by: Vera Jane Cook
I found myself sitting in the HR department of one of the most famous companies in America. My ice queen soon to be boss wanted me and I knew it. After all, I had graduated from a pseudo impressive university and I looked really good in my Ann Klein suit. Problem was, I'd never worked a day in Corporate America and I had just turned fifty. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks but the bills were piling up and the only place my freedom loving artistic spirit had gotten me was down and out in New York City.
I was offered the job; mostly because the actress in me conjured up Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl, a dash of Faye Dunaway in Network and I performed a nifty little improv using the shrewd and sassy elegance of Judy Holiday and Melanie Griffith as rather impressive role models. My stunning performance worked and there I was, embraced by my new corporate family and occasionally loaned back out to the rest of society, my pet Pomeranian and my old disco buddies.
After filling the pages of my gratitude journal for at least six months, and thanking the universe for this rather prestigious position, the honeymoon wore off and I became increasingly shell shocked. My co-workers were very strange indeed. I didn't feel that they were family at all, but that's what having a job is called on the Planet Corporate: family. Oh, they like putting us in teams too. Teams connote competition and a great rah, rah spirit. In my old world they called it "opening night." Here they call it "making goal." As you can imagine, I was confused.
I had a hard time understanding these people. They talked about a lot of things that didn't really interest me. When they weren’t obsessing on how low the sales numbers were, they were obsessing on the New York Jets, what to nuke for lunch and whether or not the Bachelor would chose the blonde or the tenacious little redhead. I was beginning to feel quite miserable. Why, the first time I heard I had a direct report I thought I was going to be writing up a presentation on how I was going to direct the Christmas play. The first time I was called a subordinate, I almost wept aloud. Jeez, if I wanted to be subordinate to anyone I would have married my ex.
Then I was told I was getting a performance review. Well, finally something to look forward to. I was happy at last. Surely, my calculated persona as a prisoner in pin stripes was impressive. Why, I learned to click down the hallowed halls of this very famous corporation in three inch heels. I found the perfect skirt length and kept my nails conservatively French tipped. I even talked numbers all day, like they were as important as season tickets to the Met, and I pretended to be in a constant state of urgency so my boss would think I was absolutely killing myself to make my sales goal.
Well, you could have knocked me over in a breath when I discovered that a performance review was actually based on whether or not I was selling anything. Disappointingly, my review was moderate to cold. I felt that I wanted to crawl under a rock and not emerge until I figured out how I could learn to care how much money my company made off the ninety percent of my life it was taking. My self esteem had taken an affront. Here I thought my humanity was more important.
So be it. I licked my wounds and went on like a good soldier. These people were expanding my sales goal wider than a middle age waist line, but still, I persisted. I plodded along, cursing my fate and trying to figure out if I'd enjoy driving a cab for a living.
Finally, some good news from the Planet of the Corporate: We were all going on a retreat. I joyously ran out to buy a yoga mat, karma sutra oil to share with colleagues, hot pink sweatpants and new Addidas. I couldn't want to chant with my corporate family. I was ecstatic.
But then, the bomb fell. I was both surprised and appalled. My corporate family was thrusting me into a hotel room with another adult, asking me to share the spit and spittle of sleep, the intimacy of bodily woes and the loss of privacy on my frequent calls home to the dog walker. That did it. I rebelled. I wore the new Addidas and the hot pink sweats to their all day meetings on how to sell more stuff. I chanted enthusiastically during the power lunch and used some little book on cheese they gave me as a place mat for the very gooey award night dinner.
Wouldn't you know it, I was written up. At first I thought I'd earned some good review on the little monologue I gave to the company president on corporate greed. Not so, I was put on probation and sent home to watch Oprah, the Secret and meditate on changing my life as I sat by the Hudson with my Pomeranian re-reading What Color Is Your Parachute.
After two weeks, I was back on the planet Corporate wondering how I'd get through it. I couldn’t quit, it was already going to take me two years to get out of the debt I'd accumulated relying on an income doing extra film work and occasional voice overs for pharmaceutical drug companies. I needed the damn job. But something had shifted for me during my little reprisal from the bull pen of consumption. Maybe it was Oprah, maybe the law of attraction really works. I sure was intending to alter my present state. And it happened just like that. I put all my efforts into seeing myself as a happy little puppy and lo and behold, I started writing a novel.
Once I began, the words just flowed. I wrote and I wrote till my little fingers twitched. My life was altered forever by that simple action. I now started to wake at five am with a passion I hadn't felt in years. I threw myself at the keyboard for an hour or more. I filled my weekends weaving a story, creating characters that I couldn't get enough of. My joy was abundant.
Wouldn't you know it? The bull pen became tolerable. Even the ice queen melted a bit and the complicated hidden agendas of coworkers became insignificant. My head was filled with plot and character. Who cares who wants my head on a corporate silver platter? What cared I for corporate agendas when my chapters flowed off the page? I thought about nothing else. My sales numbers even increased, as did my tolerance for the ice queens and bully boys on the Planet Corporate. How strange it all was.
Now I have a book, actually several books. You see, I stole back my time. I found a place that I wanted to be. You might say I took back my soul to write. I would advise anyone out there who has found themselves on an alien planet, to follow their passion as well, even if it doesn't get you back on the planet Earth right away, I can assure you that eventually, it will, one way or the other. You see, your freedom will come out of the creation and your joy is in action, not the inaction of just feeling miserable. Writing is a place no one can enter or soil with demands you may never reach and definitions that limit you. So find your book and write it. If you don't, your Corporate family will become the title of your life, and the spirit who longs to fly free will loose touch with the words that might have been, and the key to the door not taken.
Tackle A Trilogy And Triple Your Profits
by: Suzanne Harrison
Are you a writer with big ideas? Are you always imagining epics, sweeping stories, great tales of human struggle and sacrifice, interlaced with personal stories of love, sadness and triumph? If so, you ought to consider turning your book or story idea into a trilogy.
Why a trilogy? Believe it or not, there are deep psychological reasons that we do things in threes. The holy trinity is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the Triple Goddess is Maiden, Mother, Crone, detailing the feminine journey through life. How many times have you heard the phrase "third time lucky", or given someone "three guesses" or "three chances"? And of course in baseball it's "three strikes and you're out!"
You will have no doubt heard of the traditional "three act play". Almost all big Hollywood screenplays are based on this structure and it's certainly a tried and true form of storytelling that captures viewers and keeps them going back to the cinema in droves. And the world of fantasy writing is packed with trilogies: The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (that's two trilogies in fact), and any story by Sara Douglass, Robin Hobb, Trudi Canavan or pretty much any fantasy writer in the world today is told across at least one, if not more, trilogies.
Add to that the success of such popular movie franchises as Star Wars, Pirates Of The Carribean and the Bourne movies, and you will see that a well planned and executed trilogy is a one way ticket to success.
So how do you do it? Do you just take an idea and spin it out over three stories? Or do you just come up with a great character and three great premises and you're home and hosed?
Neither actually!
The success of the trilogy is based on the traditional three act play, where book or movie one is act one, book or movie two is act two, and book or movie three is act three. The only ingredients you need are one great big story running behind three stories compelling enough to carry a movie or book on their own, and you've got the basic ingredients you need to succeed.
So if you are the type of writer who thinks big, if your scope is broad and your plots complex and intertwined, and your characters are people on a life's journey, then trying to squash that all into one book may be too many chocolate chips in the cookie. Giving yourself the room to think, plan and write a larger journey over three books will make each one a better book in its own right, and if you do get it right, you've got a guaranteed audience for books two and three. And publishers love that!
The most important element to grasp as you embark on the trilogy adventure is that you are dealing with a multilayered project. Unlike the acts of a play, the individual stories in a trilogy need to stand up on their own, in addition to playing a part in a larger drama.
So let's take a look at how you can go about turning your dreams of epic tales into the reality of a trilogy.
How To Build Your Trilogy
1. Decide on your over-arcing or larger story.
This is definitely the most important first step by far. Without it you don't have any story, let alone a trilogy.
Some examples of great larger stories are:
a) a leper passes out on the floor of his lounge room and wakes to find himself in a strange land. There, instead of being treated as an outcast, he is considered a savior and the question is asked, will Thomas Covenant accept his destiny and save The Land? The larger story: will Lord Foul prevail or will Covenant save The Land?
b) a farm boy dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. He meets a Jedi Knight and trains in the ancient art. The question is asked, will Luke Skywalker become a Jedi, save the Rebels and bring freedom to the Galaxy, or will he turn to the Dark Side like his father? The larger story: who will prevail, light or dark, good or evil, The Rebels or The Empire?
c) a man is found floating off the coast of Marseilles. He has no idea who he is. As he attempts to find out, will he learn his true identity, or will Jason Bourne wish he'd never asked? The larger story: it is one man against the world, as Jason Bourne challenges the might of the CIA, and who will prevail?
These are just a few examples of the initial questions asked, the initial journeys laid out before the heroes and the ultimate possibilities open to the creator of a great trilogy. Nail your larger story, and backdrop it against anything from war to a love story and you'll have a great basis to work from.
2. Each book in the trilogy is roughly the equivalent to an act in a screenplay.
In the three act play, Act One is "The Set Up" or "Decision To Act", Act Two is "The Confrontation" or "The Action" and Act Three is "The Resolution" or "The Result Of The Action".
