Anne H. Janzer's Blog, page 23
March 26, 2019
Stories and Fiction, Facts and Truth
Stories and fiction are not synonymous. Facts can mislead, and frequently do. Fictional stories can hold meaningful truths. Data can distract us.
Whether we’re reading stories online or writing for others, we need to keep a few distinctions clear in our heads: stories vs. fiction, truth vs. facts, fibs vs. frauds.
Stories and fiction
For many years, I thought that as a determined nonfiction writer, I didn’t have to worry about telling stories.
I was wrong.
By avoiding storytelling, I missed out on a powerful means of explaining complicated ideas, holding readers’ interest, and connecting more deeply with others.
Stories belong to all kinds of writing—even nonfiction.
Business writers can use personal anecdotes, customer stories, and brand stories. Nonfiction authors might create fictional scenarios to illustrate key concepts. As long as the gist of the fictional tale is true, its usage is legitimate in the nonfiction context.
Facts and truth
Facts are data points – ideally they point us to larger truths.
The world in which we live is enormously complex. Just as our brains filter the inputs from our eyes to construct a visual reality, so do our minds filter the facts we encounter, fitting them to our world views.
I may choose to ignore facts to avoid cognitive dissonance (the discomfort of encountering evidence that clashes with my current beliefs.) I may not even be aware of this filtering as it happens. If this is true, you will not change my mind by throwing more facts at me.
Facts and data are critical, but not enough. We have to find the truths that fit those facts. Ideally, writers help readers arrive at their own conclusion through the careful and thoughtful combination of fact and fiction, story and truth.
Fibs and frauds
In All Marketers are Liars, Seth Godin distinguishes between fibs and frauds; fibs are “white lies” meant to help us arrive at something useful. Godin writes that “fibs are lies that make the story come true.” Aspirational brand stories might be fibs, if the brand acts on those aspirations.
Frauds are deceptions crafted for nefarious purposes. Once revealed, frauds anger us through their falsehood.
Theranos’ founding story was a compelling one: Elizabeth Holmes had a fear of needles and wanted to make sure that others with he same problem wouldn’t avoid necessary blood tests. The founding story became the brand story, retold again and again: medical tests requiring only a few drops of blood.
At its outset, this brand story was true in an aspirational sense. When reality couldn’t match up, however, it appears to have strayed into the area of fraud. (The criminal case is still pending.) Facts and fiction eventually must make peace with each other.
What to do with all of this
Tell stories, but be careful of the stories you tell. And if you write in business, politics, or other nonfiction venues, make sure that your fictional stories express a meaningful truth.
Related reading
Books for Writers: Liminal Thinking
Humor in Otherwise Serious Nonfiction Writing
The post Stories and Fiction, Facts and Truth appeared first on Anne Janzer.
March 12, 2019
Wired for Story: A Book Review
Short VersionA story proves itself not on the paper but in the reader’s brain. In Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, Lisa Cron offers valuable insights and practical advice for crafting better stories.
Long Version: 3 Things I Love about This book (As a Nonfiction Author)
Wired for Story was published in 2012. I’ve avoided reading it until now because I’m a nonfiction writer and this book clearly focuses on fiction. But it kept popping up on my radar because of its “brain science” angle. I finally gave succumbed to curiosity and got the book. I’m glad I did. Here are three reasons why.
The Cognitive Science Angle on Reading
Lisa Cron shares my fascination with the cognitive science behind reading and writing. This book is well researched. Cron sites numerous studies without sounding dry or geeky, always in service of helping you write compelling fiction.
Her basic premise can be summed up in this quote:
“For a story to captivate a reader, it must continually meet hardwired expectations.”
Effective fiction writing isn’t only about coming up with a clever plot and a protagonist you can connect with; it’s about delivering that underlying story in a way that keeps the reader hooked and the dopamine firing.
Demystifying Story
When someone starts talking about exposition, inciting incidents and falling action, I get nervous. (Remember, I’m a nonfiction writer.)
Cron demystifies the concept of story structure, distinguishing the “plot” from the other story elements, like the protagonist and the story’s theme. The story, ultimately, is about how the protagonist overcomes the plot obstacles keeping them from their objectives.
