Stuck on Your First Paragraph? The Sandwich Method Can Help

 “You never have a second chance to make a good first impression.”

– Will Rogers

By Thea Fiore-Bloom, PhD

A good first paragraph will do more for your art business than any Facebook Ad, Instagram blitz, or set of lash extensions ever could.

Why? 

Because if you have a yummy first paragraph, you’ll entice your reader to stick around…even if the rest of your post or piece isn’t perfect.

But how do you craft your first four or so sentences in a way that will get your type of reader to stay awhile?

It’s easier than you’d think.

You make a sandwich. 

A paragraph sandwich that is. And I have a cheat sheet recipe for you.

So are you ready to have readers land on your page and think, “Whoa, this gal (or guy) can write!”?

Let’s do it.

Paragraph Sandwich Cheat Sheet For Artists and Writers

Imagine your opening paragraph is a sandwich consisting of three to five sentences.

• Your top piece of bread lays out the argument.
• Your middle sentences lay out the details.
• And your bottom slice intrigues them to read on.

Let me elaborate on each layer a bit and provide examples to clarify. 

But First, A Quick Loving Note For Beginners

Please- when you first try this, don’t even worry about making the sentences good enough to “draw people in.”

Love yourself enough just to use the sandwich as a tool to make starting the writing easier.

Because it will make starting (and finishing) the writing easier.

It will enable you to pick one theme (as opposed to 12) and stick to that one theme throughout your newsletter or post. Clarity imparts confidence.

When you get clear on what you want to say, writing is almost fun.

 

Ok, The First Part of the Paragraph Sandwich

The first sentence or top piece of bread in your paragraph sandwich is your topic sentence.

A good topic sentence will do two things for you.

1. It will win your reader’s attention. 
2. Then it will lay out what your paragraph (and perhaps your entire piece) will be about.

So think of your topic sentence as an old-fashioned carnival barker.  

Carnival barkers used to stand on boxes in front of big tops and talk to passersby about the novelty, beauty, or wonder of the shows within, enticing them to buy a ticket.

 

 

Your opening sentence doesn’t have to be manipulative or flashy, though.

In fact, you’d do better to have a sentence that simply stirs up some curiosity.

Your topic sentence should make your ideal reader put down her cup of tea, raise her eyebrows, and say Hmmm, what’s this?

Let’s look at a fun opening topic sentence from a writing coaching client of mine that does this.

I helped Donna Wocher write the following top slice of bread sentence to begin a chapter in a book she’s creating about the transformative effect of pilgrimage on women in the second half of life.

Her topic sentence doesn’t ramble on with boring academic stats and studies; instead, Donna surprises readers by opening with this sentence:

“Maybe it started when the car hit the house. Did midlife start then?”

Did Wocher gently get your attention? If you want to know more about midlife, or at least about the car hitting her house, you might read on to the next bit, right?

What could you write to clarify your topic and pull your readers in? 

This leads us right into the next part of your sandwich.

 

The Second Part of Your Paragraph Sandwich -The Middle Sentences

The job of your tasty middle sentences is to add details that support the statement you made in your topic sentence. 

I want you to imagine your second sentence as, say… a backup slice of prosciutto.

Your third sentence is a luscious layer of explanatory lettuce, etc.

So let’s look at what sentences Donna chose to humorously flesh out her topic sentence (which was about when midlife began for her).

“Maybe midlife started when I had to move out? Then again, it could have been when my son had a mental health crisis, and we had to sue the school. Or perhaps midlife crept in unannounced like a silent draft through a crack in a window; quietly taking a seat and seamlessly blending in with all the other crises?”

When you have your backup detail sentences in place, you’re almost done.

The Last Layer of Your Paragraph Sandwich

You just have to add your final sentence, also known as the bottom piece of bread.

Think of this slice as a mermaid or siren from Greek myth.

Her job is to conclude that paragraph topic and enchant your reader into the shimmering waves of the rest of your page.

Try playing around with a mini-cliffhanger for this.

Cliffhanger sentences are just sentences that make you want to read on because you’ve been left wondering what happens next. Look for them as the final line of each chapter of the next “page-turner” mystery novel you read.

Let’s see how Donna invites us out of her first paragraph and into her second with a mini-cliffhanger.

“Midlife’s start date proved elusive, but it left one calling card that was hard not to notice.”

Hopefully, this last sentence both sums up Donna’s paragraph and leaves her ideal readers wanting to find out what that “calling card” was.

That’s the cliffhanger.

Make sense?

You, too, can easily cobble together this kind of paragraph now that you know the layout.

 

Just Make a Sloppy Joe at First 

Give the sandwich a go.

The first sandwiches you create will be messy; just call them Sloppy Joes.

After a few trial runs, you’ll be making panini-like paragraph sandwiches.

Eventually, with a little practice, you’ll internalize this paragraph structure.

You’ll even begin to riff on it and invent your own customized structure. 

Then you can wing the sandwich tool out the window.

Remember, you can write well.

You just need a few tools like this in the toolbox.

Trust your creativity and ingenuity.

Lastly, permit yourself to make a mess.

You allow messes in artmaking, right?

Extend the mess acceptance to your writing as well, okay?

What do you think?

If you have any questions about sandwiches or writing in general, ask away in the comments below.

Remember: There is no such thing as a foolish writing question.

If you want some personal attention to help you make your art writing shine, sign up for one of my Writing Coaching for Artists Mini-Packages. I’ll personally guide you on how to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be in your art writing (with lots of humor along the way).

Work With Thea

You might like these other Charmed Studio Posts:

Weekly Art Newsletter? The Case Against Frequency

How To Write More Often: 1 Realization That Can Change Everything

How Artists Can Make More Money: Without Marketing

Write (or Refresh)Your Artist Statement in 30 Minutes

How Visiting Famous Artists’ Home Museums Unleashes Wild Magic For Creatives

3 Gorgeous Guided Meditations for Writers: Reduce Fear, Ignite Creativity