Monday, March 23, 2009
On love of little words.
I love little words, don't you? You'll come upon a flock of these spirit-fairies in a forest of words, carpeting the forest floor. They are iridescent beauties, these sub-atomic particles of ideas, and they are breathtakingly beautiful. They dart here and there, fleet and colorful. Little words are so familiar; you think you know them. If one word takes notice of you, it will stop in its tracks, hyperventilating, trembling with fear. Standing beside them, you are a huge hulking creature from a alien planet. But if you stand very still, eventually the little word will regain its composure and alacrity, swirling around your head with gleeful cries like a child on an amusement ride. Yes, you think you know them, but you can't begin to know what they can become when you conjure them into necklaces and bracelets, adornments for your beloved.
Advice for those who are stuck in writing projects
A former co-worker, Tiffany Francis, asked me to issue an EWA on what to do when you're writing something and you get stuck. Read below for suggestions. I thank John Wise, Andrew Szabo, Dan Hardy, Triche Guerin and Dan Sturdivant for recommending me on my LinkedIn profile. If you would like to connect with me on LinkedIn.com, send me an invitation. I would be delighted to return the favor. Below the ''How to Get Unstuck'' article, you will find my essay, ''On Love of Little Words.'' If there are back issues you would like to read again, e-mail me and I will add them to this blog.
--Chuck Lustig
HOW TO GET UNSTUCK
When it comes to writing projects, I used to spend a lot of time being stuck, so let me begin by claiming expert status. This is my Unified Field Theory of Writing Project Stuckness, meaning it applies equally to all writing projects: columns, short stories, theses, articles, poems, novels, brochures, operas, manuals, songs, musicals, business plans, sales presentations, speeches, product descriptions, screenplays, plays, video scripts and non-fiction books. Below I've listed the four reasons people get stuck and strategies for getting yourself unstuck.
1. Reason one: You don't know where to start.
Consider the doctoral candidate who cannot stop researching a thesis and begin outlining (there's so much more to know!), or the novelist who doesn't know where to start a story. Not knowing where to start often comes from being overwhelmed. The subject is so vast; you struggle to find the perfect entry point. Often you have so many facets you want to cover, you are unable to actually begin organizing how you will cover the subject or how the story goes, i.e., what happens first, second, etc. You're stuck.
When you don't know where to start, try this:
Remind yourself that there are two phases to practically any writing project. First, you ''dig up the clay,'' you research, even if it's emotional research. Second, you ''play with the clay.'' Whether it's an historic novel or doctoral thesis, there will come a time when you must stop digging and start playing. The truth is you will always want to dig more; you will feel regret; there will always be more to know! But you must shift from one phase to the other if you want to finish. (And doesn't ''playing'' sound like fun?)
List on paper all the places you could start. Then prioritize them. Decide what's most important to you about the subject, second most important, etc. The number-one item may be your starting place. Then go one step further: Consider that what may be important to you might be boring to your audience, or not as interesting. So, list on paper the topics that, as best as you can tell, are the most interesting to your audience. In each case make sure you are clear on why they are the most interesting. Then prioritize those topics. See if there are differences between the two lists. Perhaps the top ''interest'' item is your starting place.
If your piece is written from one character's point of view, try telling it from another character's point of view.
Or, accept that you won't find a perfect entry point, so stop looking for it. Just find the best entry point and begin. As Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, ''Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.''
To sum up, when you're having this kind of difficulty, try slicing and dicing it in a new way. Then you may be able to find your way forward.
2. Reason two: You don't have enough information or insight.
Sometimes I would struggle for hours before realizing I didn't have enough information. Lack of insight can also stop you in your tracks.
When you don't have enough information or insight, try this:
Decide the people you want to ask for help, and the questions you want to ask them.
Begin thinking about it at a higher level. For example, you may be writing about a merger between two companies when the higher-level issue might be the trend of consolidation in a specific industry or in business in general. Or, you might be writing about the breakup of a marriage without realizing that the higher-level issue is freedom and independence. As when you're gazing at a painting, try squinting your eyes and taking the longer view. Sometimes it helps.
Insight can be gained by seeing how others have handled the same subject or a similar subject. It may be time for a Google search or two, reading other books, watching other movies, or listening to other songs, etc.
3. Reason three: You don't have permission to finish.
By this I mean you have not psychologically given yourself permission to finish the project. Perhaps you don't feel you deserve to finish yet. Finishing is tantamount to achieving success. There are many reasons why people do not feel they are ready to achieve success.
