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This author writes so well. The introduction, in just 169 words, tells you exactly what the article is about. I wish more articles had such good introductions.
by herodotus 8y ago
This author writes so well. The introduction, in just 169 words, tells you exactly what the article is about. I wish more articles had such good introductions.
- gregschlom 8y agoAgreed. Worth checking his other posts as well, he has some fantastic articles on a wide variety of subjects.
- Robotbeat 8y agoThis alone makes me want to click on that article. None of that "these first couple paragraphs are filler until we actually start talking about the topic, and even then you're still lost until about 2/3rds of the way through."
- misrab 8y agoRather than starting with some personal anecdote contrived for some sort of empathy, as is the common style these days! Thank you.
- weinzierl 8y agoAmateur writers often mix up journalistic with literary writing. Both has its place but when people can't make up their mind they end up producing a chimera. Their writing doesn't follow an inverted triangle principle while at the same time it fails to build an arc of tension. The lede is buried somewhere in the middle. Pervasive SEO advice is also to blame. "Google loves long-form" is the common mantra. Just add a personal anecdote at the beginning to reach the target word count.
- Cthulhu_ 8y agoI don't blame them on the one hand, because truly neutral and impersonal journalism (think Reuters) look soul-destroying to write - if you're the creative kind. But people working for real news agencies (not the ones dependent on fluff) have to stick to facts and impersonal, unopinionated stories.
- randomsearch 8y agoOr something like: “”” “I’ve always hated coffee” said Joe Bloggs, sipping his chai latte as he sits somewhat dishevelled in a grey overcoat that insulates him against the wintry London weather. The Hackney coffeehouse he chose for this interview specialises in Peruvian blends, an apt reflection of his latest film set in South America. ... (insert interview) ... Joe, for one, will be hoping reviews for his next film is more of a blend than a roast. “””
- lz400 8y agoI've never realized how much I hate that meandering and how difficult it's becoming to go through those overlong pieces until I saw it verbalized in this thread.
- Pimpus 8y agoI know the kind of article you mean. I always exit them quickly. If that style helps in SEO, surety it is offset by people not wanting to read that kind of crap. Funny post, though.
- seanwilson 8y agoI really don't think people do it for SEO reasons. People that do that for SEO tend to write text that is on-topic but explain simple things in drawn out ways using lots of related keywords. I think people that write articles that start with long anecdotes (which are usually linked back to in the end) are trying to emulate the writing style you'd usually see in newspapers and magazine going back decades. It doesn't work well on the web I feel when there's an abundance of information where you're trying to filter through what's useful to read and what isn't. It's different when you're e.g. reading a magazine and have limited articles to pick from.
- adrianratnapala 8y ago> It doesn't work well on the web It doesn't work in magazines and newspapers either, but certain writerly circles (mostly American ones) consist of telling each other that this kind of fluff is a good idea. You will find this kind of writing in Time magazine, but not in The Economist. Which is one of many reasons why TE is a better paper.
- gymshoes 8y agoThis is one of my biggest pet peeves. Clickbait title with an unrelated story in the beginning. This is also how most non-fiction books begin.
- weinzierl 8y agoAlso the conclusion answers the question posed in the introduction without beating about the bush. If you only read the introduction and the conclusion and you still have learned something. The lede in plain sight - good job.
- rolleiflex 8y agoThis is where the tradition of an 'abstract' at the beginning of an academic paper comes from. Our blogging world has grown up enough to rediscover the ways of the old!
- JumpCrisscross 8y ago> I wish more articles had such good introductions Check out the Financial Times. Major motivation behind my subscription is their to-the-point writing style.