Article Writing Strategy: How To Keep Your Reader Locked Into Your Article: Recent Episodes
None
While writing an article, report or book, you're more than likely to need a metaphor.In fact, you may need at least a dozen. The problem with metaphors is that they're usually very predictable.
How do you take a “boring method” and make a metaphor quite exciting?
Let's find out.
Right click to save this episode.
How do you write a memorable metaphor?Usually, it's an everyday event—with a slight twist. This twist is usually a surprise. The surprise can be a u-turn, a new fact, or something you're not expecting. At other times, it's something you're expecting, but feels new in the context.
Let's take some examples.
Example 1: Something you're not expecting.E.g. Imagine a 1000 piece puzzle. To take on the 1000 piece puzzle, you need to know what it looks like in a completed form. Then, slowly, and systematically, you are able to put the pieces together. Even with the completed version, it's a difficult process working out what goes where.
Now imagine a 1000 piece puzzle with just fifty extra pieces. Those pieces don't fit anywhere, but they're just enough to cause an enormous amount of chaos.
Life is like that thousand piece puzzle. You have a thousand things to do. However, every now and then another fift random pieces are added to your day, week or month. What seems complicated in the first place, has now turned quite chaotic.
This is what adults call “stress”: a situation that is challenging that goes completely haywire. However, what if we looked at stress a different way?
What did we see in Example 1?1- There's a boring story: solving a jigsaw puzzle.
2- There's a tiny tweak, in the sense it's a 1000 piece puzzle.
3- You've added fifty random pieces that don't fit anywhere (something that's not expected).
Example 2: A U-turn.Imagine you were on a weight-reduction diet that worked way beyond your wildest imagination.
You were told that with the diet, you'd lose about ½ a kilo per week. Instead, in the first week, you lose two kilos. As the weeks pass, it looks like this:
Week 1: 2 kilos down.
Week 2: 2 more kilos down.
Week 3; 2 more kilos.
Week 4: Oh, yes, another two kilos.
You're now already at the lowest weight you need to be, but should we go on?Would it make sense to lose another 8 kilos for the next month, followed by yet another 8? If you were to keep at that rate of weight loss, it would be considered problematic. To have “success” is a good thing, but at some point, that success turns toxic.
This is how a lot of entrepreneurs go about their life. They need a starting point of success. They also need a continuation of that success. However, what they're trained to adopt is a form of “toxic success”.
What did we see in Example 2?1- There's a boring story: losing weight.
2- There's a tiny tweak, in the sense it's a chunky 2 kilos a week.
3- You've turned back and said “endless success is toxic” (it's a u-turn, because what was good is now something that has to stop)
Example 3: Something you're expecting, but feels new in the context.Imagine you put seven red bags on a plane.When you get off on the other side, you're expecting the bags to show up. The first red bag rolls off and you take it off the conveyor belt. Then the second, the third and the fourth. There's a green bag, a polka dot bags, some cardboard boxes, and there it is: the fifth and sixth bag.
So when do you leave the airport?You leave when you have all seven red bags. If even one bag is missing, you are confused as to what action to take next. This kind of confusion is similar to what happens when clients are buying a product or service.
They have seven issues that need to be considered, and if you cover six and leave just one, the clients stop short. They're confused.
This is why you need to know exactly. what the bags are, so that instead of leaving your clients confused, they move to the next stage. Those seven red bags are what's described in the book called “The Brain Audit“. It's time to find out more about every one of those bags and avoid the confusion.
What did we see in Example 3?1- There's a boring story: bags coming off after a flight has landed.
2- There's a tiny tweak: the last bag goes missing.
3- However, nothing is unusual in the story.
What's unusual is the way the story is told, including the addition of the “polka dot bags, the cardboard boxes” etc. The story feels like a story. Then when the bag ends up missing, we don't dwell on the story. Instead, we jump to The Brain Audit and how a client is also confused when one bag is missing.
Bonus Example:Imagine you walk into a room and there's a chair. You sit on it, you stand up. You sit down again, then you stand up. You sit on it a third time. Then you stand up.
How many of us were expecting the chair to break?The reason why chairs don't seem to break is because they're built with some sort of science in mind. Despite all of us being different weights, we don't test a chair before sit on it, because we know it will work as it should.
There's nothing wrong with testing the chair repeatedly, but the result is consistent. It stands up because there's a logic behind how it has been built.
That kind of logic also helps when you're creating a metaphor. You don't need to come up with metaphors and endlessly test them to see if they work. Instead, what you need is a system—a science—and you can create an almost endless number of metaphors whenever you choose to do so.
