manner” (19) Basic attitudes: principal goal “is to communicate ”; “whatever isn’t plainly stated the reader will invariably misconstrue”; even “profoundest ideas are capable of being expressed clearly”; “nine-tenths of all writing is rewriting”; “perhaps most important of all, they are sticklers for continuity” (20) "Anticipate your reader’s response" Reader is “ just waiting for an excuse to tune out ”; writer must must take care to use “emphathy” “anticipation” to meet challenges in each sentence: help reader feel the urgency; offer analogies [avoid]; avoid confusing sentences [is there any way to interpret sentence incorrectly?]; avoid repetition, pretention, verbosity”; use “strongly conversational, living voice” (22) "Some Concluding Thoughts" Avoid writing “mumbo jumbo”: 1) Write for your reader -- avoid writing for oneself 2) “ A single reading is all [your reader] owes you ” 3) Use “ shorter words and shorter sentences ” 4) Reread paper twice: first “through the eyes of a nonliterary person” then “through the eyes of your worst enemy” (24) 5) Reread the paper the next day.

3 "How to write a critical analysis"

“A plot summary begins with no thesis or point of view… A critical analysis … takes a viewpoint and attempts to prove its validity ” (26) Use “details to demonstrate a point ” (26) Suggestions: “assume that your basic audience is a well-informed reader … he will be bored with commonplace perceptions … he prefers reading arguments to mere chat” (29)

4 "Openers"

“You give each story only four or five sentences to prove itself … You, too, will generally be given only four or five sentences to prove that you are worth a hearing” (31) “A good opener invariably has a good thesis – bold, interesting, clearly focused – and a good thesis tends to argue itself because it has a built-in forward thrust” (31) [The examples of openers, p. 32, are not appropriate for historical writing] “A skilled writer will sometimes have to spend as much as a third of his total writing time trying to get his opener into shape” (35) Suggestions for openers: “strong, tightly focused thesis”; “concrete details”; “front-door approach”; “full-bodied”; “biggest punch – the strongest statement of your thesis – comes at the end” (36)

5 "Middles"

"The analogy" “Primary goal [of expository writing] is to explain ” (37) The expository writer is like “a prosecuting attorney” [but you must be more honest, more open to evidence]: “‘Tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em, tell it to ’em, and then tell ’em what you’ve told ’em'” (38) "The checklist" Five other essentials: 1) “A well-defined thesis or position” 2) “A clear plan of attack” 3) “Solid evidence” 4) “Strong continuity of argument” 5) “A persuasive closing appeal” (40) Reader is “most convinced by quality, not quantity” (42) "The importance of continuity" [See box on pg. 51, examples pg. 52] "Final tips" 1) Make sure you have a clear thesis. (53) 2) "Think of yourself as a prosecuting attorney, think of your essay as a case, and think of your reader as a highly skeptical jury" (53) 3) Prove each of your points supporting your overall thesis (53) 4) "Signpost your argument every step of the way" (53) 5) "Assert, then support ; assert, then support ; assert, then support " (53) 6) Paragraphs should be "organized around a single major point" (53) 7) Instead of starting each paragraph with a topic sentence, use "a bridge sentence whose prime function is to convey the reader over into a new paragraph" (54)

6 "Closers"

1) “Get your main point … in sharp focus” 2) “Gratify your reader with at least one new idea” 3) “Give your ending emotional impact” (57)

12 Effective Attention Getters For Your Speech

Any audience decides within the first 60 seconds whether or not you have something interesting to say. After that, they zone out and it is difficult to win back their attention. This is why there is always so much emphasis on attention-grabbing openers.

Once you take up the stage, you need to establish a presence straight away. There is no time for slow introductions. If you watch some of the more successful speakers, you can notice how they utilize their first 60 seconds of stage time. All the experts are well-versed in the art of engaging the audience right off the bat.

An attention-grabbing introduction must check the following boxes:

• Grab the audience’s attention.
• Establish any credibility or relatability.
• Outline the thesis of the speech.
• Give the audience a reason to listen.
• Clear transition into the body of the speech.

Table of Contents

Ask a Rhetorical Question

Make a bold statement, state the importance , shocking statistics or facts, credentials, paint a picture, give examples, everybody loves a good story, show enthusiasm: , build relatability: , acknowledge the audience: , bonus: effective transition, “the dictionary defines” , hello, it’s me, “good morning/evening”, wrapping up,, 12 attention getters for speeches.