When you are planning out your larger story (which you will do first) this breakdown will help you form the basis of each of the books in your trilogy. In Book One, you will cover the elements of the larger story that take that story through the set up phase and onto the threshold of another world, or some different action. Book Two will follow with the result of what was decided in Book One, as the story moves forward through the crisis/ordeal/midpoint and traditionally ends on a dark note. This leaves Book Three open to rescue the heroes from the jaws of defeat as the larger story reaches its climax and all the initial questions are answered. Planning this out in the earliest stages will give you very strong guidelines as to where to go with each individual book's plot, structure and characters.
3. Each book must stand alone as a complete story in itself.
This is where you need to be very aware of the layered aspect of this process. You have a larger story you are telling in the style of the three act play. Now you need to plan, structure and write three stores within that structure that fulfill all the criteria of successful books in their own right. So take "The Set Up" phase and construct a story showing how you would set up your larger story. It's very common here to have a reluctant hero, who hears the call to adventure and refuses. Thomas Covenant is a good example of this. Thus the entire first book can be the process of the hero trying to escape the call. In a different scenario, you may have a willing hero, like Luke Skywalker or Frodo for instance and the first book may be a complete hero's journey in itself, showing how the hero is embracing the quest or task, but still leaves the greater part of the task to be completed.
Possibly the most important thing to remember is to hold information or events back as long as you can. It's tempting when you're writing a trilogy to put too much in up front, but doing that is a mistake. Give your readers some credit for intelligence and imagination, and don't tell them everything up front. Trilogies are a great tool for holding back secrets and springing surprises on your readers to keep them guessing. Good examples of this are Darth Vader revealing he is Luke's father at the end of the second episode in that trilogy, the interesting faux "love story" between Elizabeth and Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Carribean and the scene at the end of the second Bourne film which is repeated right near the climax of the third film. You are in a great position to lead your readers wherever you want them to go so use it!
4. Your characters must have "legs".
There is nothing worse than flat, lifeless characters and there is definitely nothing worse than trying to hold our attention with these flat and lifeless characters for three whole books. Make sure you do your homework on your characters just as you would with any other book you write. Put their flaws and universal needs right there up front for us to see, you still need to grab your reader's attention from page 1. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that because you have three books you have more time and space to develop your story and characters. Wrong! If anything you are under more pressure to hook us straight away, because we're not going to keep reading if we're not interested, as we know that the story doesn't actually finish until the end of the third book.
5. Your "golden thread" must run throughout all the three books.
This is where the intricate weaving of story on story and the skill of balancing the separate elements becomes critical. Your golden thread could be a war, a family saga over generations, a love story or a ring quest, but regardless of what it is, remember that THIS IS THE STORY YOU ARE ULTIMATELY TELLING. Star Wars is ultimately about the battle between the Rebels and the Empire, the Bourne movies are the story of one man against the CIA, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant are about a leper who becomes a savior in a different world, and The Lord Of The Rings is the war of Middle-Earth. While there are countless subplots, character journeys, love stories and red herrings in all these tales, they all still have their own individual "golden threads" and ultimately the telling of the story is to serve this golden thread.
If you are prone to larger ideas, give this system a go. It may be just the breakthrough you need to get yourself on the publisher's lists.
Are you a writer with big ideas? Are you always imagining epics, sweeping stories, great tales of human struggle and sacrifice, interlaced with personal stories of love, sadness and triumph? If so, you ought to consider turning your book or story idea into a trilogy.
Why a trilogy? Believe it or not, there are deep psychological reasons that we do things in threes. The holy trinity is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the Triple Goddess is Maiden, Mother, Crone, detailing the feminine journey through life. How many times have you heard the phrase "third time lucky", or given someone "three guesses" or "three chances"? And of course in baseball it's "three strikes and you're out!"
You will have no doubt heard of the traditional "three act play". Almost all big Hollywood screenplays are based on this structure and it's certainly a tried and true form of storytelling that captures viewers and keeps them going back to the cinema in droves. And the world of fantasy writing is packed with trilogies: The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (that's two trilogies in fact), and any story by Sara Douglass, Robin Hobb, Trudi Canavan or pretty much any fantasy writer in the world today is told across at least one, if not more, trilogies.
Add to that the success of such popular movie franchises as Star Wars, Pirates Of The Carribean and the Bourne movies, and you will see that a well planned and executed trilogy is a one way ticket to success.
So how do you do it? Do you just take an idea and spin it out over three stories? Or do you just come up with a great character and three great premises and you're home and hosed?
Neither actually!
The success of the trilogy is based on the traditional three act play, where book or movie one is act one, book or movie two is act two, and book or movie three is act three. The only ingredients you need are one great big story running behind three stories compelling enough to carry a movie or book on their own, and you've got the basic ingredients you need to succeed.
So if you are the type of writer who thinks big, if your scope is broad and your plots complex and intertwined, and your characters are people on a life's journey, then trying to squash that all into one book may be too many chocolate chips in the cookie. Giving yourself the room to think, plan and write a larger journey over three books will make each one a better book in its own right, and if you do get it right, you've got a guaranteed audience for books two and three. And publishers love that!
The most important element to grasp as you embark on the trilogy adventure is that you are dealing with a multilayered project. Unlike the acts of a play, the individual stories in a trilogy need to stand up on their own, in addition to playing a part in a larger drama.
So let's take a look at how you can go about turning your dreams of epic tales into the reality of a trilogy.
How To Build Your Trilogy
1. Decide on your over-arcing or larger story.
This is definitely the most important first step by far. Without it you don't have any story, let alone a trilogy.
Some examples of great larger stories are:
a) a leper passes out on the floor of his lounge room and wakes to find himself in a strange land. There, instead of being treated as an outcast, he is considered a savior and the question is asked, will Thomas Covenant accept his destiny and save The Land? The larger story: will Lord Foul prevail or will Covenant save The Land?
b) a farm boy dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. He meets a Jedi Knight and trains in the ancient art. The question is asked, will Luke Skywalker become a Jedi, save the Rebels and bring freedom to the Galaxy, or will he turn to the Dark Side like his father? The larger story: who will prevail, light or dark, good or evil, The Rebels or The Empire?
c) a man is found floating off the coast of Marseilles. He has no idea who he is. As he attempts to find out, will he learn his true identity, or will Jason Bourne wish he'd never asked? The larger story: it is one man against the world, as Jason Bourne challenges the might of the CIA, and who will prevail?
These are just a few examples of the initial questions asked, the initial journeys laid out before the heroes and the ultimate possibilities open to the creator of a great trilogy. Nail your larger story, and backdrop it against anything from war to a love story and you'll have a great basis to work from.
2. Each book in the trilogy is roughly the equivalent to an act in a screenplay.
In the three act play, Act One is "The Set Up" or "Decision To Act", Act Two is "The Confrontation" or "The Action" and Act Three is "The Resolution" or "The Result Of The Action".
When you are planning out your larger story (which you will do first) this breakdown will help you form the basis of each of the books in your trilogy. In Book One, you will cover the elements of the larger story that take that story through the set up phase and onto the threshold of another world, or some different action. Book Two will follow with the result of what was decided in Book One, as the story moves forward through the crisis/ordeal/midpoint and traditionally ends on a dark note. This leaves Book Three open to rescue the heroes from the jaws of defeat as the larger story reaches its climax and all the initial questions are answered. Planning this out in the earliest stages will give you very strong guidelines as to where to go with each individual book's plot, structure and characters.
3. Each book must stand alone as a complete story in itself.
This is where you need to be very aware of the layered aspect of this process. You have a larger story you are telling in the style of the three act play. Now you need to plan, structure and write three stores within that structure that fulfill all the criteria of successful books in their own right. So take "The Set Up" phase and construct a story showing how you would set up your larger story. It's very common here to have a reluctant hero, who hears the call to adventure and refuses. Thomas Covenant is a good example of this. Thus the entire first book can be the process of the hero trying to escape the call. In a different scenario, you may have a willing hero, like Luke Skywalker or Frodo for instance and the first book may be a complete hero's journey in itself, showing how the hero is embracing the quest or task, but still leaves the greater part of the task to be completed.
Possibly the most important thing to remember is to hold information or events back as long as you can. It's tempting when you're writing a trilogy to put too much in up front, but doing that is a mistake. Give your readers some credit for intelligence and imagination, and don't tell them everything up front. Trilogies are a great tool for holding back secrets and springing surprises on your readers to keep them guessing. Good examples of this are Darth Vader revealing he is Luke's father at the end of the second episode in that trilogy, the interesting faux "love story" between Elizabeth and Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Carribean and the scene at the end of the second Bourne film which is repeated right near the climax of the third film. You are in a great position to lead your readers wherever you want them to go so use it!
4. Your characters must have "legs".
There is nothing worse than flat, lifeless characters and there is definitely nothing worse than trying to hold our attention with these flat and lifeless characters for three whole books. Make sure you do your homework on your characters just as you would with any other book you write. Put their flaws and universal needs right there up front for us to see, you still need to grab your reader's attention from page 1. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that because you have three books you have more time and space to develop your story and characters. Wrong! If anything you are under more pressure to hook us straight away, because we're not going to keep reading if we're not interested, as we know that the story doesn't actually finish until the end of the third book.
5. Your "golden thread" must run throughout all the three books.
This is where the intricate weaving of story on story and the skill of balancing the separate elements becomes critical. Your golden thread could be a war, a family saga over generations, a love story or a ring quest, but regardless of what it is, remember that THIS IS THE STORY YOU ARE ULTIMATELY TELLING. Star Wars is ultimately about the battle between the Rebels and the Empire, the Bourne movies are the story of one man against the CIA, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant are about a leper who becomes a savior in a different world, and The Lord Of The Rings is the war of Middle-Earth. While there are countless subplots, character journeys, love stories and red herrings in all these tales, they all still have their own individual "golden threads" and ultimately the telling of the story is to serve this golden thread.