Let's find out the simple science behind memorable metaphors.What did we see in the bonus example?
1- There's a story—an unremarkable story—of sitting on a chair.
2- What makes the story slightly new is that you're sitting on it and getting up. You continue to do this action repeatedly. It's this slight deviation from the normal that makes the metaphor curious.
P.S. Do you have a question on article writing? Email me, and I will reply.
The post Three “Slightly Boring” Ways To Create Metaphors For Your Articles appeared first on Psychotactics.
The first line is what pulls us into an article.Yet we end up writing a really boring first line. What's worse is that you could use the power of story to create an intensely powerful first line in minutes.
Don't believe me? Well, do you have 10 minutes? Here are two methods to write the first line of your article.
Right click to save this episode.
My friend Deepak and I were at a college festival when a pretty girl walked by.Deepak was extremely shy, and it was clear that girl had caught his attention. However, being rather timid, he couldn't think of how he'd approach the girl. I told him I'd have no problem walking up to her and striking up a conversation.
Deepak thought my idea was utterly hilarious. He knew I'd spent the entire first year in college talking to no girls at all—and that I was as shy as he was.
“There's no way you can speak to her,” he said to me. What Deepak didn't know was that I already knew the girl. She lived on the floor below my grandmother and I'd known her since we were toddlers. To walk up to Karen and say hello was going to be the easiest thing in the world.
I took up the challenge. I walked up to her and said “Hi Karen”. She turned around and gave me a big smile and we chatted away. Deepak standing quite a distance away, couldn't figure out what I'd said that would cause a pretty girl to be so chatty in seconds.
He desperately wanted to know what line I'd used to create such an impact. He was convinced my power lay in what I'd said in the first line. Of course, I'd pulled a fast one on my friend, but he was right in his assumption that first lines matter.
Whether you're making a presentation, a Zoom call, or writing an article, you can instantly get your reader to smile with a single line. As you'd expect, you're about to find out how to create a first line—and in a manner that's incredibly doable.
The first line of an article needs to be a magnet.The role of the first line is to pull you in with a certain level of curiosity. And while the “first line” in an article can be daunting, you can do a little toe-dip whenever you feel comfortable.
Here are two methods:1- Ask a question.
2-Make a statement that seems curious: e.g. “Oh, what’s next?” or “Wait a second, why?”
Let me give you a few examples—but first, here’s some background.I was watching the British actress Emily Blunt talking about her stutter.
Stutter? What stutter?In all the movies, she delivers her lines flawlessly, and in this interview on YouTube, she was talking as “normally” as all of us. She went on to say that she not only stuttered, but it got worse over time.
While growing up in a posh suburb of London, Blunt developed a debilitating stutter and could barely hold a conversation, let alone elbow her way into the limelight.”
Blunt said in the article, “I was a smart kid and had a lot to say, but I just couldn’t say it. It would just haunt me. I never thought I’d be able to sit and talk to someone like I’m talking to you right now.”
Emily Blunt goes on.“School was interesting because there were certain things I couldn’t do and wanted to, like read out my poem in class. I would never want to do that. I would hate it if the teacher called on me to answer something. I don’t know what it’s like for you, but I think when stutterers are put on the spot, that’s hard. I didn’t love calling my friends.
I could never say my own name if someone said, “What’s your name?” Because you can’t substitute a word out, which is what we tend to do to find a better flow. You substitute another word that’s easier, and you can’t substitute your name. So I realised quickly as a kid, any pressurised situations were quite hard for me.
What caused her to get rid of the stutter?“When I was 12, my class teacher was this really cool guy called Mr. McHale. He was this enormous man with a massive moustache. He asked me if I wanted to do the class play, and I said no.
And he said, “But I think you can do it. I’ve heard you doing silly voices and mimicking people. So, if you did it in a silly voice, would you consider doing it? Why don’t you do it in an accent?” And that was a very liberating thing for me as a kid. Suddenly, I had a fluency.
The removal of yourself from yourself, in some ways, was freeing. I agreed to it, and I did speak completely fluently. I did a really bad northern English accent, which I won’t even try and do for you now. That was the beginning of realising that I had a handle on it, and maybe it could be temporary, and maybe I could grow past this.
Later, she learned that actors such as Bruce Willis were stutterers. And even the very famous James Earl Jones!
Ok, so that was the story, but how do we formulate the first line?There are two ways that we considered, and the first method is asking a question. Here we go with three separate questions based on the article.