There is a misconception that floats around public speaking. Many people believe that their core material is sufficient to get the audience’s attention. However, without a solid introduction, chances are that the listener will already be distracted by the time you get to the main message. Public speaking is an art-form of persuasion and you will need to be aware of the technical aspects that make a great speech along with writing good content. Here are some attention getters that you can utilize for your introduction.

Questions are always a good way to pique interest. We are automatically wired to respond to a question by either having a response in our minds or being curious to hear the answer. Either way, it keeps the audience active and listening for what’s coming next. This is also a great way to establish relatability. You could begin with something along the lines of “Have you ever wondered whether school uniforms are stifling creativity?” You might connect instantly with a large portion of the audience with a similar thought process. Similarly, something like, “Is religion a dying concept?” can make for a very intriguing beginning that might catch the interest of people on both sides of the argument.

Bold beginnings make for memorable and powerful speeches. No one can deny that the infamous “I have a dream!” left a mark on millions worldwide. A bold statement is your way to convey your passion, to stress the importance of an issue, and to instantly draw eyes. Pair a bold statement with the right body language, and you will be exuding the kind of power that is sure to make your presence noticeable. You can also go for shock-value statements that will keep your audience interested. Such as “I nearly died on my way here today.”

Any topic you pick for your speech is likely important to you. As such, you might not feel like it needs further emphasizing. However, to the listener’s this is still a brand new subject. Highlighting why the issue you are covering needs to be heard will be a good way to win their attention. Any speech on environmental changes is overdone, but if you open by talking about the devastating effects and the immediate danger it poses to us, you can get them listening.

For example: “Pollution is running so rampant that people around the world are now consuming nearly 5 grams in plastic each week.” This statement, states the importance, makes it personal and makes the issue urgent.

Typically, mentioning the key highlights of the speech is done towards the end of the introduction. You can use this in conjunction with other attention-getters. All you need to do is dedicate the last few lines in your introduction to outlining the main points that will be addressed in your speech.

Humor is always an excellent ice-breaker. It breaks the tension and makes the audience feel more at ease. This is one of the best ways there is to make your audience comfortable. Once you get them laughing, they will be much more open to your message. However, this can go either way. You need to really know your audience to apply this well. If you make a joke and it falls flat, it can really hamper your stage confidence and derail the rest of your speech. Make sure you write jokes that are appropriate for the audience that you will address. There is no one-joke-fits-all in this scenario.

Depending on the setting, inside jokes are the best way to make the audience feel like they’re getting a personalized speech. Whether it is about an office incident or a particular teacher, a joke everyone is in on is always a good idea. However, if that isn’t the case then you can go to current events as something most people would be familiar with. Use it as an ice-breaker and follow it up with your main message with a smooth transition.

Many people shy away from using statistics in their speeches. They believe it is boring and will take the audience out of the speech. However, when used right they can really shake things up. For example: “Did you know that about 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet?” or “Did you know that approximately 80.2 million people, aged six and older are physically inactive?” can help create intrigue. Once you surprise them, you create a space where you can emphasize the importance of your message. Make sure you strike a good balance of numbers so as to not overwhelm your audience either.

Perhaps the host will have already announced your credentials before you take up the stage. In case that they don’t, make sure to highlight any expertise you might have in a topic you are speaking about. Especially if you have worked for a number of years in a related field, it will add a lot of credibility to your words. Even if the host has mentioned it, you can highlight your expertise in a sentence or two in your introduction to get their attention.

Facts are good for a speech. It adds credibility and a sense of realness to your speech. However, too much data can make your speech seem boring. Instead, try to paint a picture with your words. Instead of having them decipher graphs and facts, you can give them a visual image or associate a relatable emotion with your abstract idea. Use directions like “imagine” or “picture this” followed by descriptive words. With a little creativity, this can work for virtually any speech topic. Instead of simply stating a problem such as “There are thousands of marine life losing their lives due to ocean pollution every day”, try “Imagine thousands of colorful species being slowly killed by their own ecosystem due to the rampant pollution we are causing.

Your job as the speaker is to make it as easy as possible for the audience to grasp your message. It is a good idea to include an example early on in your speech. Most people run over their main points and put in examples at the end. However, if you pair them immediately it will be easier for the audience to associate them.

Adding examples is also a great way to explore varying languages. It works hand-in-hand with painting a picture. You can utilize similes, metaphors, and adjectives to properly guide your audience. Remember that people will be more inclined to listen to things that they can relate to. This is why you should look to finding examples that are more personal for the audience.