Here’s a helpful quote from the book: “Plot is not synonymous with story. Plot facilitates story by forcing the protagonist to confront and deal with the issue that keeps him from achieving his goal.”
Better Insight Into Fiction
Cron would say that in a good story, the protagonist changes by the end. If I’m the protagonist of this story, then here’s my transformation: reading this book has shifted the way I read fiction.
Now I sometimes deconstruct the elements of story in the fiction I read. I notice how the plot, as it unfolds, is messing with the character’s obvious objectives, and how it forces them to face internal issues. When a book falls flat on the page, I have a better idea of why that is so.
Reading fiction is even more fun with this extra layer of insight.
Not for Fiction Writers Only
Even if you, like me, are not trying to write the next great American novel or screenplay, I have news for you: story matters.
Story may be the most effective method available for explaining complicated topics or changing people’s opinions. My latest book Writing to Be Understood includes a chapter on using story.
While nonfiction writers may worry about the plotting details of that bedevil fiction writers, we do need to understand how to wield the essential elements of story. Even if you write customer stories for a business or personal anecdotes in a blog, the insights in Wired for Story will make your writing more effective.
Other Book Reviews You Might Like:
The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Grit for Writers by Tamar Sloan
The post Wired for Story: A Book Review appeared first on Anne Janzer.
March 6, 2019
An Interview with Karen Catlin on Language and Inclusion
When Words Close Doors
How would you feel if you walked into an office party and no one made eye contact with you or spoke with you? You’d feel unwelcome, right? Certainly uncomfortable.
Our brains experience something similar when we encounter language such as gender-specific pronouns that don’t include our own gender identity, or words that treat our backgrounds as negative or unusual. The words trigger an automatic “us/them” filtering, and we immediately sense we are not part of the speaker or writer’s world view.
For example, if you’re a woman reading a job posting that uses the pronouns “he” and “his,” you’ll sense that you are not the ideal candidate, even if the organization posting never intended to exclude women.
One writer’s careless use of pronouns can change another person’s career.
You might argue that people are too sensitive to this stuff. Perhaps that’s true, but this sensitivity may not rise to the level of consciousness. It may show up as a background discomfort, or an intuition that something isn’t a good fit.
If you’re writing or speaking and want to attract a larger audience, you don’t want to turn people away inadvertently. Your word choices may be metaphorically slamming doors in your readers’ faces, telling them they’re not welcome.
Using male pronouns in job postings is an obvious example. More subtle cases of exclusionary language happen around us all the time. In fact, most of us write and speak exclusionary words without intention, to varying degrees.
An Interview with Karen Catlin
Karen Catlin wrote a chapter on this topic in her wonderful new book Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces.
Being a word geek myself, I connected with her to find out more. Here’s the gist of our conversation.
AJ: Has doing this work has made you choose your words differently?
KC: Writing the chapter on language was eye-opening. I knew about some of the best practices already. For example, I knew I shouldn’t use the word “guys” even though it was part of my vernacular, because it carries gender connotation. [AJ: Here’s an example from Karen’s book: Try asking a man how many “guys” he dated in college, and he’ll understand the gender connotation.]
Before writing the book, I used the word “pow-wow” in work settings, without realizing how the usage could be disrespectful to people from native American cultures.
The English language has a rich variety of alternatives and synonyms for every word. Now, instead of pow-wow I use the word “huddle.” I like the team connotation that comes along with it.
AJ: How hard it is to change ingrained speech patterns?
KC: When writing, I can backspace right away if I catch myself using a word that might make someone uncomfortable. Conversation is trickier. Around my dinner table, we try to catch each other. When I make a mistake, in speech or writing, I apologize and move on. It’s a process.
AJ: You write about filtering language for gender bias, cultural insensitivity, and disabilities from standard terms like “double blind” experimentation or “whitelisting.” What’s your advice about trying to shift ensconced industry terms?
As with everything in professional life, choose your battles. The more respected you are in your field, the easier it is to introduce a new term.
