Opportunity comes like a snail, and once it has passed you it changes into a fleet rabbit and is gone.
Arthur BrisbaneRead
If you don't hit a newspaper reader between the eyes with your first sentence, there is no need of writing a second one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The first sentence of an article is crucial for capturing the reader's attention.
This quote emphasizes the importance of a strong opening in writing, particularly in journalistic contexts. Arthur Brisbane suggests that if the initial sentence does not engage the reader immediately, the effort put into writing the rest of the piece is likely wasted. The quote reflects the competitive nature of capturing attention in written communication.
Themes
WritingAttentionJournalismCommunicationEngagement
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, I quoted Arthur Brisbane to highlight how essential a captivating first sentence is.
More from Arthur Brisbane
All quotes βSimilar quotes
I was taught that if you're going to study something, you must understand it deeply and be familiar with primary sources. But if you write a history of the whole world, you can't do this. That's the trade-off.
Yuval Noah HarariRead
I wonder anybody does anything at Oxford but dream and remember
William Butler YeatsRead
You will only get out of a dance class what you bring to it. Learn by practice.
Martha GrahamRead
Stop worrying about the 'dumbing down' of our language by bloggers, tweeters, cableheads and MSM thumbsuckers engaged in a 'race to the bottom' of the page by little minds confined to little words.
William SafireRead
Without education, we are weaker economically. Without economic power, we are weaker in terms of national security. No great military power has ever remained so without great economic power.
Jon MeachamRead
As a journalist, I fundamentally believe that keeping the public informed is an essential part of democracy.
Margaret BrennanRead