When you don't feel you have permission to finish, try this:
Talk to yourself and listen carefully to what you say about the project and all the reasons you can't finish it, or why it doesn't come up to your standards. Then analyze what you're saying: This may help to give you permission to finish it or insight into how you can finish it.
And consider this: You don't want to bring something to market before it is ready. Doing so could be self-destructive. So, if you wait until you feel more confident, you may be giving yourself a tremendous gift. For the last few months I have made a point of actively manifesting, ''It will be done as soon as it is ready.'' If you live your life believing and manifesting this, it will relieve the pressure of finishing. Oddly, you may wind up finishing a project sooner than if you keep the pressure on. Obviously, self-imposed pressure can be detrimental; it can also cause illness.
4. Reason four: You don't have a clear conception of what the finished piece will sound or feel like.
This is self-evident: If you don't know what you're going for in a scene, a thesis, a chapter or an article, you will have no way of knowing if you've achieved it.
The key thought: Start with the end in mind.
When you don't have a clear conception of how the finished piece will work, try struggling. When nothing else works, give yourself permission to struggle. Give yourself permission to get it wrong, to write drafts that don't work. Struggle, if you must.
Sometimes I don't know how to write the next sentence, but I know how to write the sentence after that or the one after that. So I write what I know and then I go back and fill in what I don't know. You can do the same.
Again, reading or viewing similar works completed by others can be helpful. They may have left a trail of crumbs for you to follow.
Now that you know how to get yourself unstuck, give it a try!
--Chuck Lustig
HOW TO GET UNSTUCK
When it comes to writing projects, I used to spend a lot of time being stuck, so let me begin by claiming expert status. This is my Unified Field Theory of Writing Project Stuckness, meaning it applies equally to all writing projects: columns, short stories, theses, articles, poems, novels, brochures, operas, manuals, songs, musicals, business plans, sales presentations, speeches, product descriptions, screenplays, plays, video scripts and non-fiction books. Below I've listed the four reasons people get stuck and strategies for getting yourself unstuck.
1. Reason one: You don't know where to start.
Consider the doctoral candidate who cannot stop researching a thesis and begin outlining (there's so much more to know!), or the novelist who doesn't know where to start a story. Not knowing where to start often comes from being overwhelmed. The subject is so vast; you struggle to find the perfect entry point. Often you have so many facets you want to cover, you are unable to actually begin organizing how you will cover the subject or how the story goes, i.e., what happens first, second, etc. You're stuck.
When you don't know where to start, try this:
Remind yourself that there are two phases to practically any writing project. First, you ''dig up the clay,'' you research, even if it's emotional research. Second, you ''play with the clay.'' Whether it's an historic novel or doctoral thesis, there will come a time when you must stop digging and start playing. The truth is you will always want to dig more; you will feel regret; there will always be more to know! But you must shift from one phase to the other if you want to finish. (And doesn't ''playing'' sound like fun?)
List on paper all the places you could start. Then prioritize them. Decide what's most important to you about the subject, second most important, etc. The number-one item may be your starting place. Then go one step further: Consider that what may be important to you might be boring to your audience, or not as interesting. So, list on paper the topics that, as best as you can tell, are the most interesting to your audience. In each case make sure you are clear on why they are the most interesting. Then prioritize those topics. See if there are differences between the two lists. Perhaps the top ''interest'' item is your starting place.
If your piece is written from one character's point of view, try telling it from another character's point of view.
Or, accept that you won't find a perfect entry point, so stop looking for it. Just find the best entry point and begin. As Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, ''Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.''
To sum up, when you're having this kind of difficulty, try slicing and dicing it in a new way. Then you may be able to find your way forward.
2. Reason two: You don't have enough information or insight.
Sometimes I would struggle for hours before realizing I didn't have enough information. Lack of insight can also stop you in your tracks.
When you don't have enough information or insight, try this:
Decide the people you want to ask for help, and the questions you want to ask them.
Begin thinking about it at a higher level. For example, you may be writing about a merger between two companies when the higher-level issue might be the trend of consolidation in a specific industry or in business in general. Or, you might be writing about the breakup of a marriage without realizing that the higher-level issue is freedom and independence. As when you're gazing at a painting, try squinting your eyes and taking the longer view. Sometimes it helps.
Insight can be gained by seeing how others have handled the same subject or a similar subject. It may be time for a Google search or two, reading other books, watching other movies, or listening to other songs, etc.
3. Reason three: You don't have permission to finish.
By this I mean you have not psychologically given yourself permission to finish the project. Perhaps you don't feel you deserve to finish yet. Finishing is tantamount to achieving success. There are many reasons why people do not feel they are ready to achieve success.