If you are prone to larger ideas, give this system a go. It may be just the breakthrough you need to get yourself on the publisher's lists.
The Long And The Short Of The Short Story
by: Suzanne Harrison
Congratulations! You’ve spotted a great short story competition and decided to enter. You’ve had a go at a few short stories in the past and you’ve been wanting to tackle a novel for ages, but the idea was way too daunting so you’ve just shoved that to the bottom of your life’s “To Do” list. A short story is a much better idea, isn’t it? It’s just like writing a novel only shorter. Right?
Not exactly!
It’s been said that it’s not that a short story is long, it’s that it takes a long time to make it short. The idea that a short story is just a mini novel is an idea that will mean certain death to the success of your short story, before you’ve even written the first sentence.
There is an art, and a process to writing a short story, just like there’s an art and a process to writing a novel, a non-fiction book or an essay. Success is a matter of knowing the basic principles, and then applying these to write the best short story you’re capable of.
The question is, do you have the stamina to make your story short?
That question is easily answered by walking step by step through the writing process.
1. Planning
No matter what you are writing, you need to have a plan. Would you attempt to build a house without plans? Or would you set sail on the high seas without a map and compass? Writing stories is exactly the same. Set out without a plan and you will undoubtedly become lost in a forest of your own words.
Some simple questions to ask yourself at this early stage include:
* Who is your main character and what is their predicament?
* What do they want? How can they get out of their predicament?
* Who or what is stopping them getting what they want?
* How can you apply pressure to your character to force them into making tough choices in pursuit of their goal?
* What will your character learn over the course of the story?
Beginning by answering these few questions will help you know who your character is, what they want, and how they are going to go about getting it.
2. Writing
Once you have a plan for your story you are ready to write it. When you are writing, you are just writing. You are not editing and you are not planning, You are writing. This specifically means that you don’t stop to wonder if “this way sounds better than that way”. When you are writing you are capturing the essence of the action in your story. You are writing a draft, not a finished product. At this stage don’t even think about your word limit. Just write the entire story as you have planned it. We’ll take care of the word limit in the editing and rewriting stages.
The writing stage is similar to mining a diamond. When a diamond is mined it is a chunk of rock, with a few glittering pieces to show it is actually a diamond. You don’t mine a beautifully cut and polished diamond from the side of a mountain, do you? No, you have an amazing piece of raw material, which you then take to a jeweler who will cut and polish it to show its beauty to its greatest advantage. In the writing process, the jeweler is the editor.
3. Rewriting
Once you have completed the first draft, the very best thing you can do is walk away. It can be difficult to get any distance from your own work, but it is virtually impossible if you try to plan, write, rewrite and edit your story in one sitting. If possible don’t look at it again for at least another day. This allows your story time to rest and “breathe”, and when you return to it you will see it in a fresh light.
When you are ready, re-read it straight through once without stopping, and without making any changes or marks in the margins. Once you’ve finished the first read, ask yourself one question: did I write the story that I set out to write? If the answer is no, don’t panic. It’s amazing how the real story you are meant to write comes out in the writing. At this stage your main focus is to ensure that the intention of the story equals the result. In other words, the story has to make sense, and must flow from beginning to end, with all questions raised at the beginning being answered by the end. It is quite common to do comprehensive rewrites of the first few scenes, as the story you really wanted to write didn’t surface until after you’d really got cracking. That’s ok. Just go back and rewrite any scenes you need to, to make the story flow from beginning to end.
Some other important questions to ask at this stage are:
* Are there any great leaps in time or place? It is generally best to keep these leaps to a minimum in a short story.
* How many characters do you have? It’s never a great idea to have more than three major characters at the most, and I’ve read great short stories where there is only one. Save the huge cast for your novel.
* Does the story continually move forward? It’s very easy to have two or maybe even three scenes showing the same thing about your character. A scene is a unit of change – if a scene doesn’t move the story forward, it needs to be cut or rewritten.
So rewriting is re-seeing and re-sculpting. The main purpose of this stage of the process is to make sure the story makes sense. There is a logic to story, and if there are any great leaps in time or place, you may need to add some small linking phrases. Once you are happy that the story flows in sequence you are ready to move to the final phase: editing.
4. Editing
You now need to step entirely out of your creative right brain and into your logical and analytical left brain, to refine and polish your story.
Firstly, look at your word count. Are you way over, way under, or pretty close to the mark? Never submit a story that is over the word limit. Respect the requirements of the competition and keep within the word limit.
Now read your story again, this time with your red marker in hand and a critical eye on the page. Some questions you need to ask at this stage are:
* When does the action begin? This is where your story begins. It’s tempting to “set the scene” and “show character” but the reality is, you don’t need to. The story always begins where the action begins. If there is anything that needs to be explained you haven’t written your action properly.
* Is all the action on the “spine” of the story? Edit out any superfluous material. Again, save it for your novel.
* Show don’t tell. This means, don’t tell us about someone, show us their character by putting them into difficult situations and let us discern their character by the choices they make.
* Edit out all explanation. As a general rule, ask yourself, “is it an image?” If it’s not it’s probably explanation and needs to be cut.
* Is there a “solution” to the story? Does the story deliver what it promised?
* Now is the time to ask, “is this the best way to say this?” If not, write it again, and say it better.
You may find yourself rewriting, editing, rewriting, editing over and over. This is completely normal! Most good short story authors do at least 15 drafts of their short stories before they are happy with the result.
So, you’ve made it through the process and you’re ready to send your story off to the competition. Make sure you double space it, that the font size is big enough to read easily and that you’ve put enough postage on the envelope!
And good luck!
Congratulations! You’ve spotted a great short story competition and decided to enter. You’ve had a go at a few short stories in the past and you’ve been wanting to tackle a novel for ages, but the idea was way too daunting so you’ve just shoved that to the bottom of your life’s “To Do” list. A short story is a much better idea, isn’t it? It’s just like writing a novel only shorter. Right?
Not exactly!
It’s been said that it’s not that a short story is long, it’s that it takes a long time to make it short. The idea that a short story is just a mini novel is an idea that will mean certain death to the success of your short story, before you’ve even written the first sentence.
There is an art, and a process to writing a short story, just like there’s an art and a process to writing a novel, a non-fiction book or an essay. Success is a matter of knowing the basic principles, and then applying these to write the best short story you’re capable of.
The question is, do you have the stamina to make your story short?
That question is easily answered by walking step by step through the writing process.
1. Planning
No matter what you are writing, you need to have a plan. Would you attempt to build a house without plans? Or would you set sail on the high seas without a map and compass? Writing stories is exactly the same. Set out without a plan and you will undoubtedly become lost in a forest of your own words.
Some simple questions to ask yourself at this early stage include:
* Who is your main character and what is their predicament?
* What do they want? How can they get out of their predicament?
* Who or what is stopping them getting what they want?
* How can you apply pressure to your character to force them into making tough choices in pursuit of their goal?
* What will your character learn over the course of the story?
Beginning by answering these few questions will help you know who your character is, what they want, and how they are going to go about getting it.
2. Writing
Once you have a plan for your story you are ready to write it. When you are writing, you are just writing. You are not editing and you are not planning, You are writing. This specifically means that you don’t stop to wonder if “this way sounds better than that way”. When you are writing you are capturing the essence of the action in your story. You are writing a draft, not a finished product. At this stage don’t even think about your word limit. Just write the entire story as you have planned it. We’ll take care of the word limit in the editing and rewriting stages.
The writing stage is similar to mining a diamond. When a diamond is mined it is a chunk of rock, with a few glittering pieces to show it is actually a diamond. You don’t mine a beautifully cut and polished diamond from the side of a mountain, do you? No, you have an amazing piece of raw material, which you then take to a jeweler who will cut and polish it to show its beauty to its greatest advantage. In the writing process, the jeweler is the editor.
3. Rewriting
Once you have completed the first draft, the very best thing you can do is walk away. It can be difficult to get any distance from your own work, but it is virtually impossible if you try to plan, write, rewrite and edit your story in one sitting. If possible don’t look at it again for at least another day. This allows your story time to rest and “breathe”, and when you return to it you will see it in a fresh light.
When you are ready, re-read it straight through once without stopping, and without making any changes or marks in the margins. Once you’ve finished the first read, ask yourself one question: did I write the story that I set out to write? If the answer is no, don’t panic. It’s amazing how the real story you are meant to write comes out in the writing. At this stage your main focus is to ensure that the intention of the story equals the result. In other words, the story has to make sense, and must flow from beginning to end, with all questions raised at the beginning being answered by the end. It is quite common to do comprehensive rewrites of the first few scenes, as the story you really wanted to write didn’t surface until after you’d really got cracking. That’s ok. Just go back and rewrite any scenes you need to, to make the story flow from beginning to end.
Some other important questions to ask at this stage are:
* Are there any great leaps in time or place? It is generally best to keep these leaps to a minimum in a short story.
* How many characters do you have? It’s never a great idea to have more than three major characters at the most, and I’ve read great short stories where there is only one. Save the huge cast for your novel.
* Does the story continually move forward? It’s very easy to have two or maybe even three scenes showing the same thing about your character. A scene is a unit of change – if a scene doesn’t move the story forward, it needs to be cut or rewritten.
So rewriting is re-seeing and re-sculpting. The main purpose of this stage of the process is to make sure the story makes sense. There is a logic to story, and if there are any great leaps in time or place, you may need to add some small linking phrases. Once you are happy that the story flows in sequence you are ready to move to the final phase: editing.
