frontloading wonderment

how's that for a statistically improbable phrase?

this advice from rob weir on how to create an interesting and engaging lecture could be cut and pasted into a screenwriting manual:

• "Lecturing is not genetically determined like eye color or a receding hairline. The most common reason for bad lecturing isn’t phobia; it’s that professors don’t value the craft enough to hone their skills."
• "Step one to improving your lecture skills is to purge yourself of bad communication habits, but the rest of lecturing is a formula."
• You should be interesting...but the point is not to show how clever or erudite you are...Being clear is far more important than being impressive."
• "Distill your intentions to essential points."
• "A time-tested way of engaging students is using a hook. Unveil a teaser, pose a question, tell a story, be provocative…Frontloading wonderment helps keep an audience."
• "It’s better to say a lot about a little than a little about a lot."

h/t kottke.org