Paul GrahamVerified account

They teach adding intro-shit at writing classes.

I come at it from a different angle. Your writing is in competition with everything else the reader could be reading. The role of the opening (whatever form it takes) is to help the reader decide whether to read your piece. This can mean trimming intro, or adding context.

our editors generally dont allow this

Most writers would prefer to do that but editors always come back and say their readers need context and intros to the subject before the actual opinion/perspective is put forward.

I’m taking a writing class today. Can you tweet some more writing advice so that I look intelligent to the other participants?

This is a good general rule, but all of the best journalism I’ve read breaks it.