Write Article Introduction

[Matthew Sherborne]

Writing the Introduction


Now that you’ve got the guts, it’s time to create the rest of the article.

You’ve got to do three things in your introduction:
1.capture your audience’s attention - make them want to read more
2.set the stage - provide a little background
3.lay it all out there - since the rest of your article explains and supports your introduction, you’ve got to tell the reader what you’re going to be explaining and supporting

Note - after you’ve written a few articles, reevaluate which method you prefer. Many people write the body first, then the intro, however, do whichever method is easiest and makes the best use of your time. (I know a few people who spend more hours hemming and hawing about their intro that nothing gets done.) Be aggressive with your time and use it wisely.

Ok, so on with the intro. Pull out your outline. We’ll use the bottom section, “other interesting points/facts” for an eye-catching introduction.

Other interesting points/facts
·UVA = wrinkling, saggy skin, leathery skin
·UVB = the main cause of the sunburn
·Both are a cause of skin cancer
·90% of skin cancers are from excessive exposure to sunlight
·in 2007, the most common type of cancer in the US is skin cancer
·one in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime
·more than 20 people die a day from skin cancer
·survival rate with early detection is 99%
·survival rate if cancer spreads lowers to 15% - 65%

1. Capture your audience’s attention - make them want to read more

A great way to do this is to use startling facts or statistics, something powerful enough to feel like a slap in the face.

The more your first sentence relates to the reader, the deeper his/her pull will be to read it. To do this, think about whom your reader is and what’s most important to him/her.

Since skin cancer affects everyone. That means people of all ages, sexes, lifestyles, backgrounds, and incomes may be reading this article. So your reader can literally be anyone, anywhere.

Your next job is to make an educated guess as to what is the one thing driving the reader to learn about this subject.

Chances are the readers have searched for this topic because they are driven by a specific reason. One possibility is that a concerned parent wants to know how to protect his/her children properly. Another is that the readers have had enough sunburns or strange discolorations that they’re taking notice. Yet another is the summer season’s coming up and the reader’s priding themselves in being prepared. The other option is that your readers are students doing a research paper.

In all these cases, you can assume your readers have looked up skin cancer because it has affected their personal life, his/her loved ones. Even the researcher is affected, because s/he wants a good grade.

With that in mind, try to use the one thing everyone has in common, their loved ones. Something like this:

Picture five of your loved ones standing in front of you. How do you feel knowing that one of these five loved ones will likely develop skin cancer during his or her life?

That’s definitely eye-catching. Now that we’ve grabbed the attention of the reader, it’s time to set the stage.


2. Set the stage - provide a little background

Here, the stage has been set to the reader know that the prevention of skin cancer is in his/her hands. You’re following up the question you’ve asked with the obvious answer.

The answer is obvious. You would do anything in your power to help him/her avoid getting skin cancer.


3. Lay it all out there - since the rest of your article explains and supports your introduction, you’ve got to tell the reader what you’re going to be explaining and supporting.

You last established the reader has some power in whether or not his/her loved one develops skin cancer. Now we’ll generalize the two things our reader can do to help his loved ones. In this case, it’s using sunscreen and wearing the right clothing.
The good news is that it can be prevented by choosing the proper sunscreen and wearing clothing that blocks the deadly UVA and UVB rays.

[Matthew Sherborne]

Your introduction is complete at 76 words. Here’s your article so far.

Picture five of your loved ones standing in front of you. How do you feel knowing that one of these five loved ones will likely develop skin cancer during his or her life? The answer is obvious. You would do anything in your power to help him/her avoid getting skin cancer. The good news is that it can be prevented by choosing the proper sunscreen and wearing clothing that blocks the deadly UVA and UVB rays.

It’s important to use sunscreens properly to keep your skin healthy and prevent skin cancer. With all the different types of sunscreens out there, it’s essential to choose the correct SPF for you. SPF stands for “sun protection factor.” The number that follows lets you know how long you have in the sun before it’s not effective anymore. For example, SPF 15 means you can be out in the sun fifteen times longer than you normally could until you get burned.

So let’s say that with no sunscreen on, you get burned in ten minutes of being in the sun. However, if you put on a sunscreen of SPF 15, you would get fifteen times the amount of time to be out in the sun. So instead of burning in ten minutes, you would burn in 150 minutes (10x15), or in two and a half hours.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends an SPF 15 if you’re only going to be in the sun for a few minutes here and there. However, if you plan to be in the sun all day, whether it’s gardening, exercising, or playing Frisbee at the beach, you’ll need a sunscreen that’s alcohol-based and has a higher SPF. It’ll be more resistant to sweating.

Be sure to put on an ounce of sunscreen each application, and do it thirty minutes before you’re exposed to the sun. Even sunscreens that are waterproof may wash off, so slather on an extra ounce once you’re out of the water. In fact, it’s a safe bet to reapply the sunscreen every two hours to avoid as much skin damage as possible. The UVA rays don’t show their damage until later, so even if you don’t burn, you’re still exposing your skin to the harmful rays.

Believe it or not, the clothes you wear will also affect how much of the damaging UVA and UVB rays your body receives and not all provide the same protection. The lighter color the shirt, the less protection it will offer you. A black shirt is far preferred to a white one. Don’t be fooled by thinking you’re covering yourself up when you put on that wet t-shirt. Wet clothing reduces the SPF by fifty percent.

The material it’s made out of affects your skin’s health too. Thicker weaves are better than looser weaves. A good test is that if you can see light through the shirt, the UV rays can penetrate too. If you’re planning on being outside all day, try not to bring your old favorite shirt that’s been washed countless times. Washing and stretching the fabric also reduces a shirt’s SPF.

The thicker and darker the clothes, the better your skin will be protected from sun damage. In fact, a long-sleeve, dark denim shirt has an SPF of 1,700. Now that’s protection.

[Matthew Sherborne]

The Article Conclusion


One more paragraph and you’re done with your article!

The conclusion is a generalization of everything you’ve just written about. In this case, and with most articles, it breaks down as a problem and the solution.

1.Problem: Skin cancer
2.Solution: Science, products, & information are out there, it’s up to the reader to apply it

Here’s how to put that into a paragraph:

1 The first sentence is often generalized to help the reader see the big picture.

1A Another statistic is added to give it a little more oomph. This was taken from the “Other interesting points/facts” in your outline.

2 Finish on a positive note. Here, it’s that there is hope, skin cancer can be prevented.

2A The last sentence usually reflects the tone of the first sentence. Here, it’s broken up into two sentences, but still conveys the urgency and importance of the matter.

1 Skin cancer is not something to be taken lightly. 1A With more than twenty people dying from it every day, skin cancer ranks as the most common cancer in the Unites States, as of 2007. 2 Luckily, science is doing its part to provide products and information for you and your family to reduce your risk. 2A Be smart and protect your skin. It could very well save your life.

Congratulations! Your conclusion is 67 words long, giving your article a total of 613 words!!!

Next I'll cover how to write an article headline that gets noticed.