Michael Lopp, when he was head of product engineering at Pinterest, used the phrase “straw dog” instead of “straw man” to refer to a draft proposal intended to generate discussion. The change is surprising and draws attention to impact of language. As the leader, he set the tone and direction through his choice of words.
Leaders can use their position of privilege to create change.
People might push back, saying, “I’ve never heard anyone complain about this being offensive.” And this is great, because now you’ve started a dialog about language and inclusion.
AJ: What advice can you offer writers who want to be careful not to exclude people?
KC: Edit yourself and learn from editors.
When working on the book, I hired a copyeditor who specializes in inclusive language and then tried to learn from those corrections.
For example, the copyeditor flagged my use of the widely accepted term “URM” to refer to Underrepresented Minorities. They suggested that lumping groups of people together into an acronym like this can be dehumanizing.
Being an ally is a journey and everyone keeps learning along this journey—myself included.
Friday March 8 is International Women’s Day – a great time to think about the unintended consequences of our language!
If you find this conversation interesting, I encourage you to visit betterallies.com and read the book: Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces
Related Posts
How and Why to Filter the Jargon
The post An Interview with Karen Catlin on Language and Inclusion appeared first on Anne Janzer.
February 26, 2019
Dealing with Writer’s Anxiety
Writers can be anxious people. Our minds generate stories and ideas, looking for sources of conflict and drama. We sometimes have trouble shutting down that narrative engine.
A mind that’s always looking for trouble is going to find it. For writers, this means inevitable writing anxiety.
Anxiety and worry stalks writers of all types, whether you’re crafting a blog post, term paper, or book. It might sound like this when you’re writing:
Why do I keep writing in the passive voice?
Gah, I used an adverb! I’m a terrible writer.
There’s nothing original in this thing.
What if no one likes it (or what if my professor hates it?)
If you’re working on a book, your mind can seize on worries about the publishing marketing, such as:
What if someone steals my idea?
What if I cannot get an agent/publisher?
What if nobody buys the book?
What happens if I get a negative review?
Critical reflection can improve the work when applied in the revision process. But obsessing over other people’s opinions of you or worrying about theft may prevent you from writing in the first place.
Relax.
If you want to write fluidly and creatively, let go of fear. Remember, writing in a state of flow requires an absence of fear.
If you plan to publish anything, from a blog post to a book, you need to put the anxiety behind you and get on with the work.
Ways of Dealing with the Worries
Here are a couple of suggestions in case you experience anxiety that slows you down or stops you in your tracks:
Focus on Serving the Reader
Remember that you’re providing value to your ideal reader. The act of writing isn’t about you at all. It’s about creating work that will benefit the reader.
When you’re serving others, it’s easier to keep going in the face of uncertainty.
Have Faith in the Process
Divide writing into its component parts, then focus on taking the next step when anxiety strikes. Keep your head down and follow the plan.
Worried that the draft is terrible? That’s okay, because when you’re done with the first draft, you’ll revise until it is good enough.
Don’t feel like a writer? That’s okay, because you’re still writing. Let your actions guide your beliefs.
There’s nothing original here? If you’re writing from a place of deep thought, the result will be filtered through your unique perspective. If your audience finds value in it, then you have done your job.
Understanding and following your process keeps you moving through the doubts and lessens the destructive impact of anxiety.
Related Content
Blog post: Writing in the Zone
Video: The Imposter Syndrome
Book: Find more thoughts on process in The Writer’s Process.
The post Dealing with Writer’s Anxiety appeared first on Anne Janzer.
February 12, 2019
Email or Text – Why It Matters
Where do you fall in the email vs. text message divide?If you want to communicate with a work colleague, do you compose an email or send a text? How about a family member?
As a rule, do you prefer to text or to email?
For most of us, the answer is it depends on the situation. But some people take sides. They insist on texting and never seem to read any emails you send. Or they respond to your texts with lengthy emails.
What’s going on here? How do you navigate this divide when you have to work together?
Format has Meaning
The format of a message carries meaning. Unfortunately, that meaning varies from person to person.
For me, texting implies urgency – I feel obligated to respond to text messages quickly (but not when I’m driving.) Because of that association with urgency, I hesitate to burden people by sending them texts. If the content isn’t time-sensitive, I’d rather let you handle it on your own schedule.