4. Editing
You now need to step entirely out of your creative right brain and into your logical and analytical left brain, to refine and polish your story.
Firstly, look at your word count. Are you way over, way under, or pretty close to the mark? Never submit a story that is over the word limit. Respect the requirements of the competition and keep within the word limit.
Now read your story again, this time with your red marker in hand and a critical eye on the page. Some questions you need to ask at this stage are:
* When does the action begin? This is where your story begins. It’s tempting to “set the scene” and “show character” but the reality is, you don’t need to. The story always begins where the action begins. If there is anything that needs to be explained you haven’t written your action properly.
* Is all the action on the “spine” of the story? Edit out any superfluous material. Again, save it for your novel.
* Show don’t tell. This means, don’t tell us about someone, show us their character by putting them into difficult situations and let us discern their character by the choices they make.
* Edit out all explanation. As a general rule, ask yourself, “is it an image?” If it’s not it’s probably explanation and needs to be cut.
* Is there a “solution” to the story? Does the story deliver what it promised?
* Now is the time to ask, “is this the best way to say this?” If not, write it again, and say it better.
You may find yourself rewriting, editing, rewriting, editing over and over. This is completely normal! Most good short story authors do at least 15 drafts of their short stories before they are happy with the result.
So, you’ve made it through the process and you’re ready to send your story off to the competition. Make sure you double space it, that the font size is big enough to read easily and that you’ve put enough postage on the envelope!
And good luck!
Imagine If Yoda Were Your Writing Coach...
by: Suzanne Harrison
Writers live a solitary life. That’s a fact. You spend hours planning, writing, rewriting and editing your masterpieces, only to have them rejected by every agent or publisher you have the courage to show them to.
So wouldn’t it be fabulous to have an on-call writing mentor, a wise and experienced coach to guide you through your writer’s journey?
Well, you have! Here, captured in the timeless wisdom of one of the greatest mentors in storytelling history, the great Jedi Master, Yoda, are 10 simple tips guaranteed to transform you into a Jedi Knight of the Write!
“You must unlearn what you have learned.”
When commencing anything new, you need to arrive at the front door with an open mind and your judgment suspended. Most importantly, leave any old training and ingrained ideas about the topic you are learning, well and truly outside that door. Writing is absolutely no exception to this rule. I have found it much easier to teach complete novices, and those with open minds, than trained journalists or graduates of writing courses, especially when it comes to the basics of freeing the imagination for fiction. For those of you who think you need to write it perfectly the first time – unlearn that! For those of you who think you write with the logical, left side of your brain – unlearn that! For those of you who think that only a gifted few can write well – unlearn that! And for those of you who think you can only write when touched by the muses – unlearn that! If you can think and speak, then you can write. Period. No other prerequisites required.
“(What’s in there?) Only what you take with you.”
The world of fiction is the world of your experiences mixed with your imagination. As you venture into this world to retrieve the images, feelings, impressions and ideas in the way that is truly unique to you, you do indeed learn that the only things you can encounter there are the things that you take in with you. No one else on the planet, or in history for that matter, is where you are now, has been through what you’ve been through or has your own unique view of the world. Honour these views and experiences. Allow them to flow freely through your pen or fingers. It is only when you write truly that others will relate to your words. Readers can spot a fake a mile away.
“Try not, do or do not, there is no try.”
This may come as a surprise but you must never try to write well, or you will never write well. Don’t try, just do. In other words, capture first thoughts, keep the pen moving, let yourself write complete garbage. Just do it. Just write. It is only by sitting down every day and writing that one becomes a writer.
“A Jedi’s strength flows from the Force.”
Substitute the “Force” with the “Unconscious” or the “Imagination”, and you’ll have a better idea of what this Yoda-ism means. As a writer, your strength flows from your own unconscious, as this is where all your collective experiences, impressions and memories are buried, just waiting to be exhumed as challenges for your characters. The ability to exercise these creative muscles, keeping them strong and toned, is the fuel that will power your stories.
“There is no why.”
One of the greatest leaps you can make in your writing, and indeed in your life, is the ability to stop asking why! Do not seek the reason for anything you write. Do not seek the reason behind the images you see, the voices you hear, the impressions you get, the dialogue you write. It just is. And it is, because it’s you, and only you, who can write that at this time. As soon as you stop to ask why, you drop into an analytical frame of mind, and genius is lost. Creativity is stifled. Imagination cannot function. Let the critics ask why. That’s their job. Your only answer to the question of why? need be “because it was there.”
“You must complete the training.”
When it comes to writing, or any other art form, talent or genius actually count for very little. Writing is a craft, and like any other craft, the writer needs to work at it constantly, honing his skills and refining his technique. Study your craft, learn from many teachers, add to your skill set, it will make you a much better writer. And it was Michael Jordan who said, “the harder I trained, the luckier I became”. Keep studying. Always be in training. As a writer you are like an athlete. Footballer players don’t hang out at home all week, or spend their days surfing or playing golf. They train, they practice, they work out at the gym, and it is this that gives them the strength, skill and finesse to win games on the field. You are no different.
“Only different in your mind.”
Life is lived in the human mind. The advances in quantum physics have proven that the universe arose from thought, and that we can influence anything in our lives simply by the thought we put to it. The same goes for your writing. If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. If you think you can sell more books that JK Rowling, then you’ve got a much greater chance than someone who thinks they can’t. Anything is achievable for you as a writer, as long as you put the thought to it that you can and will succeed.
“Control. You must learn control.”
One of the most frustrating elements of being a writer is finding the time to write. If you hold down a full time job, run a business, or have a family to care for and an active social life, it can be tempting to say “I’ll write that novel next year/when the kids are grown/when I retire” etc. This is where self control is imperative to the success of your creative endeavours. You only need to write one scene a day, which can take as little as 20 minutes, and in a year you will have 365 scenes, which will be the best part of the first draft of a novel. Don’t wait. Learn to control your inner voice that says, “You can’t do it”, or “Don’t be so selfish”, or “The bathroom is dirty, go clean it”. Sit down and write every day. It’s the greatest gift you can give yourself.
“Nothing more will I teach you today.”
Take your writing lessons, and your writing sessions, in bite-sized pieces. When you are learning new writing techniques, take the lessons at a pace that keeps you stimulated, but not overwhelmed. Taking on too many new ideas or concepts at once can tend to muddy the creative and productive waters. It is best to learn a new technique, then practice it and integrate it before moving onto the next one.
“Pass on what you have learned.”
As you travel the writing path, take the time to teach others that which you have learned. Even if it’s only a simple word of encouragement or a tip that helped you when you were just starting out, keeping the flow of information alive is the greatest gift you can give to others. Pass on what you have learned.
So, as you can see, anytime you need him, Yoda will be there to help you through. And remember, the only failure is stopping, so keep on writing!
Writers live a solitary life. That’s a fact. You spend hours planning, writing, rewriting and editing your masterpieces, only to have them rejected by every agent or publisher you have the courage to show them to.
So wouldn’t it be fabulous to have an on-call writing mentor, a wise and experienced coach to guide you through your writer’s journey?
Well, you have! Here, captured in the timeless wisdom of one of the greatest mentors in storytelling history, the great Jedi Master, Yoda, are 10 simple tips guaranteed to transform you into a Jedi Knight of the Write!
“You must unlearn what you have learned.”
When commencing anything new, you need to arrive at the front door with an open mind and your judgment suspended. Most importantly, leave any old training and ingrained ideas about the topic you are learning, well and truly outside that door. Writing is absolutely no exception to this rule. I have found it much easier to teach complete novices, and those with open minds, than trained journalists or graduates of writing courses, especially when it comes to the basics of freeing the imagination for fiction. For those of you who think you need to write it perfectly the first time – unlearn that! For those of you who think you write with the logical, left side of your brain – unlearn that! For those of you who think that only a gifted few can write well – unlearn that! And for those of you who think you can only write when touched by the muses – unlearn that! If you can think and speak, then you can write. Period. No other prerequisites required.
“(What’s in there?) Only what you take with you.”
The world of fiction is the world of your experiences mixed with your imagination. As you venture into this world to retrieve the images, feelings, impressions and ideas in the way that is truly unique to you, you do indeed learn that the only things you can encounter there are the things that you take in with you. No one else on the planet, or in history for that matter, is where you are now, has been through what you’ve been through or has your own unique view of the world. Honour these views and experiences. Allow them to flow freely through your pen or fingers. It is only when you write truly that others will relate to your words. Readers can spot a fake a mile away.
“Try not, do or do not, there is no try.”
This may come as a surprise but you must never try to write well, or you will never write well. Don’t try, just do. In other words, capture first thoughts, keep the pen moving, let yourself write complete garbage. Just do it. Just write. It is only by sitting down every day and writing that one becomes a writer.
“A Jedi’s strength flows from the Force.”
Substitute the “Force” with the “Unconscious” or the “Imagination”, and you’ll have a better idea of what this Yoda-ism means. As a writer, your strength flows from your own unconscious, as this is where all your collective experiences, impressions and memories are buried, just waiting to be exhumed as challenges for your characters. The ability to exercise these creative muscles, keeping them strong and toned, is the fuel that will power your stories.
“There is no why.”
One of the greatest leaps you can make in your writing, and indeed in your life, is the ability to stop asking why! Do not seek the reason for anything you write. Do not seek the reason behind the images you see, the voices you hear, the impressions you get, the dialogue you write. It just is. And it is, because it’s you, and only you, who can write that at this time. As soon as you stop to ask why, you drop into an analytical frame of mind, and genius is lost. Creativity is stifled. Imagination cannot function. Let the critics ask why. That’s their job. Your only answer to the question of why? need be “because it was there.”