When you don't feel you have permission to finish, try this:
Talk to yourself and listen carefully to what you say about the project and all the reasons you can't finish it, or why it doesn't come up to your standards. Then analyze what you're saying: This may help to give you permission to finish it or insight into how you can finish it.
And consider this: You don't want to bring something to market before it is ready. Doing so could be self-destructive. So, if you wait until you feel more confident, you may be giving yourself a tremendous gift. For the last few months I have made a point of actively manifesting, ''It will be done as soon as it is ready.'' If you live your life believing and manifesting this, it will relieve the pressure of finishing. Oddly, you may wind up finishing a project sooner than if you keep the pressure on. Obviously, self-imposed pressure can be detrimental; it can also cause illness.
4. Reason four: You don't have a clear conception of what the finished piece will sound or feel like.
This is self-evident: If you don't know what you're going for in a scene, a thesis, a chapter or an article, you will have no way of knowing if you've achieved it.
The key thought: Start with the end in mind.
When you don't have a clear conception of how the finished piece will work, try struggling. When nothing else works, give yourself permission to struggle. Give yourself permission to get it wrong, to write drafts that don't work. Struggle, if you must.
Sometimes I don't know how to write the next sentence, but I know how to write the sentence after that or the one after that. So I write what I know and then I go back and fill in what I don't know. You can do the same.
Again, reading or viewing similar works completed by others can be helpful. They may have left a trail of crumbs for you to follow.
Now that you know how to get yourself unstuck, give it a try!
Friday, March 20, 2009
How to make everything sound better than it is.
I began my career in advertising where I was paid to put a marketing spin on everything I touched. I turned it into a minor art form. Very minor. In this EWA, we'll review the various marketing-spin claims and examine how they work. As you will see, you, too, can develop a knack for making everything sound better than it is.
Let's cover parity claims, self-referential claims and superiority claims.
Parity claims
The word ''parity'' means roughly equal, yet parity claims sound as though they are superiority claims. How is that possible? All I can tell you is that by a quirk of language, it is not only possible, it is an everyday accomplishment. Have you ever heard?
No other toothpaste fights plaque better.
It sounds like a superiority claim, doesn't it? But in fact, it's a parity claim. It simply says that no brand of toothpaste can do a better job. In truth, it is saying, ''Our brand of toothpaste fights plaque about as well as all the rest.'' But how much toothpaste do you think they would sell if they stated it that way in their advertising?
Other parity claims include:
You can't find a better (Fill in the blank).
There's no better (Fill in the blank).
And how often have you heard this encomium for public figures?
Many people have given back to this community, but no one has done more for the people than (Fill in the blank).
All that statement is saying: This person has done about as much as any other community leader, certainly not more! That's all it is claiming. But most people, upon hear those soothing words, have the impression they're hearing a superiority claim for dedication to public service. Not so!
Self-referential claims
Self-referential claims give the impression of claiming superiority by referring to themselves as the standard. How many times have you heard or read these claims?
Only (Fill in name of store) has (Fill in name of store) prices.
Or:
Only (Fill in name of store) can give you the (Fill in name of store) price guarantee.
Well, of course, only Circuit City can give you the Circuit City price guarantee. Then again, only Best Buy can give you their price guarantee.
Here are two classic self-referential claims. I'll bet you never even thought of them as such:
Are you strong enough (or good enough or smart enough) to (Fill in the name of an action, for example, to drive a brand of car).
That is what I call the self-referential challenge claim. Clever, huh?
What kind of (man, woman) drives a (Fill in name of car)?
Here the claim for a product is being made self-referentially, based on the people who already own it or use it. Logic: Customers who use these products are appealing, so the products or services they use must be also. This is the logic that led so many wealthy people to invest with Bernie Madoff. Makes sense to me. Doesn't it make sense to you?
Superiority claims
Even when one product is truly better than another or an entire field of products, it is rare that advertisers just come out and say it:
The Mavs are better than the Spurs!
Our language allows us to paint shades of meaning in a single stroke. Consider the gradations captured in the following statements:
Only we can make that statement.
No one else can make that claim.
Few can match that achievement or make that statement.
And consider this oft-used and rarely-apologized-for slam at the competition:
(Fill in the name) is the complete solution.
If (Fill in the name) is complete, everything else must be incomplete, right?
Stronger still:
Only (Fill in the name) is complete; everyone else's solution falls short.