However, some people use text messages to isolate conversations from the clutter of the email inbox. These people use text exchanges for important communications.
For others, texting may reflect the strength of your relationship: I’ll email strangers, but I text my family and close friends.
Problems arise when these preferences don’t align. When this happens in the work context, people may silently resent each other.
Resentment doesn’t fuel productive communications.
If you’re befuddled by someone’s text/email patterns, here are a few ideas for bridging the divide.
Clarify (or set) expectations
A coaching client recently asked me if we could use text messages to coordinate our work. I agreed and clarified expectations by saying something like:
I’m fine communicating by text, as long as you realize that I may not respond right away. I need time to compose my thoughts.
If you prefer using text messages over email and you don’t know the recipient well, let the other person know why:
I’d like to do this by text because this project is important to me, and I don’t want it to get lost in my inbox. I don’t expect an immediate response to every text.
And if you really can’t stand texting, find a happy medium that respects everyone’s preferences.
I struggle to type well when texting, so I’ll respond to your texts by email, but I’ll send you a text to alert you to the email.
Read before sending
Typing on a phone can be more onerous than using a full keyboard. We rely on abbreviations, emojis, and auto-complete to do the hard work of typing for us. Clarity may suffer.
Editing is even trickier. If you’re halfway through a long message and spot a mistake, it’s tempting to let it slide.
Most business communications benefit from a moment of consideration.
Read before you hit send.
Yes, it may be a pain when texting to revise what you have written. But it’s better to invest a minute up front than to send a message that generates confusion or a misunderstanding.
Get Past the Technology
Both email and text are poor substitutes for person-to-person conversation.
Although I love to write, conversation is often better, particularly when collaborating on a project.
If you need to exchange information or collaborate, you can accomplish much more in a 15-minute conversation in person than a stream of texts.
Related Posts
A Quick Trick for Writing Better Emails
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January 29, 2019
How and Why to Filter the Jargon
Jargon – it’s the language we love to hate. We complain about encountering legal terms in packaging, or dense abstractions in academic journals. The term jargon brings a negative connotation of being pretentious and incomprehensible.
Yet the much-maligned jargon has its place. It saves us a great deal of time. Industry-specific terms are how we speak with our colleagues to get work done. Acronyms substitute for spelling out terms to people in our groups.
We’ll never rid our writing of industry jargon – nor would we want to.
The world is a complicated place, and language evolves to keep pace. We need ways of talking about abstract technologies like bitcoin, new business models like the Sharing Economy, or the latest regulations affecting our lives, like the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
These terms are valuable because they help us speak about ever-more-complicated abstractions. They convey meaning and save time.
BUT…
Industry terminology also has a social context, which we may not realize when we use this language for mixed audiences.
Using jargon is a way of claiming insider status. And when you’re an insider, someone else becomes an outsider.
Claiming a Spot with the “In” Crowd
Sharing a vocabulary is one way we signal membership in a group.
Groups of teenagers use the same slang when speaking to each other, but not to adults.
Work colleagues use product code names, both to save time and to show that they’re part of a team.
Conference attendees sling industry-specific terms to demonstrate their domain expertise.
But when we communicate with people outside our usual groups, those same words can exert an exclusionary force. If the reader isn’t familiar with the terms they encounter, they assume that they are not part of your audience. At some level, they feel like outsiders.
Is that the message you’re trying to communicate?
Unfortunately, we often forget what it’s like to not know our vocabulary. (That’s the Curse of Knowledge in action.) We don’t realize that these familiar, comfortable terms sound foreign to others.
For jargon, acronyms, and industry-specific terms, the audience is the judge of what works, not you.
Finding and Filtering Words that Shut People Out
Vocabulary filters your readers, so choose your words with care.
If you’re writing for an audience of colleagues who share the same background, or people on your own team, then you can enjoy the “inclusiveness” of using the same language. But if you wish to widen your reach, try filtering the industry-specific terminology and jargon in your writing.
First, find the jargon. This may be harder than you think.