Chances are, you are giving a speech amongst a line-up of speakers. As such, every speaker comes on stage with a question, example, or statistic. An interesting prop, can thus, act like a breath of fresh air for the audience. Whether it is a surprise prop that will keep the audience guessing or simply a demonstration to begin with. It will certainly pique interest and keep the audience watching.  

All good speeches take up the form of a story. It does not have to take up a “Once upon a time” format. You can pick a personal story to relate to your topic. Once you begin with a story, you will automatically get your audience curious about the next turn of events. Especially if your story is relatable one, it will create a stronger connection. Similarly, you can keep your audience’s attention throughout the speech with bits of your story. Keep the audience guessing by introducing twists and turns. This is not just a good tip for the introduction but also for the body of your speech. 

Quotes are a great way to spice up your script. Especially if you can find quotes given by a famous person in a related field. They can add a certain gravitas to your words and help engage the audience. Make sure you double-check the source of the quote as you don’t want to misquote them either. Similarly, you don’t want to just quote someone for the sake of quoting. Make sure it matches the theme of your speech.

Work on Your Delivery

All of the above tips are highly effective, however, delivery also plays a vital role. If you deliver these tips with a monotone attitude, chances are the audience simply won’t catch on to these attention grabbers. Make sure you monitor your enthusiasm and put a lot of it into your introduction.

Your opening sets the tone for the rest of your speech, so you want to keep it upbeat. If you are looking at the floor, looking unsure and mumbling, you will lose credibility in the eyes of the audience. You need to project confidence so the audience feels like you have something to offer. Experiment with vocal variety, pitch, energy, and hand gestures. A good mix of all these elements will create the perfect attention-grabbing introduction for your speech.

How you deliver your first sentence is important to the impact you want to create. You want to stand out. If every speaker before you comes up with a question, by the time it gets to you, your audience will be completely over it. This is why personalized delivery can make you stand out. Here are a few delivery techniques you can experiment with:

A smile is a simple yet timelessly effective way to connect to your audience. It is a universal human gesture and will make the audience warm up to you. Not just for informal speeches but even for formal ones. Make sure to have a warm smile in your delivery rather than keeping a stoic demeaner.

Have you ever met those people who’s energy is simply infectious? Being around them just brings up your own mood. As the speaker, you command the stage. It is your job to direct the audience. This is why you can lead the enthusiasm by exuding it yourself.

People are automatically drawn to people they can relate to. If you are speaking about a relatable topic, make sure you talk about the relatability factor early. No matter what the topic is, you can find a common ground to connect on.

Once you have your script and the preparation ready, you might be tempted to simply take up the stage and begin speaking at once. Believe it or not, this actually takes the audience away from the speech. Making it about them, making them feel like an important part of your speech will get them leaning in to listen.

Speak from your heart. You may have seen a lot of good speakers and naturally, you feel like picking up on their styles. However, audiences best respond to sprinkles of your own personality. So make sure, whatever style you try to incorporate, you don’t lose your honest touch.

These are just some of the ways you can grab the audience’s attention. You can pick one or more of these to make sure you maximize audience engagement. Public speaking is a subtle art and once you master it, it will become second nature to you. Content is king but your delivery, along with all these technical elements ensures your content actually reaches the listeners. The only thing left to do is practice.

As we discussed, an introduction has many roles to fulfill. One of them is to signal to the audience that the body of the speech has begun. To do so, you will need to incorporate an effective transition. Once you learn how to properly utilize these, your speech should flow smoothly from opening, body, to conclusion. Improper transitions can disrupt your natural flow and make your speech seem jumpy or choppy. If you’d like to up your transition game, you can browse our extensive coverage of Transitions in Public Speaking.

Your introduction is really only 10-15% of the total speech. Yet it can have a huge impact on audience engagement and impact. It needs to be long enough to check all the boxes of information that need to be relayed but at the same time short enough to keep it interesting. With the above tips and your awesome content, you will no doubt be able to craft something amazing.

What not to do:

While it is certainly a good idea to experiment, there are some things you should certainly avoid. Here are a few of them:

This trope is extremely overdone. Besides, people can simply google definitions. You want your speech to be authentic and interesting.

While it is encouraged to establish credibility, try not to get carried away. You can alienate the audience if you seem like you’re bragging. Make sure your introduction is concise and relevant.

Unless you’re a naturally humorous person with jokes relevant to your topic, we recommend staying off jokes. Besides you want your message to be the center of your speech. If your joke doesn’t land in the intro itself, it is also likely to affect your confidence.

