Short-Form Nonfiction Week: The Inverted Pyramid

Short-form nonfiction often uses the same story arcs we explored in fiction week, but other forms come into play as well. We call them “ledes.” Inverted pyramid ledes are probably the most used structure in journalism. They’re also a blogging favourite because Google loves them, so they’re more likely to appear at the top of search results in a query.

The inverted pyramid launches the story with the most fundamental, newsworthy information first. This information could be considered the conclusion, but the pyramid is inverted, so it becomes the introduction. The next paragraph widens the topic by adding less important details. This continues in a descending order of importance until the reader ultimately understands the full story.

The inverted pyramid lede works because it grabs readers’ attention immediately, then holds it. It also plays to lazy readers by giving them what they want right at the beginning. If they get distracted by a cute pupper halfway through, they still got the gist of the story. In an attention economy, inverted pyramids take what they haven’t earned, but if you use them well, they can also be quite beautiful.

Still, if you put the most newsworthy content at the top of the piece, you dial down your suspense to zero. There are other options here. You can introduce the theme, and then debate it. You can start with the outcome and move to the resolution. You can make a vague reference at the start of your piece, then use a tie-back to express it more clearly at the end. You can use foreshadowing at the beginning to build tension.

I never learned these structures in an academic space. I learned them by playing with form, and maybe that’s the best approach. As with most of what we learn in the workshop, though, it’s important to be intentional and conscious of our tools. Be aware of where you start your story, how you hold your readers, and where you leave them. Try alternatives on for size. See how your readers respond.

I doubt most of you will do today's exercise, but for the sake of the odd bit of interest, write a nonfiction piece in inverted pyramid structure. I don't mind how short you make it.