Print something you’ve written, such as email, blog post, or article that you want to reach a broad audience. (Printing it out changes the format, helping you to see it with fresh eyes.)
Pick up a highlighter or pen and mark every acronym, industry-specific phrase, product code name, or other term that is specific to your industry and/or job.
For each of these highlighted terms, ask two questions:
Is it necessary? If there are simpler ways to say the same thing just as easily, consider replacing it. If not, apply the second filter:
Is it familiar to your entire audience? Readers who have only encountered the term once or twice will need to stop and think. Either define it the first time or make the context so clear that everyone can figure it out. Consider using an example to illustrate the meaning.
Bonus: Replacing abstractions with vivid examples or simpler words often makes the writing more interesting, even to those who are familiar with the terminology. Your colleagues may notice and thank you.
Give it a try.
(PS – If your job requires you to write about abstract ideas, check out my latest book, Writing to Be Understood. It has an entire chapter on writing about abstractions.)
Related Posts
Three Reasons It’s Hard to Write for Your Audience
What a Brewer Taught Me about Writing
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January 15, 2019
A Quick Trick for Writing Better Emails
You need something from a colleague, a vendor, a partner, a relative – what do you do? If you’re of a certain age, you write an email.
You do it in hopes that something will happen as a result – the recipient(s) will take action, respond, whatever. Yet often, those emails go unnoticed, lingering unread in overfilled inboxes. How can you get around it?
Emails are a kind of transactional writing. Their value lies not in the beauty of the prose, but in their effectiveness.
Get Outside Your Own Head
Before you send the next transactional email, scan it through for words and phrases talking about yourself.
Chances are you talk about yourself more than is strictly necessary. It’s only natural. We write as we think, and we tend to think about ourselves and our motives. We live inside our own heads.
Your recipient, however, has their own needs and viewpoints. To break through the clutter of words demanding their attention, bring them into the picture.
Look for sentences that include I, me, my, and other self-focused words, and try to flip them to the reader’s perspective.
Let’s see how this looks in action.
Someone recently sent me an email that started like this:
I am emailing you because I have a quick question about …
That’s a fine start, but this might be a better one:
Could you answer my question about …
If you want to notify someone of a change in date, lead with their needs, not yours.
Change this: I want to you know that the project is delayed.
To this: You should know that the project date has slipped.
A meeting request, likewise, should be direct.
Change this: I’ve scheduled a meeting for 1pm Tuesday about …
To this: Please come to a meeting on Tuesday, at 1pm, about…
You get the idea.
There’s still room for being polite. If you’re writing to a stranger, you might introduce yourself first. For an acquaintance or colleague, consider putting the polite inquiries and chat after the meat of the email. (Sometimes, people don’t read beyond the first paragraph, especially when reading on a phone.)
See how many of self-centered sentences you can reframe from the reader’s perspective. This simple change alone will make your emails just that much more effective.
Try it and see if it works for you.
Related posts
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January 1, 2019
Leaving Room for the Unexpected
Rummaging through a box of possessions recently, I found programs for theater productions from high school and college. (I did a lot of theater back in the day.) Most of those performance have dissolved into the haze of distant memory.
Some stand out, though. There was the time the set fell over in the middle of a scene in Wonderful Town and I ad libbed an appropriate comment. (The audience loved it.) Another time, I completely blanked in the middle of a monologue and took a ten-second pause. (Only the director noticed.)
It’s not just me. Theater people love to trade tales of near disaster and unexpected problems.
In theater, as in life, glitches are a chance for glory. Don’t fear them. Be ready to respond at your best.
How This Applies to Writing Projects
Whether you’re writing a book, a dissertation, or a series of blog posts, schedules that look reasonable on paper don’t always hold up in the real world. The longer or more complicated your project, the more chances there are for things to misfire.
Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky coined the term planning fallacy to describe the fact that most of us are pretty rotten at planning large, complicated projects. We are unduly optimistic, because we can envision the steps to a successful outcome, but can’t easily picture the myriad ways that things can go wrong. And go wrong they do.
Does this mean we shouldn’t plan? No indeed. Back up your files. Do your fact checking. Get someone to review your work. Take care of those risks that you can mitigate easily or that might lead to catastrophe.