“You must complete the training.”
When it comes to writing, or any other art form, talent or genius actually count for very little. Writing is a craft, and like any other craft, the writer needs to work at it constantly, honing his skills and refining his technique. Study your craft, learn from many teachers, add to your skill set, it will make you a much better writer. And it was Michael Jordan who said, “the harder I trained, the luckier I became”. Keep studying. Always be in training. As a writer you are like an athlete. Footballer players don’t hang out at home all week, or spend their days surfing or playing golf. They train, they practice, they work out at the gym, and it is this that gives them the strength, skill and finesse to win games on the field. You are no different.
“Only different in your mind.”
Life is lived in the human mind. The advances in quantum physics have proven that the universe arose from thought, and that we can influence anything in our lives simply by the thought we put to it. The same goes for your writing. If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. If you think you can sell more books that JK Rowling, then you’ve got a much greater chance than someone who thinks they can’t. Anything is achievable for you as a writer, as long as you put the thought to it that you can and will succeed.
“Control. You must learn control.”
One of the most frustrating elements of being a writer is finding the time to write. If you hold down a full time job, run a business, or have a family to care for and an active social life, it can be tempting to say “I’ll write that novel next year/when the kids are grown/when I retire” etc. This is where self control is imperative to the success of your creative endeavours. You only need to write one scene a day, which can take as little as 20 minutes, and in a year you will have 365 scenes, which will be the best part of the first draft of a novel. Don’t wait. Learn to control your inner voice that says, “You can’t do it”, or “Don’t be so selfish”, or “The bathroom is dirty, go clean it”. Sit down and write every day. It’s the greatest gift you can give yourself.
“Nothing more will I teach you today.”
Take your writing lessons, and your writing sessions, in bite-sized pieces. When you are learning new writing techniques, take the lessons at a pace that keeps you stimulated, but not overwhelmed. Taking on too many new ideas or concepts at once can tend to muddy the creative and productive waters. It is best to learn a new technique, then practice it and integrate it before moving onto the next one.
“Pass on what you have learned.”
As you travel the writing path, take the time to teach others that which you have learned. Even if it’s only a simple word of encouragement or a tip that helped you when you were just starting out, keeping the flow of information alive is the greatest gift you can give to others. Pass on what you have learned.
So, as you can see, anytime you need him, Yoda will be there to help you through. And remember, the only failure is stopping, so keep on writing!
Business Writing Tips For Professionals
by: Sharif Khan
Effective business writing skills can help you win that million dollar contract, earn a promotion, resolve a dispute, or generate a significant increase in new business leads. Poor business writing, on the other hand, can never be undone; it can cause you to lose business to your competition and even cost you your job. Here are 11 easy ways you can improve your business writing skills:
1. Before you write a word of copy, make sure you know who your target audience is and what specific result you’d like to achieve. If it’s an important business communication, take five minutes to visualize yourself in the shoes of the recipient and imagine what this person’s world is like.
What does their typical day look like? What are their unique needs, goals, and challenges? What problem is keeping them up at night? The more thought and research you invest in understanding your target audience and how you can help them, the more powerful and effective your business writing communications will become.
2. Avoid using your company acronyms and buzzwords. While they might seem cute and clever to you, it’s very annoying to a busy executive who has a pile of documents and proposals to read. Avoid using academic language like ‘ergo,’ ‘henceforth,’ or ‘so to speak,’ and as a general rule of thumb avoid use of technical jargon. Simplify big words: write use instead of utilize, send out instead of disseminate, fair instead of equitable, etc.
3. Use a strong, active voice instead of the impersonal, passive voice. “The meeting agenda could be discussed further” is passive. “Let’s discuss the meeting agenda” is active. Express confidence and decisiveness in your business communications. Instead of writing, “I intend to write a report on sales performance measures,” which comes across as weak and indecisive, write: “I’m currently writing a report on sales performance measures for completion on or before end of the second quarter.”
4. Write in a conversational tone instead of alienating your readers by being too formal and bureaucratic – unless you’re writing to a bureaucrat or someone who prefers formality. Know your audience!
Even if you are writing a marketing communications piece that will be read by several thousand potential readers, make your writing as inviting and personal as possible. You can accomplish this feat by writing to one specific person who you can visualize as an ideal customer. Pretend you are sitting down with this person in a bar and having a casual conversation. Write your piece with this one person in mind and you will positively engage thousands of readers who will feel that you are writing directly to them!
5. Replace hyperbole with solid facts and reputable testimonials. Phrases like, “We’re #1,” “We’re the leader in our field,” or “We provide the best service,” aren’t going to get you anywhere. Instead, use a fact such as stating that the President of a leading association ranked your company with the highest quality score out of 500 certified companies.
6. Convert product features into benefits. Mentioning that you provide automated billing or an automatic domain name renewal service does not engage your customer emotionally. Here’s an example of benefit oriented copy: “Our automatic domain name renewal service will provide you with the added security and comfort of knowing that your domain names will never be hijacked by your competitors while freeing up your administrative time to focus on growing your business.”
7. Don’t rely on editing all your important business documents from your computer desktop. Print out your document and read it out loud. If you encounter any awkwardness in speech it means you need to re-write your piece to make it more conversational and flow better.
By reading your document out loud, you will also be able to spot typos and errors that your computer spelling and grammar check program might not have detected. As an example, you might have written ‘echo friendly’ when you really meant ‘eco friendly.’
8. In writing a business letter or business proposal, it is vitally important to write from your customer’s perspective and what will interest them. Start off by writing about how great your customer’s company is and what specific attributes you like about the company instead of bragging about how great your company is. Too much use of “I,” “me,” or “our company” is a sure sign of ego getting in the way of business. Make sure to generously use “You” and “Your” in your business copy if you want to make more sales.
9. Business writing is very different from writing poetry or literature. Don’t meander or get carried away with flowery language. Write the most important point you want to make in the first sentence. If you are writing a sales letter, you can significantly increase sales by simply including a powerful P.S. at the end of the letter that summarizes the main point in a fresh way, creates a sense of urgency, or adds further credibility. Here’s a powerful example: “P.S. I’ve been invited to speak at your association’s annual conference this coming Friday and hope to see you there.”
10. Be clear, concise, and to the point. Don’t assume readers will know what to do. Guide them by including a specific call to action: “click on the link to get your special report” or “call me to set up a no-cost 15 minute consultation.”
11. Use word pictures to get your point across. Can you imagine the thrill and excitement of driving a rocket-fast, cobalt blue Porsche 911 Turbo as it whisks you to your desired destination? A well-written article or report can be like that Porsche and generate a ton of new business in half the time with more fun! After all, what’s more exciting, cold-calling prospects or having them call you? (If writing is a challenge, consider hiring a professional).
Effective business writing skills can help you win that million dollar contract, earn a promotion, resolve a dispute, or generate a significant increase in new business leads. Poor business writing, on the other hand, can never be undone; it can cause you to lose business to your competition and even cost you your job. Here are 11 easy ways you can improve your business writing skills:
1. Before you write a word of copy, make sure you know who your target audience is and what specific result you’d like to achieve. If it’s an important business communication, take five minutes to visualize yourself in the shoes of the recipient and imagine what this person’s world is like.
What does their typical day look like? What are their unique needs, goals, and challenges? What problem is keeping them up at night? The more thought and research you invest in understanding your target audience and how you can help them, the more powerful and effective your business writing communications will become.
2. Avoid using your company acronyms and buzzwords. While they might seem cute and clever to you, it’s very annoying to a busy executive who has a pile of documents and proposals to read. Avoid using academic language like ‘ergo,’ ‘henceforth,’ or ‘so to speak,’ and as a general rule of thumb avoid use of technical jargon. Simplify big words: write use instead of utilize, send out instead of disseminate, fair instead of equitable, etc.
3. Use a strong, active voice instead of the impersonal, passive voice. “The meeting agenda could be discussed further” is passive. “Let’s discuss the meeting agenda” is active. Express confidence and decisiveness in your business communications. Instead of writing, “I intend to write a report on sales performance measures,” which comes across as weak and indecisive, write: “I’m currently writing a report on sales performance measures for completion on or before end of the second quarter.”
4. Write in a conversational tone instead of alienating your readers by being too formal and bureaucratic – unless you’re writing to a bureaucrat or someone who prefers formality. Know your audience!
Even if you are writing a marketing communications piece that will be read by several thousand potential readers, make your writing as inviting and personal as possible. You can accomplish this feat by writing to one specific person who you can visualize as an ideal customer. Pretend you are sitting down with this person in a bar and having a casual conversation. Write your piece with this one person in mind and you will positively engage thousands of readers who will feel that you are writing directly to them!
5. Replace hyperbole with solid facts and reputable testimonials. Phrases like, “We’re #1,” “We’re the leader in our field,” or “We provide the best service,” aren’t going to get you anywhere. Instead, use a fact such as stating that the President of a leading association ranked your company with the highest quality score out of 500 certified companies.
6. Convert product features into benefits. Mentioning that you provide automated billing or an automatic domain name renewal service does not engage your customer emotionally. Here’s an example of benefit oriented copy: “Our automatic domain name renewal service will provide you with the added security and comfort of knowing that your domain names will never be hijacked by your competitors while freeing up your administrative time to focus on growing your business.”
7. Don’t rely on editing all your important business documents from your computer desktop. Print out your document and read it out loud. If you encounter any awkwardness in speech it means you need to re-write your piece to make it more conversational and flow better.
