 A road map to better writing
Fran Lebowitz is an acclaimed author and speaker. In the Netflix documentary, Pretend It's a City, by Martin Scorsese, Scorsese talks to Lebowitz about her life. When Scorsese asks, "What's the worst thing you could say about a book?" Lebowitz says, "I forgot I was reading it." Ouch. Let's not let that happen. A lot of people talk about how writing is hard. And it is. But writing is also an orderly business: - Start with an opening that catches your reader's attention. - Watch your timeline ... when, where, and how things happened. - And pay attention to detail. Map it out Think of your writing as a road trip. Start with the action, experience, or lesson you want to tell your reader about, then back up and tell them how it came to be. Write about where you started, why you took that left instead of a right, highlight a few attractions along the way, and talk about the traffic jam that caused a delay. If it starts well, follows a logical thread, and offers insight, they'll be with you to the end. If not, they'll disembark before you turn the next corner. Don't let that happen. If you need help getting started or help editing your work, let's talk.  I don't know about you, but I always thought The Dog Days of Summer were those days when it's so hot, all the dogs are panting. Well, the heat does make them, and most of us, pant. But that's not where the name comes from. Unexpected Insights No, the term comes from ancient forecasters and astrologers who noticed the seasonal alignment of the Sun and Sirius (the Dog Star constellation). They believed the combination generated more heat and called the stretch between July 3 and August 11, The Dog Days of Summer. My curiosity about The Dog Days of Summer started with the August edition of my Riddle Me Mail project. I was searching for a theme and decided to go with what I thought I knew about The Dog Days of Summer.  Connecting the Dots So why do The Dog Days of Summer matter? They're a good example of how often we think we know something, but don't know the whole story. How one thought leads to another, and how unexpected connections can generate new interest in a familiar topic. What About Your Book? What information could you share or clarify? Is there a backstory about your business or story people would find interesting? Are there ways you might simplify your message? Could you present it in a new format or context that would generate new interest? If I can help, let me know. |
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