But you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to anticipate and plan for every possible situation. You’ll have no brain cycles left for writing.
You cannot control every factor in the outside world. Seeking perfection is a fool’s game.
Instead, recognize the limits of your control. Make sure that the glitches aren’t fatal, that the project can survive hiccups and delays and problems, and that you’re ready to handle the unexpected with grace.
We live in a beautifully imperfect, unpredictable world. Plan for that.
Make Room for the Unexpected
To respond with your best self, you need to dial back on the stress. Give yourself time and mental space to handle problems as they arise.
If you’re writing a book, leave room in the schedule for illness, technical problems, and other disturbances.
Allocate time for editing and revision, which usually take longer than you think they should.
If you’re publishing the book yourself, don’t let the ease of online publishing lull you into a sense of complacency. The processes of submitting books and checking proofs can take a few passes. If your schedule is tight, you’ll feel stressed, which makes you more likely to miss something important.
Seth Godin knows a thing or two about publishing. He’s written 18 best-selling books. But he’s not immune to minor disasters, even when working with a respected publisher. The first 250 copies of his latest book, This is Marketing, shipped with upside-down pages.
What did he do?
He blogged about it, of course. He found lessons in the problem and shared them with his readers. And his publisher (Penguin Portfolio) offered to replace the faulty books.
There’s a lesson for all of us in how this played out.
Change The Way You Approach Problems
Instead of dreading imperfections and hoping for flawless execution, stay open to the possibilities. Tell yourself, “I wonder what unexpected issue will crop up on this project.” Approach it with a sense of curiosity rather than dread.
When the project stumbles or the unexpected happens, ask yourself:
Who is harmed by this problem and how can I fix it?
How can I bring my best self to solving this problem, and handle it in a way that aligns with my values?
What can I learn from this and apply to future projects?
When approached with this perspective, inevitable misfires and hiccups become opportunities to learn, to improve your process, and to figure out something for the next time. You’ll lower your stress level.
And, perhaps, you’ll have a good war story to share with other writers.
Related Posts
Writers and the Planning Fallacy
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December 20, 2018
The 1-Page Marketing Plan: A Short Guide to Long-Term Success
Short version
The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib is a concise, actionable compilation of great marketing advice.
Long version
Not everyone can distill complicated subjects into concise, understandable, and actionable information. Allan Dib can, though. He’s done it in this short but valuable work, The 1-Page Marketing Plan.
The marketing industry is filled with wordy people – that’s one reason we get into marketing in the first place! As a result, we’re inundated with books about marketing. I’m guilty of contributing to that clamor myself. You could do nothing but read, analyze, and learn from marketing books. I’d recommend Douglas Burdett’s Marketing Book Podcast, if you’re interested in surveying the best of the lot.
What if you’re not a lifelong student of marketing, but only want to know the essentials for your business?
That’s where this book comes in. It’s an ideal solution for:
The entrepreneur figuring out how to best position and launch a business
The small business owner trying to differentiate and attract the right customers
The solopreneur who doesn’t want to spend too much time on marketing
For those people, and for anyone who is overwhelmed by the mountain of marketing advice, The 1-Page Marketing Plan offers a welcome reprieve.
The structure
The book is designed to help you create the very thing promised in the title: a marketing plan on a single page.
This one-page plan has three main sections, one for each phase of the customer’s journey:
Before (attracting and nurturing prospective customers)
During (the actual conversion of a prospect to a customer)
After (as you continue to serve the customer)
Each phase has three subsections, or sets of questions to answer.
The structure of the book and its chapters mirror the structure of the proposed plan, so you always know where you are in the process.
Aside to nonfiction authors: If you write prescriptive (how-to) nonfiction, note the clarity of this book’s structure. Dib creates uses the one-page plan as his foundation and outline, and the text fills it out. Graphics, headings, and the book’s structure combine to deliver the central promise of the one-page plan. It’s crystal clear and well designed.
The book isn’t about the theory of marketing. No, it’s about the decisions you make as you create your marketing plan, and the subsequent actions you’ll take. Dib guides you through those decisions with clarity and humor. If you’re diligent, you’ll finish the book with a complete marketing plan – and a good one at that.