So now you can claim to know a thing or two about claims. And the next time you hear one little girl say to another little girl, ''My dolly is better than yours because it's mine,'' you'll know she is uttering a self-referential superiority claim.
Now go forth and make everything sound better than it is. Please.
Let's cover parity claims, self-referential claims and superiority claims.
Parity claims
The word ''parity'' means roughly equal, yet parity claims sound as though they are superiority claims. How is that possible? All I can tell you is that by a quirk of language, it is not only possible, it is an everyday accomplishment. Have you ever heard?
No other toothpaste fights plaque better.
It sounds like a superiority claim, doesn't it? But in fact, it's a parity claim. It simply says that no brand of toothpaste can do a better job. In truth, it is saying, ''Our brand of toothpaste fights plaque about as well as all the rest.'' But how much toothpaste do you think they would sell if they stated it that way in their advertising?
Other parity claims include:
You can't find a better (Fill in the blank).
There's no better (Fill in the blank).
And how often have you heard this encomium for public figures?
Many people have given back to this community, but no one has done more for the people than (Fill in the blank).
All that statement is saying: This person has done about as much as any other community leader, certainly not more! That's all it is claiming. But most people, upon hear those soothing words, have the impression they're hearing a superiority claim for dedication to public service. Not so!
Self-referential claims
Self-referential claims give the impression of claiming superiority by referring to themselves as the standard. How many times have you heard or read these claims?
Only (Fill in name of store) has (Fill in name of store) prices.
Or:
Only (Fill in name of store) can give you the (Fill in name of store) price guarantee.
Well, of course, only Circuit City can give you the Circuit City price guarantee. Then again, only Best Buy can give you their price guarantee.
Here are two classic self-referential claims. I'll bet you never even thought of them as such:
Are you strong enough (or good enough or smart enough) to (Fill in the name of an action, for example, to drive a brand of car).
That is what I call the self-referential challenge claim. Clever, huh?
What kind of (man, woman) drives a (Fill in name of car)?
Here the claim for a product is being made self-referentially, based on the people who already own it or use it. Logic: Customers who use these products are appealing, so the products or services they use must be also. This is the logic that led so many wealthy people to invest with Bernie Madoff. Makes sense to me. Doesn't it make sense to you?
Superiority claims
Even when one product is truly better than another or an entire field of products, it is rare that advertisers just come out and say it:
The Mavs are better than the Spurs!
Our language allows us to paint shades of meaning in a single stroke. Consider the gradations captured in the following statements:
Only we can make that statement.
No one else can make that claim.
Few can match that achievement or make that statement.
And consider this oft-used and rarely-apologized-for slam at the competition:
(Fill in the name) is the complete solution.
If (Fill in the name) is complete, everything else must be incomplete, right?
Stronger still:
Only (Fill in the name) is complete; everyone else's solution falls short.
So now you can claim to know a thing or two about claims. And the next time you hear one little girl say to another little girl, ''My dolly is better than yours because it's mine,'' you'll know she is uttering a self-referential superiority claim.
Now go forth and make everything sound better than it is. Please.
Word Love
I warn you: Don't fall for words. Word love is unrequited. It's nearly as bad as falling in love with a statue or a spreadsheet! But, I must admit, I am a sucker for word love. I can't help myself. I love the sounds some words make when you put them together, like "A Hymn to Homonyms," a recent EWA. As you'll see below, despite my best efforts to take my own advice, a few words have warmed their way into my heart. I am uplifted by them. Then crushed by them when they make it clear they couldn't care less about my affections. Below: A few words I love:
Evanescent: Vanishing, fading away, fleeting
(''The evanescent glow of fireflies…'')
Diaphanous: Sheer, transparent or translucent
Aggress: To commit the first act of aggression
Caress: An embrace, a light stroking
(I particularly like ''aggress'' and ''caress'' used together. ''Shall I aggress or caress?'')
Lumpen: Dispossessed, displaced people who have lost social status.
(I see lumps of clay. ''These are the lumps of the lumpen.'')
Agon: A conflict, a struggle
(''Job had an agon with God.''
Parse: To examine critically, to break down in component parts
(''How could I begin to parse the sentiment behind that look?'')
Doleful: Sorrowful, mournful
Wayworn: Fatigued by travel
Coruscate: Give off or reflect flashes of light
(''They pulled up at the farthest end of a loop path that looked out over the great basin of the Gio Grade under brilliant, coruscating stars.''Bill Roorback, ''Big Bend'')
Swoon: To enter a state of ecstasy
Rapture: Joyful ecstasy
Confabulation: Easy, unrestrained conversation
Evocative: Tending to evoke
(''The fragrance was evocative of languid summer afternoons.'')