If you picked three people who stutter, would it be Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and James Earl Jones?
Do you think you could become a famous actress if you couldn’t even say your name without stuttering?
How does a teacher who knows nothing about stuttering help you overcome the problem?
2-Make a statement that seems to suggest curiosity: “Oh, what’s next?” or “Wait a second, why?”Actress Emily Blunt didn’t phone her friends at all while growing up.
Imagine sitting in front of someone you like a lot, but you can’t say a thing.
James Earl Jones has a voice most people would kill for. As a child, he stuttered.
So, is it easy to pull out that first line?Who knows? But try the question, pick something that creates curiosity—and you should be well on your way. Or, to put it another way, you’ll no longer be stuttering with your first line.
Fluency awaits!
The post How To Create An Intensely Curious First Line For Your Article appeared first on Psychotactics.
One of the biggest problems when starting up a speech is that you have to find something that captures the attention of the audience. Instead, what we often get is a round of introductions, blah, blah etc. All of which causes the audience to get restless. How do you get the attention of the audience […]
The post How To Always Have A Dramatic Opening Story For Your Zoom Call appeared first on Psychotactics.
Often enough your client may need a transcript for a long video or workshop. Not everyone needs or wants a transcript, and it does cost a lot to produce transcripts for everything. In the past we've had AI driven transcripts, but they too have been untidy and it requires a lot of tidying up. However, […]
The post How I Used Chat GPT (And YouTube) To Create A Flawless Transcript appeared first on Psychotactics.
When we start writing, we know we're hopeless. However, in time, we all get to the stage where we're average. What does it take to become outstanding and then an absolute maestro in writing? The answer doesn't lie in “practice, practice, practice”. Instead, it's something as mundane as a combination of “structure” and “confidence”. But […]
The post Why We Struggle With Writing Well (And How Your Brain Is Trying to Drive You Crazy) appeared first on Psychotactics.
Should I use AI to write articles? Is AI a threat to Writers? Will AI replace me as a writer?AI has sent a chill down the spines of many of those who create content for a living. Won't so much content saturate the market?
Why would a client choose your work when some other work can easily be put together by AI?
The reason why you needn't worry, is because people have not changed much. They still make their decisions based on specific logic. Let's see how you, me—we all make decisions.
Right click to save this episode.
In the past (well, until a few months ago) the question that people would ask was:If there are so many articles, and so many articles on my topic on the Internet, why would anyone read mine? The answer is:
1- Because they like the way you write.
2- Because they like how you explain things.
3- Because others (at some level) annoy them.
These are the reasons why millions of cookbooks have existed and there's still room for a hundred Jamie Olivers, or a thousand Sanjeev Kapoors. It's why there are already millions of people teaching guitar on YouTube, and teaching similar things and yet there's still one more person who can get an audience.
Saturation of information has already been achieved. AI has done nothing in terms of competition and I don't suspect it will do anything that hasn't already been done. However, the client is always looking for something new, different, easier, better etc.
And that's why no matter how much stuff is churned out, your voice can still be heard. It's also the reason why you should get better at:
1- Being able to write
2- Being better at explaining
3- Being less annoying
Why do people keep looking for new writers (or new content creators?)There are several reasons why we read/watch or listen.
1- To solve a problem (right now).
2-To solve the problem, but to understand the bigger picture
3- Pure entertainment
4- To stumble on something we weren't looking for, in the first place.
1- To solve a problem (right now).The most common form of reading is what we do on Google. If I'm trying to learn how to get rid of the worms that are in the fruit tree, I will look it up. If I'm trying to figure out a dance step, I will search for it on YouTube. And similarly, when trying to figure out what “showoff” means in Spanish, I will go to an online dictionary or source.
That's a transaction-based action and the one we tend to do most of all. You don't tend to pop into the library to figure out a word. You don't buy a book to understand a line. When we want the bigger picture, we look for something we can dip into several times.
2- Understanding the bigger pictureLet's say you want to understand why you're struggling to learn a language. You run into a video, and the person speaks 10 languages. It's at this point, you realise that the person has systems or at least an understanding that's slightly different from yours. You need more depth, and a bigger picture. At this point, it's no longer just you dipping your toe and running away. You want to jump in and stay for a while.
When you read more than one book, watch more than one video, or continue to do a course from start to finish, you're digging into the bigger picture. It's possible, for instance, that you joined Psychotactics because you read a single article.