By reading your document out loud, you will also be able to spot typos and errors that your computer spelling and grammar check program might not have detected. As an example, you might have written ‘echo friendly’ when you really meant ‘eco friendly.’
8. In writing a business letter or business proposal, it is vitally important to write from your customer’s perspective and what will interest them. Start off by writing about how great your customer’s company is and what specific attributes you like about the company instead of bragging about how great your company is. Too much use of “I,” “me,” or “our company” is a sure sign of ego getting in the way of business. Make sure to generously use “You” and “Your” in your business copy if you want to make more sales.
9. Business writing is very different from writing poetry or literature. Don’t meander or get carried away with flowery language. Write the most important point you want to make in the first sentence. If you are writing a sales letter, you can significantly increase sales by simply including a powerful P.S. at the end of the letter that summarizes the main point in a fresh way, creates a sense of urgency, or adds further credibility. Here’s a powerful example: “P.S. I’ve been invited to speak at your association’s annual conference this coming Friday and hope to see you there.”
10. Be clear, concise, and to the point. Don’t assume readers will know what to do. Guide them by including a specific call to action: “click on the link to get your special report” or “call me to set up a no-cost 15 minute consultation.”
11. Use word pictures to get your point across. Can you imagine the thrill and excitement of driving a rocket-fast, cobalt blue Porsche 911 Turbo as it whisks you to your desired destination? A well-written article or report can be like that Porsche and generate a ton of new business in half the time with more fun! After all, what’s more exciting, cold-calling prospects or having them call you? (If writing is a challenge, consider hiring a professional).
Are You Being Seduced by What you Think People Want to Hear?
by: Isabel Parlett
I meet so many people who are mystified by their struggle to find words to talk about what they do. “But I'm a good writer!” “Heck, I was even in advertising!” “I know I'm good at what I do.” I've been pondering this for a while now, and I think I am finally really seeing to the heart of why, as small business owners, we end up writing marketing pieces that fall flat and bore us silly.
It's not that we haven't learned five copywriting secrets that glue eyeballs to the page. It's not that we haven't unleashed our inner sales beast. It's not that we don't know how to step in our prospect's shoes. What hangs us up more painfully and powerfully than anything else is a deep fear about what people will think about what we have to say.
Often before we are even conscious of it, we step away from what we really want to do, what we really want to say, and we start editing. “People aren't looking to feel like they are being dipped in an ocean of love,” we say. “No one will understand what I mean by moments of transcendence.” “People don't pay to be better communicators.”
And so that thing we love, that thing we are out-and-out outrageously excited about bringing into the world gets shoved aside. It gets prodded and poked to become something safer or more acceptable without ever getting to land fully in our own consciousness, without ever getting words to honor that spirit, without language to really claim for ourselves “Hey, this is what I am here on the planet to do!”
And if that outcome we love to deliver, that's been a theme throughout our lives, never gets to live in a bold, bald, unadulterated state, then we lose forever that raw energy that could be channeled into a marketing piece that makes prickles stand up on the back of people's necks.
When I take people through my Work on Words program, one of the most difficult things I ask them to do is to write for themselves first. To capture that private language that expresses the bold truth about what they see themselves offering the world from the bottom of their hearts. Before they try to craft something for the rest of the world. When someone I work with feels stuck around their words, it almost always comes back to this - they are afraid that what they really want to say, what they really want to share won't be heard or understood. They don't say it and so they never come to life, nor do their audience.
Often this self-editing is accidentally reinforced by the marketing credo of “tell your audience what's in it for them.” That's good advice. To write a great marketing piece, we do need to consider our audience and their surface wants and needs. But what I've found is that before we can respond eloquently to someone else's wants and needs, we first have to own what we have to offer, without apology, whitewashing, or sugarcoating.
If we don't get anchored in that true spirit of our work first, then we get pulled off center by what our audience wants. Instead of being grounded in our distinctive intelligence, our unique brilliance, we twist ourselves in knots trying to be what we think our audience wants, what we hope they will buy. We talk about how we can help them make more money or get the life of their dreams, or get promoted not because we want that for them, but because we've decided those are legitimate things to offer. We cut the connection to that wisdom and authority we possess in order to please.
And you know, our audience can hear it, can feel it. If our story is only about promising people a solution to their pain, we end up sounding like everyone else. (Makes sense, right? Everyone else is promising them the same thing.) It's great to touch on that pain, but what really makes each of us distinctive is how we address the pain. It's the sharpness, the clarity we bring to the solution that gives a prospect a gut feeling we can deliver. It's the focused passion and feeling we bring to talking about what we see is possible that moves someone to that raw place of “I want what you have to offer.”
Capturing your prospect's pain, adding style to your words, that's easy. It's a question of technique. Telling the truth about who you are and what you want to offer, now that's hard. And yet, it's the only thing that ever has or ever will give your words their heart and power.
I meet so many people who are mystified by their struggle to find words to talk about what they do. “But I'm a good writer!” “Heck, I was even in advertising!” “I know I'm good at what I do.” I've been pondering this for a while now, and I think I am finally really seeing to the heart of why, as small business owners, we end up writing marketing pieces that fall flat and bore us silly.
It's not that we haven't learned five copywriting secrets that glue eyeballs to the page. It's not that we haven't unleashed our inner sales beast. It's not that we don't know how to step in our prospect's shoes. What hangs us up more painfully and powerfully than anything else is a deep fear about what people will think about what we have to say.
Often before we are even conscious of it, we step away from what we really want to do, what we really want to say, and we start editing. “People aren't looking to feel like they are being dipped in an ocean of love,” we say. “No one will understand what I mean by moments of transcendence.” “People don't pay to be better communicators.”
And so that thing we love, that thing we are out-and-out outrageously excited about bringing into the world gets shoved aside. It gets prodded and poked to become something safer or more acceptable without ever getting to land fully in our own consciousness, without ever getting words to honor that spirit, without language to really claim for ourselves “Hey, this is what I am here on the planet to do!”
And if that outcome we love to deliver, that's been a theme throughout our lives, never gets to live in a bold, bald, unadulterated state, then we lose forever that raw energy that could be channeled into a marketing piece that makes prickles stand up on the back of people's necks.
When I take people through my Work on Words program, one of the most difficult things I ask them to do is to write for themselves first. To capture that private language that expresses the bold truth about what they see themselves offering the world from the bottom of their hearts. Before they try to craft something for the rest of the world. When someone I work with feels stuck around their words, it almost always comes back to this - they are afraid that what they really want to say, what they really want to share won't be heard or understood. They don't say it and so they never come to life, nor do their audience.
Often this self-editing is accidentally reinforced by the marketing credo of “tell your audience what's in it for them.” That's good advice. To write a great marketing piece, we do need to consider our audience and their surface wants and needs. But what I've found is that before we can respond eloquently to someone else's wants and needs, we first have to own what we have to offer, without apology, whitewashing, or sugarcoating.
If we don't get anchored in that true spirit of our work first, then we get pulled off center by what our audience wants. Instead of being grounded in our distinctive intelligence, our unique brilliance, we twist ourselves in knots trying to be what we think our audience wants, what we hope they will buy. We talk about how we can help them make more money or get the life of their dreams, or get promoted not because we want that for them, but because we've decided those are legitimate things to offer. We cut the connection to that wisdom and authority we possess in order to please.
And you know, our audience can hear it, can feel it. If our story is only about promising people a solution to their pain, we end up sounding like everyone else. (Makes sense, right? Everyone else is promising them the same thing.) It's great to touch on that pain, but what really makes each of us distinctive is how we address the pain. It's the sharpness, the clarity we bring to the solution that gives a prospect a gut feeling we can deliver. It's the focused passion and feeling we bring to talking about what we see is possible that moves someone to that raw place of “I want what you have to offer.”
Capturing your prospect's pain, adding style to your words, that's easy. It's a question of technique. Telling the truth about who you are and what you want to offer, now that's hard. And yet, it's the only thing that ever has or ever will give your words their heart and power.
A Vote Of Thanks - The Do's And Do Nots
by: Vincent Stevenson
Time should be taken to mentally prepare the structure of the vote of thanks speech. Be aware that the vote of thanks is not an evaluation and nor is it another speech in its own right, nor should it repeat the chairman's introduction. Yes, a lot to think about, but all will become clear.
The initial statement (which can be mapped out!) might be of the following nature: "Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen! On behalf of Norwich Orators, I am very happy to thank Fred for giving his speech on 'Promotion in the Mexican Navy' to us this evening... and the concluding sentence might be along the following lines: "So, Mr Chairman, I say, once again, that we are all most grateful to Fred and I now ask the audience to express appreciation in the usual way.' [Please note that they will be applauding the speaker (Fred) and not the proposer of the Vote of Thanks.]
With experience, the opening and closing formula may be modified, always provided that the principles that they embody are not forsaken. The person prosing the vote of thanks must listen attentively to the speech. The proposer should pick out two or three points that s/he and/or the audience found particularly interesting and, in the vote of thanks, refer and respond to these. Try not to repeat parts of the speech or enter into any kind of debate as to whether you agree or disagree with the speaker.
With practice, how to select some useful or illuminating points, and how to incorporate references to them in the vote of thanks, becomes easier and, with time, the proposer will produce a presentation that resembles an excellent dessert following - and in happy harmony with - a fine main course.
For the moment, consider these extracts from a hypothetical vote of thanks to Fred and decide which (if any) you consider suitable in the light of the above discussion.
'The sinking of the destroyer Napolean reminded me of an incident during the battle of Jutland. My father was a lookout on MNS Holiday in the Baltic fleet. It was a dark and stormy night...
I was impressed particularly by the story of able seaman Chavez who was twice passed over for promotion because of his dreadful bad breath.
