In public relations, you write a lot, and it's easy to get fall into the habit of writing the same kinds of pieces with the same headlines and intros (first sentences - also called leads, ledes or hooks).
Here are four more alternatives to the traditional hard-news approach:
1) Delayed lead
This type of lead includes a number of possible approaches. It's setting up readers with the first sentence, then paying off that setup with the real lead.
Usually, this is done with contrast or irony. Here's one example:
TAMPA BAY -- Rick Baxter grew up afraid of the water. When he was five, he almost drowned during swimming lessons at his local YMCA pool back in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Today, Rick spends a lot of time in the water as the senior lifeguard at Sunny Beach -- where on Saturday, he rescued a five-year-old boy who was drowning in a rip tide.
2) One to many
This is a form of delayed intro that starts by telling the story of a real person, then expands the story to explain how it's not just one person's problem. It's also called a nut graf lead or Wall Street Journal lead, because the WSJ uses it on the front page.
This is an example of the first part:
BOSTON - Gordon Lightfoot was just like any other restaurant owner in America, working 16-hour days to keep the family business afloat. Then he got sick, and couldn't afford to hire two people to replace those hours. So Gordon borrowed money. Too much money. He lost his restaurant -- and tomorrow, the bank is selling his family's home at a foreclosure sale.
Then -- in the nut paragraph -- you show why one person's story matters, and why the reader should care.
Gordon isn't alone. More than 15,000 small-business owners not only declared bankruptcy in 2009, but had their homes foreclosed, too. While the 2010 numbers aren't in yet, experts say the problem isn't getting better. It's getting worse.
3) Gag lead
This type of lead hooks readers with humor. It might be a one-liner or a sentence full of alliteration. It's not for serious stories -- but if your piece isn't about life and death, a gag lead can get the attention of readers.
Say you're doing PR for a convention center that's hosting a Star Trek convention. A traditional lead would be boring. It makes more sense to do something fun, because the lead should fit the mood of the piece and the event.