The article gave you a feeling that wasn't a “dipping your toe” phenomenon. You then possibly went on to buy a book like The Brain Audit or Chaos Planning. At this point, you're starting to roam widely in the Psychotactics universe.
We do this kind of deep dive a lot when we get better explanations, or faster results. There may be ten thousand personal trainers or yoga classes, but the reason why you choose one over the other is because you know there's more to this than just a one-time transaction.
3- The third reason is pure entertainmentWe call it entertainment, but it's really an understanding of structure. When you watch a terrible movie, you are going through the transaction. You've committed to watching something and it's too much trouble to find another movie, and so you watch. We do the same on YouTube. We may watch a video or two and then leave. When someone is truly entertaining, they are working on two separate levels.
They're giving you information, but also doing so in a way that's making you curious to want more. When Dan Brown (author of Da Vinci Code) writes, he's also giving you historical context. If you were to read a novel that has a great story vs. a novel that also informs you, which would you choose?
We want to be smarter, more informed etc. Hence, when we're writing or creating something that's instruction-based, we have to insert entertainment. When we're creating something that's entertaining, we have to add “information”. Which takes us to the fourth reason: the stumble.
4-The stumbleIn the course of a trip abroad, we often stumble on a little restaurant, or a shop with lots of fountain pens and fancy paper. We didn't set out to find it, but we have and we're excited. A lot of YouTube watching is almost always a stumble, as is reading on any topic you're interested in.
You know where you can get fountain pens on the Internet. You still want to find that place you're not looking for, and when you do, you're deliriously excited.
Will AI do all of the above? I doubt it. We're always looking for personality, for fun, for the bigger picture etc. And for context. That's why you need to learn to write, to draw, and to speak. Because humans may do what's transactional—we all do. But they also want to do what's more interesting. They always have and they always will.
The other aspect of AI—or machine learning—is that it will think like a lot of humans do.Hence, yesterday I was on a call with a photographer because I wanted to learn some software. He has a method of doing things that is fabulous. However, that method requires the camera to have certain features. He said he's never seen a camera that didn't have those features, but I don't think my camera has those features.
This means we're at a dead end.A lot of information has this “dead end” kind of feeling. We've come to a conclusion and then every article feels similar. Hence. if I were to ask most people “what is choice?” their answer would be similar to the information below.
A good answer?Of course. But is it interesting enough? Of course, not. I'm giving you the obvious answer. But let us say you take a contrarian approach. Would the answer be radically different?
The reality is that we make choices only when we're unaware. Hence, the reason why Renuka and I ate purple pasta in Rome is because it was before we had apps and the Internet. The restaurant in Rome looked good enough and we sat down and ordered the pasta. It was pasta with squid ink, but I call it purple pasta because it reminds me of how horrible it happened to be.
We didn't know better, so we choose by “choosing from a series of options”.Once we do know better, the choice factor shifts to the other extreme. Now we are choosing “any restaurant” but that restaurant. We won't go back to that restaurant, maybe even if all the restaurants are closed and there's nothing to eat.
Then, moving along, we get better at choosing a restaurant. At this point, we're making an instant selection. We're picking a restaurant that had great food, but we are also rejecting all the rest. Hence, even though it doesn't seem that way, we're rejecting at high speed, so that we can choose quickly.
When choosing a partner, we may do the same. At first, we're choosing. However, that's only when we don't know many facts, or aren't sure what we want. After a while we start rejecting. If the person we are to meet doesn't have certain criteria, we then reject them so that we can get to a choice factor.
And this is where these two points come into play2-To solve the problem, but to understand the bigger picture
3- Pure entertainment
The bigger picture is this understanding of “how do we really choose” and the “entertainment” is about the trip to Rome and eating purple pasta. Any stories, case studies, photos, cartoons etc. (in the realm of writing) would constitute entertainment.
This is why people choose you, instead of the next person. It's also why they would choose you over AI.
The post Why Will Anyone Read My Articles If AI Can Write So Well? appeared first on Psychotactics.
What do you think or feel about AI tools in article writing and developing courses?Will ChatGPT Replace Writers? What is the future of writer?
If you haven't already heard the news on the street, you soon will. AI is going to take away all our jobs as writers. Anyone can create a course in minutes, write an article like a pro, or generate thousands of outstanding headlines with ChatGPT.
Is this just a rumour or is this our dystopian future? Here's a slightly sane answer from New Zealand.
Right click to save this episode.
The majority of courses and articles that are already out are written by humans.And they're quite bad, just filled with endless information that is hard to use. Hence, AI isn't going to do anything dramatically different. The best courses don't depend on information. They depend on how we learn. Just putting information together is not a big advantage.
