Great headlines leave us wanting more

It's true. A great headline is a hook into the story content. Headlines ask questions, make statements and have fun with language. Alliteration and assonance are two great ways to have fun with language. The general rule of thumb is that a headline is 8 words or less. Here are some great sites full of formulas, examples and tips for creating impactful headlines:

• 10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work  You need to consider that some of these formulas may leave you with a headline that sounds a little tabloid-like. That being said, if you don't have a starting point, some of these formulas may give you one.
• Today's Front Pages at Newseum.org
  From Alabama to Venzuela, the Newseum displays these daily newspaper front pages in their original, unedited form. One of the best ways to come up with a headline of your own is to study the headlines of others. Please note that some front pages may contain material that is objectionable to some visitors. Viewer discretion is advised.
• Fundamentals of Copy and Layout
  This is a link to the book, "Fundamentals of copy & layout" By Albert C. Book, C. Dennis Schick. Although this chapter addresses headlines for advertisements, the section on headlines is useful for our purposes.

By the way, if you wish to create a newspaper clip like the one that I did for this post, click here.