Sere: Dry, withered
Wizened: Shriveled, aged, white with age
Languid: Slow, listless
Rheumy: A mucous discharge from eyes or nose (sometimes snot)
Phantasmagoric: Deceptive appearances in a dream or created by the imagination
Languish: To become weak or feeble
Dear Reader: e-mail me your favorites.
Evanescent: Vanishing, fading away, fleeting
(''The evanescent glow of fireflies…'')
Diaphanous: Sheer, transparent or translucent
Aggress: To commit the first act of aggression
Caress: An embrace, a light stroking
(I particularly like ''aggress'' and ''caress'' used together. ''Shall I aggress or caress?'')
Lumpen: Dispossessed, displaced people who have lost social status.
(I see lumps of clay. ''These are the lumps of the lumpen.'')
Agon: A conflict, a struggle
(''Job had an agon with God.''
Parse: To examine critically, to break down in component parts
(''How could I begin to parse the sentiment behind that look?'')
Doleful: Sorrowful, mournful
Wayworn: Fatigued by travel
Coruscate: Give off or reflect flashes of light
(''They pulled up at the farthest end of a loop path that looked out over the great basin of the Gio Grade under brilliant, coruscating stars.''Bill Roorback, ''Big Bend'')
Swoon: To enter a state of ecstasy
Rapture: Joyful ecstasy
Confabulation: Easy, unrestrained conversation
Evocative: Tending to evoke
(''The fragrance was evocative of languid summer afternoons.'')
Sere: Dry, withered
Wizened: Shriveled, aged, white with age
Languid: Slow, listless
Rheumy: A mucous discharge from eyes or nose (sometimes snot)
Phantasmagoric: Deceptive appearances in a dream or created by the imagination
Languish: To become weak or feeble
Dear Reader: e-mail me your favorites.
Friday, March 6, 2009
You need a great copywriter, even if you're blind to it now.
Have you seen the YouTube video that opens with a disheveled man begging on a busy street while holding up a sign that says, ''Blind?'' He's not receiving any donations from the people passing by. His tin cup is empty. Then, by chance, one person looks down and notices the beggar's dilemma. He asks the blind man if he could have his sign for a moment. He turns the sign over and writes on it in big letters, ''It's a beautiful day but I can't see it.'' He returns later that day to find the blind man's cup overflowing with money.
The principle of abundance is that each and every one of us can attract what we really want if we manifest our desire. I contend that having the assistance of a great copywriter helps.
''Freelance writing that creates an urgency to buy'' has always been the motto of ExcitingWriting Communications. I admit those words may give the impression that I am a specialist in direct response copywriting. More than most writers, I am able to vary the style of my writing so that it is also effective for TV and radio commercials as well as for web, video, brochure, training, sales presentation, white paper, technical, and many more kinds of business writing assignments. I happen to have a lot of experience writing about healthcare and high technology topics.
More than anything, I am an effective conceptual writer. It was an idea in a passerby's mind to suggest, ''It's a beautiful day but I can't see it.'' An idea, properly phrased, can spark a tremendous response and change a life or a business.
Please call me at 214-685-9555 with freelance writing opportunities. Or e-mail me at clustig@excitingwriting.com, I am dedicated to assisting you and your contacts with writing that gets results. You can expect fresh ExcitingWriting Advisory (EWA) blogs to appear in your inbox on the 23rd of each month.
The principle of abundance is that each and every one of us can attract what we really want if we manifest our desire. I contend that having the assistance of a great copywriter helps.
''Freelance writing that creates an urgency to buy'' has always been the motto of ExcitingWriting Communications. I admit those words may give the impression that I am a specialist in direct response copywriting. More than most writers, I am able to vary the style of my writing so that it is also effective for TV and radio commercials as well as for web, video, brochure, training, sales presentation, white paper, technical, and many more kinds of business writing assignments. I happen to have a lot of experience writing about healthcare and high technology topics.
More than anything, I am an effective conceptual writer. It was an idea in a passerby's mind to suggest, ''It's a beautiful day but I can't see it.'' An idea, properly phrased, can spark a tremendous response and change a life or a business.
Please call me at 214-685-9555 with freelance writing opportunities. Or e-mail me at clustig@excitingwriting.com, I am dedicated to assisting you and your contacts with writing that gets results. You can expect fresh ExcitingWriting Advisory (EWA) blogs to appear in your inbox on the 23rd of each month.
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