Thomas often speaks so quickly that I cannot always absorb the complex point that he is making.
I have to say that I disagree with him fundamentally regarding the role of Mexico in the American Civil War.
I have to say that, along with everyone else present, I was completely enrapt by his consideration of the role of Mexico in the American Civil War.
Fred's tale of Ensign Gonzales and the attempted mutiny on board MNS Arrogant reminded us all, I sense, of Shakespeare's reference to 'vaulting ambition which overleaps itself.'
Time should be taken to mentally prepare the structure of the vote of thanks speech. Be aware that the vote of thanks is not an evaluation and nor is it another speech in its own right, nor should it repeat the chairman's introduction. Yes, a lot to think about, but all will become clear.
The initial statement (which can be mapped out!) might be of the following nature: "Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen! On behalf of Norwich Orators, I am very happy to thank Fred for giving his speech on 'Promotion in the Mexican Navy' to us this evening... and the concluding sentence might be along the following lines: "So, Mr Chairman, I say, once again, that we are all most grateful to Fred and I now ask the audience to express appreciation in the usual way.' [Please note that they will be applauding the speaker (Fred) and not the proposer of the Vote of Thanks.]
With experience, the opening and closing formula may be modified, always provided that the principles that they embody are not forsaken. The person prosing the vote of thanks must listen attentively to the speech. The proposer should pick out two or three points that s/he and/or the audience found particularly interesting and, in the vote of thanks, refer and respond to these. Try not to repeat parts of the speech or enter into any kind of debate as to whether you agree or disagree with the speaker.
With practice, how to select some useful or illuminating points, and how to incorporate references to them in the vote of thanks, becomes easier and, with time, the proposer will produce a presentation that resembles an excellent dessert following - and in happy harmony with - a fine main course.
For the moment, consider these extracts from a hypothetical vote of thanks to Fred and decide which (if any) you consider suitable in the light of the above discussion.
'The sinking of the destroyer Napolean reminded me of an incident during the battle of Jutland. My father was a lookout on MNS Holiday in the Baltic fleet. It was a dark and stormy night...
I was impressed particularly by the story of able seaman Chavez who was twice passed over for promotion because of his dreadful bad breath.
Thomas often speaks so quickly that I cannot always absorb the complex point that he is making.
I have to say that I disagree with him fundamentally regarding the role of Mexico in the American Civil War.
I have to say that, along with everyone else present, I was completely enrapt by his consideration of the role of Mexico in the American Civil War.
Fred's tale of Ensign Gonzales and the attempted mutiny on board MNS Arrogant reminded us all, I sense, of Shakespeare's reference to 'vaulting ambition which overleaps itself.'
Do You Have What It Takes to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business?
by: Dana Blozis
If you had told me five years ago that I would walk away from my day job to start my own writing business, I would have told you that you were crazy. Although my career in the insurance industry wasn't particularly fulfilling, I was successful, made a good living and enjoyed the perks of corporate life. It was stable, steady and comfortable. Little did I know that within a year of an ill-timed career change and a move across the country, I would find myself without a job. Due to the lack of his own success, my boss of nine months laid me off. It was time to start over. As a single mom, I was scared. What was I going to do? How would I take care of my daughter?
Initially, I panicked but after a few weeks of brainstorming and the semi-security of an unemployment check, I searched for work in my field. I found I was overqualified for many jobs and underqualified for others. My skills didn't seem to fit in this new market. Not giving up, I found a flexible part-time job and decided to expand my freelance writing which I had started the year before. Armed with a few clips, a website and some business cards, I added a few more publications to my résumé. Within a year and a half, my business offered me a viable, full-time income. That was four years ago, and I'm still going strong.
My point here is not to bore you with the details of my life, but to assure you that if someone as conservative (read: afraid of risk) as me can make it as a writer, then you can too. Interested? Intrigued? Then review the list below to see if you have what it takes to start your own freelance writing business.
Knowledge and skills. Being a freelance writer requires more than a passion for writing. It requires education and training; good communication skills; knowledge of proper spelling, grammar and punctuation rules; editing and proofreading skills; the ability and patience to research; published clips; and business training or know-how.
Resources. Every job requires tools of the trade. As a freelance writer, you'll need dedicated office space, a computer (laptop or desktop), relevant software (MS Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, etc.), computer back-up system, office phone/cell phone, printer/fax/scanner, a high-speed Internet connection, access to reference materials (dictionary, thesaurus, Chicago Manual of Style, etc.), and a digital voice recorder. You may find that you require other resources as well, but this list is a "must have" to get started.
Personality. Making a full-time income as a freelancer requires more than writing talent. It also requires that you be organized, self-disciplined, self-motivated, resourceful, creative, patient, persistent and focused.
Plan B. Before you make the leap to owning a freelance writing business, consider how you are going to pay your bills and meet expenses when work is slow. Do you have other income sources to tap? Do you have a part-time job or does your spouse make enough to cover the bills during slow times? Perhaps you have unemployment income, savings or maybe even a trust fund? If not, consider this. If you had to, would you get a job (part or full-time) to make ends meet? The point is not to be discouraged. It is simply to have a Plan B in place, so your life doesn't fall apart while you pursue your dream.
If you have all of these items—appropriate knowledge and skills, resources, personality and a solid Plan B—then you are well on your way to starting your own freelance writing business!
If you had told me five years ago that I would walk away from my day job to start my own writing business, I would have told you that you were crazy. Although my career in the insurance industry wasn't particularly fulfilling, I was successful, made a good living and enjoyed the perks of corporate life. It was stable, steady and comfortable. Little did I know that within a year of an ill-timed career change and a move across the country, I would find myself without a job. Due to the lack of his own success, my boss of nine months laid me off. It was time to start over. As a single mom, I was scared. What was I going to do? How would I take care of my daughter?
Initially, I panicked but after a few weeks of brainstorming and the semi-security of an unemployment check, I searched for work in my field. I found I was overqualified for many jobs and underqualified for others. My skills didn't seem to fit in this new market. Not giving up, I found a flexible part-time job and decided to expand my freelance writing which I had started the year before. Armed with a few clips, a website and some business cards, I added a few more publications to my résumé. Within a year and a half, my business offered me a viable, full-time income. That was four years ago, and I'm still going strong.
My point here is not to bore you with the details of my life, but to assure you that if someone as conservative (read: afraid of risk) as me can make it as a writer, then you can too. Interested? Intrigued? Then review the list below to see if you have what it takes to start your own freelance writing business.
Knowledge and skills. Being a freelance writer requires more than a passion for writing. It requires education and training; good communication skills; knowledge of proper spelling, grammar and punctuation rules; editing and proofreading skills; the ability and patience to research; published clips; and business training or know-how.
Resources. Every job requires tools of the trade. As a freelance writer, you'll need dedicated office space, a computer (laptop or desktop), relevant software (MS Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, etc.), computer back-up system, office phone/cell phone, printer/fax/scanner, a high-speed Internet connection, access to reference materials (dictionary, thesaurus, Chicago Manual of Style, etc.), and a digital voice recorder. You may find that you require other resources as well, but this list is a "must have" to get started.
Personality. Making a full-time income as a freelancer requires more than writing talent. It also requires that you be organized, self-disciplined, self-motivated, resourceful, creative, patient, persistent and focused.
Plan B. Before you make the leap to owning a freelance writing business, consider how you are going to pay your bills and meet expenses when work is slow. Do you have other income sources to tap? Do you have a part-time job or does your spouse make enough to cover the bills during slow times? Perhaps you have unemployment income, savings or maybe even a trust fund? If not, consider this. If you had to, would you get a job (part or full-time) to make ends meet? The point is not to be discouraged. It is simply to have a Plan B in place, so your life doesn't fall apart while you pursue your dream.
If you have all of these items—appropriate knowledge and skills, resources, personality and a solid Plan B—then you are well on your way to starting your own freelance writing business!
Journaling for Stress Relief
by: Valerie Dansereau
Journaling is a great way to deal with chronic stress. It is one of the most powerful tools for self growth and can help you release negative emotions, clear confusion and sort out puzzling or traumatic events.
The best way to begin is to set a time to write and put down whatever thoughts and feelings pop into your head. Your journal can be used to reflect on the events currently affecting you that are particularly traumatic or overwhelming. It can also be used to process other things, such as dreams, childhood events, and long and short term goals.
Research has shown that writing not only about your feelings but also your thoughts about your feelings is more helpful than just venting your feelings. In other words, write from both an emotional and an intellectual angle,
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. The purpose of what you’re doing is to relieve stress and release pent up emotions, not to cause yourself more stress by censoring your own writing. Keep what you’ve written private. If you think privacy is an issue, keep it under lock and key. If you’re journaling on a computer, password protect your file.
A journal can be written on lined or plain paper, in a special bound book or a plain spiral notebook, or you can use a computer. The important thing is to make a commitment to write for 10-20 minutes each day if you can. Schedule a time to write, whether it’s first thing in the morning or last thing before you go to bed, preferably a time when you’re free from interruptions. Experiment with writing at different times of day and in different locations.
Don’t think of journaling as a chore. If you miss several days of writing, simply pick up and write again when you can. Chances are the more you practice journaling, the more you will look forward to it. Your journal can be thought of as a friend who is always willing to listen. In a journal you have the freedom to express deep emotions that you may not be able to share with anyone. No one will be affected by what you write.
If you review what you’ve written over time, you’ll be able to see your own growth. If you’re processing a traumatic event, you’ll be amazed to see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve healed.