While welcoming the audience is typically recommended, spending your precious few introduction moments on salutations can be seen as a lack of creativity. You are much better off using this time to grab their attention and save the thank you’s for afterward.

On average, an audience member has but one question at the beginning of every speech, “Why should I care?” It is your responsibility as the speaker to answer this question and win over their attention. Whether it is by presenting shocking information, useful demonstration, entertaining presentation, or a persuasive performance, whichever best suits your style. Take a look at your script and try on the various attention-getters we’ve listed above. Test it out by recording and listening to yourself or having a friend listen to it. Make sure you don’t cut out any practice time. All the best!

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Best things to do in Rhode Island: May 16-23

This week: legos, chocolate, “jaws,” a fashion show, lobster rolls, south african jazz, and more.

Reader, as your loyal fun columnist, I take fun seriously. Each week, I hunt for the fun in the 401 and curate your guide to having a blast in the Ocean State. Let’s go.

GALLERY NIGHT

In case you’re reading this May 16, Galley Night is tonight. Gallery Night is part of what makes PVD the Creative Capital. You can hop on a trolley to see galleries, museums and other creative hot spots with one of five free guided tours, or visit the “Make Your Own Tour” page and go it on your own. Details here .

ALL WE ARE IS DUST IN THE WIND

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… Well, true. But I’m not getting all philosophical here. Just telling you the band Kansas is heading to PVD. Their 50th Anniversary Tour — with original drummer Phil Ehart, original guitarist Richard Williams — rolls into PPAC May 17. Carry on, wayward sons. Tickets from $45. 8 p.m. 220 Weybosset St., Providence. Details here .

MISQUAMICUT SEASON OPENER

Nothing says summer nights like a drive-in movie, and this week Misquamicut Drive-in opens for the season with the story of a shark and that beer from Rhode Island.

Catch “Jaws” May 17 at 9 p.m. Wear your pink for “Barbie” on the big-screen May 18 at 9 p.m. Get your ‘50s on with “Grease” on May 24 at 9 p.m. Bring your crew: $25 per carload. Stock up on candy, popcorn and hot dogs at the concession stand. Parking is first come, first served. Main lot gates open 6:30 p.m. Previews at 8 p.m. 316 Atlantic Ave., Westerly. Details here .

INSIDE “THE GILDED AGE” — SEASON 2

This costs a pretty penny, but if you’re a hard-core “Gilded Age” fan, this may be your Disney trip: Newport Mansions hosts guide-led tours based on HBO’s Emmy-winning series: Their “Inside ‘The Gilded Age’ Tour” is now updated for Season 2.

Starting May 17, you can take an epic nearly four hour guide-led tours of locations where the Emmy-winning period drama was filmed, according to billing. You’ll “get the inside scoop on what it takes to host a major television production” as guides “explain which scenes were filmed in each room, talk about the real people who lived in these mansions.”

You’ll scope out The Elms, Marble House, Chateau-sur-Mer and The Breakers, all chosen by series creator Julian Fellowes, (“Downton Abbey.”) Tuesdays and Fridays, May 17 through June 28. 1:15 p.m. $250 non-members. Pick up & drop off at Gateway Transportation Center, 23 America’s Cup Ave. Details here .

(From home, for free, you can also check out a “ Deep Dive into the Show ” for episode-by-episode insights and commentary.)

SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ

This looks awesome. Siya “Jazzmatic” Charles — a trombonist/composer/arranger from Cape Town — plays the Jamestown Arts Center with her quartet May 18, hosted by Newport Live. Now based in New York, the Juilliard ‘24 grad (Insta bio: “I play the slidey-metal thingamabob”) will bring her grooves to Rhody. I could listen all day. In Jamestown, she posted on Insta , she’ll play “some of my compositions, and a few South African Jazz standard favorites.” 7 p.m. 28 Valley St., Jamestown. $35. Details here .

LET’S GO LEGO

You had me at LEGO.

“Brick Convention,” a LEGO fan-event , featuring LEGO artists, top builders, and “thousands of LEGO bricks for you to play with,” according to billing, hits the West Warwick Civic Center May 18 and 19. And — for fellow “LEGO Masters” fans — meet past “LEGO Masters” contestants. (I need to know what Will Arnett is like on set.) Get your brick on. $15 online; tickets not guaranteed at door. Kids under 2 free. Purchase tickets by day/time-slot. 100 Factory St., West Warwick. Details here .