What I love most about this book
I firmly believe that marketers need to pay as much attention to what happens after the purchase as they do to acquiring and converting leads. (See my book Subscription Marketing for that discussion.)
Dib dedicates one third of the marketing plan to what happens after the sale, with chapters on:
Delivering world-class experience
Increasing customer lifetime value
Orchestrating and stimulating referrals
Like the rest of the book, these chapters are filled with sound advice, rather than lip-service to customer experience. Here’s one piece of advice I particularly like:
Become a voice of value for your tribe.
If you’re looking for a terrific guide to marketing basics, pick up the The 1-Page Marketing Plan and spend the time to work through it. You’ll be glad you did.
Other marketing book reviews
Master Content Strategy by Pamela Wilson
Subscribed by Tien Tzuo with Gabe Weisert
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December 17, 2018
How to Write Through the Holidays
Whether you want to blog more frequently, write poetry, or craft the next great literary novel, you’ve got to keep showing up consistently to write.
Focus on the right routines, habits, and practices and you’ll get the writing done, while getting better at the craft.
But life can get in the way. How can you be disciplined and productive in the holiday season, with gifts to wrap, family gatherings, and holiday travel?
Holidays can disrupt your writing routines.
Recognize that your processes may have to shift for a few weeks. If you’re traveling or entertaining or simply getting through the rush, you may not have the luxury of consistent time to write and reflect.
You have a choice: beat yourself up about the blown schedule, or use the holidays to your long-term advantage.
Yes, the holidays bring unexpected gifts for the prepared mind.
If you approach this period intentionally, you can give yourself fodder to fuel your writing for the year to come.
Here are a couple ways to the holidays can help, rather than hinder, your writing.
Use parties and family gatherings for research
During the holidays, your circle of personal interactions may change. You have a holiday dinner with that uncle who breaks into “I am a Pirate King” at family gatherings. You see acquaintances you only encounter once a year, or people you used to work with long ago, and find out what’s happening in their lives.
Don’t let these golden moments pass unnoticed.
Do you write fiction? Watch the family dynamics. Notice the colorful characters as well as the quiet ones who linger in the corner. Listen for interesting turns of phrases. Perhaps you’ll pick up an idea for a character trait or a bit of dialog. Observe yourself as well; if you’re uncomfortable in a situation, your characters may feel something similar.
Do you write nonfiction? Use the holidays to test analogies or explanations in conversation and see if they make sense. Assess a listener’s interest in your topic, and look for effective “hooks” to catch people’s attention. Speaking about your topic will make you more comfortable writing about it.
Are you a business writer? Talking with people outside your industry can be incredibly valuable. Find out what people already know or what confuses them about your business. For example, what does your aunt understand, or misunderstand, about cryptocurrency? What does the neighbor’s college-aged son think about marketing? What words do they use to talk about your business?
Find a few moments after the event to make notes on what you’ve heard, before it disappears from your memory. Maintain a file called “holiday notes” and add to it when you get a chance. Don’t worry, at first, about where and how you will use these snippets of insight. Simply writing them down will help you process and retain the thoughts.
Make something special of the quiet time
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is one of my favorite times of year. Many businesses close, traffic dissipates, and the pace of everything slows – if you let it.
Take advantage of the lull to contemplate your writing goals.
If you’re traveling, the change of location might inspire you. Being in transition gives you distance from your life.
For example, I came up with the idea for The Writer’s Process while sitting on a plane, waiting to taxi to the gate at O’Hare airport. Because I had been thinking about my writing objectives, this otherwise empty time bore fruit.
Whether you’re staying home or going into an empty office, enjoy the unusual peace and use the time for planning.
Commit to writing every day in this period, even for only 10-15 minutes, as a way of inviting deep thought and incubating your ideas. Plan for a year ahead that includes space for meaningful work. Writing is a physical manifestation of deep thought, so write.
When you to return to your usual writing routines and schedules in the new year, you may find them enriched by the time you’ve spent away.
Related posts:
Sticking to the Writing Habit on the Road
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