Journaling is a lot less expensive than most other methods of stress relief. It’s a great tool for self-knowledge and emotional healing. Like other healthy habits, you will improve with practice, and the benefits you attain from journaling will build the more you work on this life-changing habit.
Journaling is a great way to deal with chronic stress. It is one of the most powerful tools for self growth and can help you release negative emotions, clear confusion and sort out puzzling or traumatic events.
The best way to begin is to set a time to write and put down whatever thoughts and feelings pop into your head. Your journal can be used to reflect on the events currently affecting you that are particularly traumatic or overwhelming. It can also be used to process other things, such as dreams, childhood events, and long and short term goals.
Research has shown that writing not only about your feelings but also your thoughts about your feelings is more helpful than just venting your feelings. In other words, write from both an emotional and an intellectual angle,
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. The purpose of what you’re doing is to relieve stress and release pent up emotions, not to cause yourself more stress by censoring your own writing. Keep what you’ve written private. If you think privacy is an issue, keep it under lock and key. If you’re journaling on a computer, password protect your file.
A journal can be written on lined or plain paper, in a special bound book or a plain spiral notebook, or you can use a computer. The important thing is to make a commitment to write for 10-20 minutes each day if you can. Schedule a time to write, whether it’s first thing in the morning or last thing before you go to bed, preferably a time when you’re free from interruptions. Experiment with writing at different times of day and in different locations.
Don’t think of journaling as a chore. If you miss several days of writing, simply pick up and write again when you can. Chances are the more you practice journaling, the more you will look forward to it. Your journal can be thought of as a friend who is always willing to listen. In a journal you have the freedom to express deep emotions that you may not be able to share with anyone. No one will be affected by what you write.
If you review what you’ve written over time, you’ll be able to see your own growth. If you’re processing a traumatic event, you’ll be amazed to see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve healed.
Journaling is a lot less expensive than most other methods of stress relief. It’s a great tool for self-knowledge and emotional healing. Like other healthy habits, you will improve with practice, and the benefits you attain from journaling will build the more you work on this life-changing habit.
How to Speak Persuasively
by: Vincent Stevenson
Speaking to inform is the norm - but how do you convince your audience that what you say is worth acting upon?
Not dissimilar to having a debate perhaps or trying to persuade a sceptical audience over to your point of view. How should you approach this?
Without doubt the first step is to understand your audience and learn what they will like to hear. This is absolutely vital if you need to win them over on something that they will naturally be against; what in fact you are doing is selling them an unpalatable concept which is then made palatable by offering them "a sweetener" where this sweetener sounds greater than the sourness of the original bad news.
As an illustrative example, imagine that you need to inform a group of very busy processing clerks that on top of their work they all have to learn a new system in which to process their data, and that there is nothing in it for them. Imagine telling them this in a seminar and you can hear the groans screaming out at you before you've begun to speak. It is inevitable that a workforce with reduced morale would result in a tailing off of productivity as well as individuals looking to move to different companies. Implementing a new system is never easy.
But it doesn't have to be like that!
Find out what will please the audience
Nobody implements a new system for fun (well maybe some organisations do!Whenever you are trying to persuade the audience or sell an idea, the benefits must be illustrated in 'What's in it for me?' terms. Whatever it is there will be something that you can use to persuade the audience to be right there with you.
Convince convince convince!
Now is the time to prepare your persuasive speech. Firstly, write down your specified objective (in this example, how you will use the overall benefits of the new system to ensure that these will lead to an upbeat mood in the audience by convincing them that, despite their extra workload, this really is very good news for them). The prospect of additional work should not be allowed to dwell in the minds of audiences; while you point out that there will be more work (no point trying to cover it up or dismiss it as it will emerge as a fact eventually and failure to be honest about it will probably lead to monumental problems in the future), it is only in terms of saying that this is a necessary pre-requisite for us all to reap the benefits which you then enthusiastically describe, especially those which impact the audience. In addition look out for other selling points - many organisations are so poorly run that finding things to offer the audience is usually pretty easy; for example, in this case you may well find promising to involve the clerks in the project so that they feel they are co-owners as opposed to enforced participants will do wonders for morale and willingness to take on the new system. Another possibility is for the new system to automate some of the currently manually produced reports thus reducing the workload of the clerks - this would be introduced as part of the opening seminar speech as a great innovation even if the automation could be carried out within the current system.
Steer the audience from their point of view to yours
The same principles would be used if you wished to attempt to persuade a liberal minded audience that life time incarceration, with no chance of parole, should be introduced for say muggers. Stating that anyone should be locked up for the rest of their life with no chance of proving that they have reformed will naturally inflame a liberal audience, but this same audience would probably agree with you that everything possible must be done to avoid innocent people being mugged in the street. At this point you would have the audience on your side but you would probably lose them very quickly if you stated that part of the solution is lifetime incarceration for offenders. However, if you emphasised that the offenders needed help and it was your intention to campaign to improve the rehabilitation programmes within prison, coupled with a through review process to ensure that muggers had been rehabilitated prior to release, you would still have the audience on your side. You may well be able to get away with saying that there is a chance that some people are beyond reform and therefore will have to stay in prison for ever - even the most liberal person would surely baulk at releasing a mugger who is almost certain to be looking for a victim upon release; you may well also get away with saying that resources are scarce, that there are many other deserving causes and that, regrettably, rehabilitation services will of necessity not be as widely available as is desirable or necessary.
In conclusion
Persuasive speaking is really one of understanding the audience's mindset, talking in terms that show you are broadly empathetic to their attitudes and acknowledging that their views are of considerable value which must be fully taken into account when deciding upon an action. Whether it's locking up muggers for life or introducing a new data processing system you will need to convince the audience that the alternatives lead to consequences which that audience will clearly be able to see are worse for everyone including themselves; try and let the audience work it out for themslves otherwise the audience could become scepticle. Persuasive speaking can be achieved by all, as always, the success lies in the preparation.
Speaking to inform is the norm - but how do you convince your audience that what you say is worth acting upon?
Not dissimilar to having a debate perhaps or trying to persuade a sceptical audience over to your point of view. How should you approach this?
Without doubt the first step is to understand your audience and learn what they will like to hear. This is absolutely vital if you need to win them over on something that they will naturally be against; what in fact you are doing is selling them an unpalatable concept which is then made palatable by offering them "a sweetener" where this sweetener sounds greater than the sourness of the original bad news.
As an illustrative example, imagine that you need to inform a group of very busy processing clerks that on top of their work they all have to learn a new system in which to process their data, and that there is nothing in it for them. Imagine telling them this in a seminar and you can hear the groans screaming out at you before you've begun to speak. It is inevitable that a workforce with reduced morale would result in a tailing off of productivity as well as individuals looking to move to different companies. Implementing a new system is never easy.
But it doesn't have to be like that!
Find out what will please the audience
Nobody implements a new system for fun (well maybe some organisations do!Whenever you are trying to persuade the audience or sell an idea, the benefits must be illustrated in 'What's in it for me?' terms. Whatever it is there will be something that you can use to persuade the audience to be right there with you.
Convince convince convince!
Now is the time to prepare your persuasive speech. Firstly, write down your specified objective (in this example, how you will use the overall benefits of the new system to ensure that these will lead to an upbeat mood in the audience by convincing them that, despite their extra workload, this really is very good news for them). The prospect of additional work should not be allowed to dwell in the minds of audiences; while you point out that there will be more work (no point trying to cover it up or dismiss it as it will emerge as a fact eventually and failure to be honest about it will probably lead to monumental problems in the future), it is only in terms of saying that this is a necessary pre-requisite for us all to reap the benefits which you then enthusiastically describe, especially those which impact the audience. In addition look out for other selling points - many organisations are so poorly run that finding things to offer the audience is usually pretty easy; for example, in this case you may well find promising to involve the clerks in the project so that they feel they are co-owners as opposed to enforced participants will do wonders for morale and willingness to take on the new system. Another possibility is for the new system to automate some of the currently manually produced reports thus reducing the workload of the clerks - this would be introduced as part of the opening seminar speech as a great innovation even if the automation could be carried out within the current system.
Steer the audience from their point of view to yours
The same principles would be used if you wished to attempt to persuade a liberal minded audience that life time incarceration, with no chance of parole, should be introduced for say muggers. Stating that anyone should be locked up for the rest of their life with no chance of proving that they have reformed will naturally inflame a liberal audience, but this same audience would probably agree with you that everything possible must be done to avoid innocent people being mugged in the street. At this point you would have the audience on your side but you would probably lose them very quickly if you stated that part of the solution is lifetime incarceration for offenders. However, if you emphasised that the offenders needed help and it was your intention to campaign to improve the rehabilitation programmes within prison, coupled with a through review process to ensure that muggers had been rehabilitated prior to release, you would still have the audience on your side. You may well be able to get away with saying that there is a chance that some people are beyond reform and therefore will have to stay in prison for ever - even the most liberal person would surely baulk at releasing a mugger who is almost certain to be looking for a victim upon release; you may well also get away with saying that resources are scarce, that there are many other deserving causes and that, regrettably, rehabilitation services will of necessity not be as widely available as is desirable or necessary.
In conclusion
Persuasive speaking is really one of understanding the audience's mindset, talking in terms that show you are broadly empathetic to their attitudes and acknowledging that their views are of considerable value which must be fully taken into account when deciding upon an action. Whether it's locking up muggers for life or introducing a new data processing system you will need to convince the audience that the alternatives lead to consequences which that audience will clearly be able to see are worse for everyone including themselves; try and let the audience work it out for themslves otherwise the audience could become scepticle. Persuasive speaking can be achieved by all, as always, the success lies in the preparation.
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