Get it right and you will grab the reader’s attention and entice them to read on.
Get it wrong and they will scroll down or flick over the page.
But just because it’s the first paragraph, it doesn’t mean it has to be the first thing you write. Many students agonise over it so much they end up staring for hours at a blank screen.
If you can’t think of what to write for your intro, write a different paragraph instead. You could start with a paragraph that you know will end up in the middle of your copy. Or you could choose your quotes and write linking sentences to get the copy flowing between them. Before you know it, your copy will be taking shape.
You will also have exercised your writing muscle and should find it much easier when you go back to that first paragraph.
