How to Write the Perfect Introductory Paragraph for Medium

An analysis of Shannon Ashley and Tim Denning’s success

We have entered a new age where the formerly stuffy rules of nonfiction writing are collectively being shunned by the populace. Don’t worry, though — I think this is a good thing.

If you happen to be running next to the speeding train of today’s writing trends, it can be difficult to hurl your body (and your laptop) through the open door of a good publication. The way we write is changing by the day and I believe that introductory paragraphs have been the most impacted thus far.

So, first, why are things changing so quickly? Well, there are two simple reasons:

• The average human’s attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish
• People read sh!t on their phones.

I know that monkey minds and the advent of the smartphone are probably not the best reasons to alter the pristine rules that were painstakingly set many years ago by William Bullokar and scads of stodgy old white men at places like Oxford, but . . . it’s happening anyway.

Let’s first look at the perfect introductory paragraph structure set forward by academia:

According to Ashford University, a good introductory paragraph has three sections:

• A hook to attract a reader’s attention
• A sentence or two about the focused context of your piece
• A thesis statement

Great ideas, Ashford University, but they don’t work on this platform. Why? Let me show you. Below, I have pasted the sample introductory paragraph on their website:

“Do you use social media, apps, or YouTube? Modern American youth are flooded with opportunities to access information and entertainment, often at the touch of a fingertip. Although many of these technological outlets have a negative connotation of “wasted brain space,” not all technology and screen time should be considered of little worth, or purely for mindless entertainment. In fact, because of technology’s widespread appeal and accessibility, it can be easily used to incorporate academic or educational purpose into a daily routine. Technology’s ability to captivate and engage a targeted audience can be harnessed and redirected from mindless entertainment into powerful tools which are not limited to amusement alone. Games, television, and apps can be used to appeal to a child’s intellect while developing technical skills’ this creates a wealth of opportunitites to enhance the behavioral and scholastic development of an adolescent. The use of technology and screen time can be positive for children as it allows children to excel academically by experiencing the expanding definitions of classrooms and literacy as a whole, improves low-performing developmental skills, and can supplement in-class education for more academically-advanced students.”

Are you still with me? Well, guess what? Just by pasting that quote, this piece will probably be ousted by a number of publications. Why? Most people recommend that the average length of a paragraph on Medium be no more than six lines. And, unless you’re writing extremely short sentences, you’re not going to achieve the perfect academically recommended paragraph structure on this platform.

However, I do not disagree with the importance of a good hook, a sentence about context, and a thesis statement. These days, though, they don’t necessarily all live in the same paragraph. Or do they?

For contrast, let’s look at the introductory paragraphs of two top writers on Medium. Shannon Ashley and Tim Denning both have a crazy number of top writer accolades and more followers than residents of the entire city of Saratoga Springs, NY. So, let’s take a look at some of their introductory paragraphs.

Here’s the first paragraph from a recent article by Shannon Ashley:

I’m one of those people who Googles everything. Every question, every curiosity. Whenever I feel sick, any time I don’t know what to do — I turn to Google.

This paragraph doesn’t fit the perfect mold set forth by Ashford University, but I’m definitely intrigued. Next, let’s look at a first paragraph from an article by Tim Denning:

Life lessons can be really boring to read.

Yep. That’s it. One sentence and eight words. And his 134,000 followers ate it up. Just to confirm that one isn’t an anomaly, let’s try another one from a Tim Denning article:

I worked in banking for most of my career, and as bankers, we used to laugh at savers. That’s a truth I don’t like to admit.

Again, it’s not remotely the perfect introductory paragraph according to academia, but it sure makes me want to read more. All three of these examples do. So, let’s break it down. What makes a good introductory paragraph in these three articles and, thus, on Medium as a whole?

Okay, hold up. Wait a hot second. First of all, the bachelor’s degree in English that I paid good money for insists that I explain what a paragraph is. A paragraph is a separate and distinct section of writing. Can a paragraph be one sentence? Yes. But a one-sentence introductory paragraph is a pretty hard thing to pull off. (And who am I kidding, I had a full ride in undergrad).

I digress. So, what makes a good introduction on Medium? Well, there are three things that all of the aforementioned introductions have:

• Mystery
• Familiarity
• Humility

It’s pretty genius, actually. Each of these three introductory paragraphs sets you up as the writer’s confidant, establishes a shared truth between the reader and the writer, and, most importantly, makes you want to read more. The more I dig into it, the more I am convinced that Tim Denning and Shannon Ashley have cracked the code to article writing in the 21st century.

Let’s look at Shannon’s setup. She tells us that she Googles everything because she knows that most of her readers probably Google everything as well. Familiarity — check! She tells us that she sometimes doesn’t know what to do. Humility — check! And, without adding any extra sentences, she makes the reader wonder: what IS she Googling, anyway?

Tim’s introduction in the article about saving is exactly the same. He tells us that he worked in a bank which is a job we all recognize, so it establishes familiarity. He admits a truth that he says he doesn’t like to admit — humility. And he establishes mystery by stating that he used to make fun of people that do something that is a commonly recommended practice. Voila! Perfect beginning to an article.

And the genius of Tim’s one sentence opening paragraph is that it establishes both familiarity and humility with the statement that life lessons are boring and infers mystery because, inevitably, the reader wonders why this article about life lessons is any different than the boring ones.

So, yes, the perfect introductory paragraph on Medium doesn’t resemble the introductory paragraphs of the old days, but, like most things in today’s society, it has been abbreviated. In 1–3 short sentences, these two rock star Medium writers conveyed the same amount of intrigue as the Ashford University paragraph conveyed in 7.

We are living in the information age and the written word has always been a sign of the times. Faster, shorter, more bang for your buck, and more information packed into your reading minutes. Kudos to the rock star writers on this platform leading the charge toward the future. I can only hope that I can keep up.