Nut graf
The paragraph after a scene-setting opening that explains what the larger story is, why it matters, and why it matters now.
See it
What it is
The nut graf is the paragraph that tells a reader what a story is really about, why it matters, and often why it matters now. In a feature or news story with a delayed lede, it arrives after the opening scene or anecdote and turns that specific moment into the larger point.
Reach for it when the opening earns attention through character, detail, or suspense instead of stating the news immediately. The nut graf should name the central question or development, set the stakes, and establish the scope of the piece. After reading it, someone should know why the opening anecdote was not just a nice story.
Gotcha: a nut graf is not a table of contents and not a second lede that repeats the first. It makes the connection the opening withheld. Delay it too long and the reader feels tricked; pack it with every fact in the draft and the story stalls just as it should open out.
Ask AI for it
Write one nut graf for this feature using the 5 Ws and H technique. Place it immediately after the delayed lede. In 2 to 4 sentences, identify what is happening, who it affects, why it matters, why now, and how the opening scene connects to the larger story. State the central tension and scope without previewing every section or repeating the lede. Use only facts in the supplied reporting, preserve all qualifications, and list any missing answer to the 5 Ws and H after the paragraph.