More nut graf goodness

Poynter's Chip Scanlan, a giant among writing coaches, offers this quick primer in his series on nut grafs:

The nut graf has several purposes:

• It justifies the story by telling readers why they should care.
• It provides a transition from the lead and explains the lead and its connection to the rest of the story.
• It often tells readers why the story is timely.
• It often includes supporting material that helps readers see why the story is important.

"Here's a quick way to produce a nut graf for your next story: Make up your mind what the story is about and why people should read it – and then type that conclusion in one or two sentences.

"Experienced reporters say they find it helpful to constantly write and rewrite the nut graf through the course of reporting the story. Doing so tends to reveal holes earlier in the process and helps you avoid too many intriguing but tangential side trips."

Give readers a framework, but not too much information. James B. Stewart advises this in his book Follow the Story: How to Write Successful Nonfiction. "Don't let nut grafs tell so much about the story that they have no incentive to keep reading." He argues that a nut graf should "sell" the story by emphasizing its timeliness and importance, while "preserving every bit of the suspense and curiosity so carefully cultivated in the lead."

Stewart's guidelines include:

• Never give away the ending of the story.
• Anticipate the questions that readers might be asking early in a story, and address them.
• Give readers a concrete reason or reasons to move on.