CHOCOLATE FEVER

This sweet event sounds — and looks — like a chocoholic’s fantasy. Head to Bally’s Twin River in Lincoln May 19 for all the chocolates as The Chocolate Expo makes its Rhode Island debut. According to event billing, expect tastings, demos, entertainment and treats for sale including chocolates, baked goods, specialty foods, cheeses, and beverages. Get a sense of the vibe here . Advance tickets $20 for adults; $10 for ages 5-12. Under 5 free. At the door: $30 adult, $15 ages 5-12. Timed-ticket entries. Once inside, stay for as long as you like. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. Details here and here .

TIVERTON FARMERS MARKET MOVES OUTSIDE

I’ve been waiting for this moment since last fall. The Tiverton Farmers Market kicks off its outdoor summer season on May 19 at the picturesque Tiverton Town Farm Rec Area. From the food to the crafts to the gorgeous outdoor spot, this is a Sunday fun-day for my neck of the woods. 3588 Main Road. Sundays 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through Oct. 13. Details here .

QUAHOG WEEK

Seafoodies, the 8th Annual Quahog Week runs now through May 18. The week aims to highlight “the many restaurants, markets, fishermen, and food-based businesses committed to growing Rhode Island’s local food economy, with special emphasis on wild harvest clams,” according to its website. Participating restaurants and markets offer specials. All details here . This week’s event highlights include:

The Grand Opening of Lobstah Cart RI is May 18 and 19 at Blackbird Farm in Smithfield. According to event billing, expect “lobstah rolls, chowdahs, & more.” You can also hit up Blackbird Farm’s farmers market every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration requested. May 18 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; May 19 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 60 Douglas Pike, Smithfield. Details here .

… AND OYSTER WEEKEND

Quahogs can’t steal all the limelight. Newport’s 8th Annual Oyster & Chowder fest is also May 18-19 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bowen’s Wharf. Because Ocean State. Expect cocktails, “oysters and chowder from local growers and vendors on the waterfront all weekend long,” according to event billing. Plus live music and cash bars. Free admission. Bowen’s Wharf, Newport. Details here .

RHODE READS

I’m a lifelong book lover and want to spread the Ocean State literary love. Rhody is so packed with authors and stories, I’ve started a little subsection of this column, Rhode Reads. If you’re a local author or a bookstore hosting a local signing, hit me up and you just might get featured. In this week’s Rhody Reading News…

Have lunch with bestselling author and Rhode Island native Ann Hood in Little Compton. Partners Village Store and Kitchen in neighboring Westport, Mass., hosts itsannual Spring Author Luncheon May 23 at the Sakonnet Point Club. Hood will discuss her latest novel “ The Stolen Child ” (May 7.) Tickets $35, includes lunch. 11 Bluff Head Avenue, Little Compton Call to purchase 508-636-2572.

I’ve interviewed the West Warwick author a few times, including on her memoir of working as a flight attendant, “Fly Girl.”

She’s now traveling Rhody on a book tour. Events include May 17 at Ink Fish Books in Warren at 6:30 p.m.; May 18 at Westerly’s R.I. Authors Panel Event at Westerly Library at 1 p.m.; and May 23 at Newport’s Charter Books at 6 p.m. All details here.

PEN PANEL: Meanwhile, more on that Rhode Island authors panel. Find Rhody’s own bestselling suspense author Vanessa Lillie, award-winning Connecticut native author Lara Ehrlich, and Hood, in a panel “On Writing: A Panel Discussion with Authors on their Craft,” moderated by actor-turned-bestselling author Deborah Goodrich Royce. Free. May 18, 1 p.m. at the Westerly library auditorium. 44 Broad St., Westerly. Details here .

A WOOLY GOOD TIME

This actually looks wooly cool. Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol host its 2024 Sheep & Wool Festival May 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You’ll see sheep shearing demonstrations, wool processing, dyeing, and weaving. Plus meet the animals, shop local vendors and artisans, hear live music and more on the coastal 48 acres. Bring cash for food, shopping, food and raffles. Rain or shine. Coggeshall Farm Museum is located off of Route 114 to Poppasquash Road in Bristol. They note: if you’re using GPS, “please use ‘Coggeshall Farm Museum’ instead of our address.” 1 Colt Drive, Bristol. $12 adult and $5 ages 4-17. Free for ages 3 and under. Details here .

