Introduction To The Introduction

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to write a terrible introduction with a sucky hook? Well, according to Brainyquote, someone named Jeffrey Dahmer once said, “A good introduction can make all the difference in succeeding in your plan.”​ Same with a bad introduction, only the opposite. In this blog post, I’m going to prove that we’re going to explore introductions in three ways: Looking at what their purpose is in an essay, common errors in introductions, and strategies for improving them. 

It consistently amazes me the extent to which students don’t grasp the purpose of an introduction. Perhaps more than any other element of writing, I feel like it illustrates where academia has gone wrong in teaching the value, joy, and purpose of writing. I have heard many students – and teachers – refer to the introduction and conclusion as “filler.” So, what aren’t they seeing? How do we overcome that? As usual, the key is the creative.

Looking at creative writing as the pathway to effective persuasion, the function of an introduction can become so much clearer. It’s so much easier to see why the beginning matters in a creative story. What we, as an audience, want from it. Allow me to explain…