Tackling the Inverted Pyramid

We live in a time of instant worldwide communications, dominated by sound-bytes and bullet-point lists. Instant-gratification, in most cases. So it's no surprise that the Inverted Pyramid remains one of the writer's most useful methods of organization.

The Inverted Pyramid is a simple concept used to organize an article in such a way that it conveys information quickly and effectively. The structure of an article implementing the Inverted Pyramid can best be described using the following diagram:

This method is effective because readers, as they browse newspapers or websites, tend to be interested only in learning the immediate facts of a story. They tend to scan, see if they're interested in the article and, if not, move on to whatever comes next.

The lead (or lede, if you want to roll old-school) ensures that the reader is given the most important information first. After the lead, the body will contain relevant details, and as the article progresses, these details will become less and less important. Near the end of the article, most of what you find can be considered fluff.

This form is not always appropriate, as its primary function is to relay information as quickly as possible. However, due to the fact that many readers are hurried and that they do pick and choose what is interesting to them, it is a good method to utilize if you have an important message to convey.

If you're interested in learning more about the Inverted Pyramid, check out: Writing from the Top Down: The Pros and Cons of the Inverted Pyramid; Begin with Your Conclusion: The Inverted Pyramid in Technical Writing; and Inverted Pyramid Story Format.