Nut-Graf Structure

Description: Start with an anecdote, follow with the story in a nutshell (nut graf), then add details that tie directly back to nut, end with a tie back to anecdote.

Also called: feature style

Likely Origin: Wall Street Journal, Barney Kilgore, 1941

Goal: provide an overview of the story with enough selling power to tempt the reader to continue reading

Read more on Poynter. “The Nut Graf Tells the Reader What the Writer Is up To,” May 19, 2003. https://www.poynter.org/archive/2003/the-nut-graf-part-i/.

Rewind

Description: Nut Graf followed by reverse chronology to show how we got to a scenario.

Inverted Pyramid

Description: Start with most important, follow with supporting detail, end with background and color.

Also called: “AP story” or a “wire service approach.”

Likely Origin: popularized by the newspaper wire services started before the U.S. Civil War

Hourglass

Description: Inverted pyramid followed by a chronological narrative.

Spiral

Description: Circle around the same events at different levels of information or focus.

Mirror

Description: Use the known structure of something else, like a house or orange, tarot cards, classified ads.

Layer Cake

Description: Alternating between anecdote and exposition.

Braid

Description: Wind two or more stories together by telling each in stages together.