JournalismFree
Write your lede and nut graf
Paste your notes or draft and get lede options in different styles, each with a nut graf that says why the story matters now.
River reads your reporting and writes several ways to open the story: a straight news lede, an anecdotal lede, and a delayed lede, each followed by a nut graf that tells readers why the story matters now. Every option is built only from your notes, so no scene, quote or figure appears that you did not report.
Each option comes with a short note on when it fits, because the right opening depends on the news. A breaking story needs the news in the first sentence. A feature can earn a slower start, as long as the nut graf arrives within a few paragraphs.
It is for student journalists, reporters on deadline, freelancers and newsletter writers who have the reporting but are stuck on the top.
Ledes and nut grafs
The lede is the opening of a story. A hard news lede states the most important new fact in one sentence: who did what, when and where. An anecdotal lede opens with a person or scene that illustrates the larger story. A delayed lede holds the main news for a paragraph or two to build interest, which works for features but not breaking news.
The nut graf, short for nutshell paragraph, explains why the story matters and why now. In features and anecdotal openings it usually comes within the first few paragraphs, telling readers what the opening scene is an example of. Without it, readers do not know why they are reading.
Every detail in a lede must come from the reporting. An anecdotal opening built on a composite character, an imagined scene or a paraphrase presented as a quote is a fabrication, however vivid it is. If the notes do not contain a scene strong enough to open on, a straight lede is the honest choice.
How it works
Paste your reporting
Paste notes, quotes, figures, or your current draft.
River finds the news
It identifies the main news, the best detail and the stakes.
Get the options
Several lede and nut graf pairs, each with a note on fit.
Build from the top
Ask River for the next few paragraphs in the same voice.
What you get
- A hard news lede with the main news in one sentence
- Anecdotal and delayed lede options built from people and scenes in your notes
- A nut graf for each option that says why the story matters now
- A note on when each style fits this particular story
- Flags where an option would need a detail you have not reported
Common questions
Which kind of lede should I use?
For breaking or straight news, a hard news lede that states the news in the first sentence. For features, profiles and trend stories, an anecdotal or delayed lede can draw readers in, as long as the nut graf follows quickly. River notes which style fits your material.
What is a nut graf?
The paragraph that tells readers what the story is about and why it matters now. It turns an opening anecdote into a story about something larger. In most features it appears within the first few paragraphs.
Can River make up a scene for an anecdotal lede?
No. An anecdotal lede must come from your reporting: a person you interviewed, a scene you saw, a quote you recorded. If your notes do not have one, River says so and recommends a straight lede or suggests what to look for in a follow-up interview.
How long should a lede be?
Hard news ledes are usually a single sentence that can be read in one breath. Anecdotal ledes can run a short paragraph or two. River keeps each option tight and flags any that tries to fit too many facts into the first sentence.
Write your lede and nut graf
Describe what you need, add any files you have, and your workspace opens with the work already underway.