RISD GRAD EXHIBITION

RISD’s annual graduate thesis exhibition “RISD Grad Show 2024″ opens at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Halls C & D with a public opening reception May 22 from 6-8 p.m. After that, catch it May 23 to June 1 from noon to 5 p.m. I’ve been before and it’s tremendous. According to billing, it includes work by students in Architecture, Ceramics, Design Engineering, Digital + Media, Furniture Design, Glass, Global Arts and Cultures, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Jewelry + Metalsmithing, Landscape Architecture, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Teaching + Learning in Art + Design and Textiles. Free. 1 Sabin St., Providence. Details here .

ON THE RUNWAY

Catch the latest in fashion: RISD’s Apparel Design seniors debut their creations on the runway at Collection 2024 at the WaterFire Arts Center May 24. $25 for the 5 p.m. show and $30 for the 8 p.m. show. Proceeds benefit the RISD Scholarship Fund. 475 Valley St., Providence. Details here .

Theater-lovers: “Doubt: A Parable” wraps up the Gamm Theatre’s 2023-24 season. John Patrick Shanley’s 2005 drama won both the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play and makes “for an intriguing, thought-provoking production,” according to a Globe Rhode Island review. At the Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick. Through June 2. Tickets from $25. Details here .

BILLY GILMAN

Fans of NBC’s “The Voice” might want to join in Grammy nominee Billy Gilman ’s birthday bash in East Greenwich May 24 — and that’s his real b-day. The Westerly native will turn 36 on May 24 . The Rhode Islander burst onto the music scene at age 11 in 2000 with his hit single “One Voice.” He was featured on Season 11 of “ The Voice ” coached by Adam Levine of Maroon 5. He plays the Greenwich Odeum with special guest, fellow Rhody singer Kara McKee. Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m. Tickets from $33. 59 Main St., East Greenwich. Details here .

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE. ONGOING FUN…

DRAGONS AT THE ZOO: Kids can explore “Dragons & Mythical Creatures” at Roger Williams Park Zoo. Billed as an “immersive experience featuring over 60 life-size animatronic wonders.” Through Aug. 11. Not included with regular zoo admission. $9 ages 2 and up. Under 2 free. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Details here .

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS: Weather permitting, some 15 local food trucks park at Roger Williams Park at 5 p.m. each Friday through Sept. 27. Bring a chair or blanket and soak up live tunes from local artists, jump on the carousel, hop the train ride. Free admission; pay for what you eat. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Details here .

ERIK ROCK, GRETA GRANITE AND THE THUNDERSTONE: In case you missed the unveiling last weekend, it’s officially Troll Time in Rhode Island. Renowned trash artist and recycle activist Thomas Dambo’s two trolls in Ninigret Park are now open to the public. And as of this week, they’ve been named: Erik Rock and Greta Granite. 5 Park Lane, Charlestown.

FOOD AND ARCHITECTURE WALKING TOUR: Food, art, and architecture come together for Downcity Providence Food Tours, noon to 3:30 p.m., on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through November. During a tour lasting more than three hours over 1.7 miles, get an insider’s view of creative and lively Providence. Discover some of the city’s award-winning restaurants, its hidden art and historic architecture. Tickets $76-$94 per person. 1 Ship St., Providence. Details here .

BROWN’S ART WALKING TOURS: Brown University now offers free public art walking tours led by Brown students every weekend. Learn about Brown’s public art collection with a 40-minute student-curated tour, exploring six works of art. All tours are outdoors, rain or shine. No registration required. Meet up at 1 p.m. On Saturdays, meet at the Eli Harvey sculpture, Bronze Bruno, on the College Green (79 Waterman St.) On Sundays, meet at Tom Friedman’s Circle Dance, on the Campus Walk. Tours run weekends through Nov. 17. Map and all details here .

GREEN ANIMALS: Watch out! It’s an elephant! And a bear! And an ostrich! … Sorry, they’re plants. Yup, the Preservation Society of Newport County’s Green Animals Topiary Garden is open for the season, featuring some 80 topiaries in the shape of animals and designs — and loads of flowers — on the seven acres. BYO Picnic. 380 Corys Lane, Portsmouth. Open daily 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Tickets sold in packages with house tours. Details here.

FOOD TOURS: Foodies, Rhode Island Red Food Tours offers tours now through November. Wear your comfortable shoes for a 1.7-mile walking tour. ($76 per person, or $94 per person with alcohol.) Or join a Newport Neighborhood Food Tour May 17, or Downcity Providence Food Tours May 17. All details here .

Lauren Daley can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1 .