The lazy hazy days of summer are here and so is the need for
good beach reading. Here are three of my faves -- two have to do
with writing and the other is just fabulous fiction.
"Bird By Bird" by Anne Lamott. This is my favorite book on
writing by one of my favorite authors. Lamott is THE MASTER of
conversational style. I've read the book dozens of times, and I feel
as if I know her. She talks about the importance of writing "shitty
first drafts," radio station "KFKD," and jealousy (something all of
us suffer from). She's honest, so if you don't like blue language,
avoid this book. But if you do like her style, I recommend
"Operating Instructions" and "Traveling Mercies" as well.
"The Forest For The Trees" by Betsy Lerner. This former editor
doles out lots of good advice. It's geared more toward authors, but
freelance writers can pick up some good tips as well (and her
descriptions of writer- types are incredibly insightful and
uncannily accurate). I quote this book in my writing class at Mass
School of Law...there's a wonderful anecdote about how Max Perkins,
a famous editor, asked an unknown writer named F. Scott Fitzgerald
to rewrite his novel from a different POV. Well, you can imagine how
it turned out. A good follow-up is Lerner's "memoir" called "Food
and Loathing," which has to do with her own struggles with writing,
food, and depression.
"Girl With A Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier. Fluid prose,
wonderful story, and a guarantee you'll never look at this painting
in the same way again.
Shameless Plug Alert: Check out
the "new" Ionix Studios...Dan Malo is a web genius, and I wrote all
the content. Click here.
|
|
Dear Reader,
One of the great things about writing is that you never
know when inspiration will strike or where you'll get an idea.
Of course, this also means that a writer is always "working."
But I must admit that it's the absolute best work on the
planet. If you have to be doing something all the time,
writing is a perfect choice. Here are five of my favorite ways
of coming up with ideas for headlines, body copy, and
articles. There's really no mystery, and you'll probably laugh
at some of my suggestions, but they work for me.
|
|
|
|
#1 Collect "Junk Mail" |
|
Yes, it sounds weird, but direct mailers are wonderful
little gems. Save the postcards pitching cell phones, fitness
centers, magazine subscriptions -- you name it. Not only will
you get ideas for headlines and body copy, but also ideas to
pitch to newspapers and magazines. When Curves first opened
near my home, I received a mailer about this new fitness
center for women. I pitched an article to the local paper and
got the assignment. Recently, I started doing advertising copy
for a local college. All the direct mail pieces from other
colleges and universities that I had been saving came in handy
when I was assessing the "competition."
|
|
#2 Read LOCAL Newspapers & "Recap"
Magazines |
|
I'm amazed at the number of people who dismiss their
local papers because they don't carry the circulation weight
of The Boston Globe or New York Times and are therefore
"unworthy" of being read. Your local papers are often filled
with interesting stories -- the slice-of- life vignettes that
national magazines (especially women's magazines) hunger for.
Can't afford a subscription? Head to the library. Many
papers allow you to read the current day's stories free on
their websites. Of course, you still need to read the "bigger"
papers. And it's a good idea to subscribe to what I call a
weekly "recap" magazine. My favorite is a fairly new glossy
called "The Week" (www.theweekmagazine.com). I read it from
cover to cover the moment it arrives in my mailbox.
|
|
#3 Conduct "Field Studies" |
|
Have you been asked to write an article about wedding
dresses, but you've never been a bride? Are you writing ad
copy for an acupuncturist but have no clue what they do or how
they do it? That's the beauty of writing. You learn about so
many different things. And while it's possible to do much
(even all) your research and writing in your office, it's
still a good idea to occasionally "get out" and see who or
what you're writing about.
Visit a wedding dress shop. Have the acupuncturist insert
some needles in your arm. Sit and watch the people who enter
the doctor's office, restaurant, hair salon, or whatever
business you're covering for an assignment. You might see a
common trend, or something about your experience may help you
come up with the perfect headline.
|
|
#4 Spend An Afternoon In The Library Or
Bookstore |
|
You've heard the expression, "there's nothing new under
the sun," right? Well, the same is true with headlines, body
copy, and articles. Don't reinvent the wheel. Go with what
works, but put your own "spin" on it. By reading through
magazines in the library and bookstore, you'll start
developing your own article ideas or your own concepts for
advertising copy.
|
|
#5 Check Out Movies, Theater, Radio, and
Television |
|
In past newsletters, I've stressed the importance of
developing a conversational tone. In other words, write the
way people talk. What better way to "study" and hone your
skills than by listening to real, live dialogue? Not to
mention the ideas you'll get. I heard a radio spot the other
day about a pet cemetery. I wrote down the website (yep, they
have one), and now I'm coming up with several article pitches
with different slants.
|
| |