Yes, you will be spammed with gurus because they realise one thing. That AI is both new and represents fear as well as opportunities. I think people are only just learning about AI but that's because it's entered the text and graphic version.
It's already been in use for years with credit card companies (it's how your credit card get cancelled when someone uses it elsewhere). Or in planes, and in cars, and so many places. Programming isn't entirely AI, but it's close enough.
I don't think you're going to get better learning systems just because a book can be put together. A friend of mine was putting together books like this over 25 years ago just by “cutting and pasting”. He sold a lot of books, but they weren't very good.
Here's a query to Chat GPT.I want to write articles on pricing. Can you give me some headlines?
ChatGPT answers:Certainly! Here are some possible headlines for articles on pricing:
- The Psychology of Pricing: How to Set Prices that Appeal to Your Customers
- The Art of Value-Based Pricing: Maximizing Revenue by Aligning Prices with Customer Value
- Dynamic Pricing: How to Adjust Your Prices in Real Time to Maximize Revenue
- The Impact of Pricing on Customer Perception: How to Use Pricing to Enhance Your Brand
- The Price-Quality Relationship: Understanding the Link Between Price and Customer Perceptions of Quality
- The Pros and Cons of Discounting: When to Offer Discounts and When to Avoid Them
- Pricing Strategies for New Products: How to Determine the Best Price Point for a New Offering
- The Role of Pricing in Competitive Markets: How to Stay Ahead of the Competition with Smart Pricing Strategies
- The Ethics of Pricing: How to Avoid Unfair Pricing Practices and Ensure Transparency with Your Customers
- Using Data to Optimize Your Pricing: How to Use Analytics to Set Prices and Improve Your Bottom Line.
I hope these headlines inspire you to write some great articles on pricing!
My Question:Can you write an article on Why Ethics in Pricing is Important for Building Trust with Your Customers and Long-Term Success
ChatGPT answers:Pricing is a critical aspect of any business strategy. It can impact revenue, market share, and customer loyalty. However, pricing strategies that lack ethics can also damage a company's reputation, and ultimately, its long-term success. In this article, we will discuss why ethics in pricing is crucial for building trust with your customers and ensuring long-term success for your business.
Why Ethics in Pricing Matters
Pricing is an essential component of a company's marketing mix, alongside product, promotion, and place. However, unlike other components, pricing can be perceived as an unfair or deceptive practice if it is not executed ethically.
For instance, if a company overcharges its customers, it can lead to mistrust, negative reviews, and loss of customer loyalty. On the other hand, if a company engages in predatory pricing, it can drive competitors out of business and harm the market as a whole.
Therefore, ethics in pricing matters for several reasons, including:
- Building Customer Trust: When customers perceive that a company is charging fair prices for its products or services, it can help build trust and a positive reputation. This trust can lead to increased customer loyalty, repeat business, and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
- Enhancing Brand Image: A company that prioritizes ethics in pricing can establish itself as a trustworthy and ethical brand, which can attract customers who value those qualities. This can also help differentiate the company from its competitors, and even lead to premium pricing.
- Avoiding Legal Issues: Pricing practices that are unethical or illegal can lead to legal issues, such as fines, lawsuits, and regulatory action. These issues can harm a company's finances, reputation, and long-term success.
- Fostering Positive Relationships with Stakeholders: Ethical pricing practices can also help build positive relationships with stakeholders, including suppliers, distributors, and shareholders. This can lead to better partnerships and collaborations, and even increased investment in the company.
How to Ensure Ethics in Pricing
To ensure ethics in pricing, companies can follow several practices, including:
- Setting Fair Prices: Companies should set prices that are fair and reasonable, taking into account factors such as production costs, market demand, and competition.
- Avoiding Predatory Pricing: Companies should avoid pricing practices that harm competitors or the market as a whole, such as undercutting prices to drive competitors out of business.
- Providing Transparent Pricing Information: Companies should provide clear and transparent information about their pricing practices, including any discounts, promotions, or fees.
- Avoiding Price Discrimination: Companies should avoid pricing practices that discriminate against certain customer segments, such as charging higher prices for customers based on their age, gender, or race.
- Honoring Price Promises: Companies should honor any price promises or guarantees they make to customers, and avoid changing prices without prior notice or explanation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ethics in pricing is essential for building trust with customers, enhancing a company's brand image, and ensuring long-term success. Companies that prioritize ethics in pricing can establish themselves as trustworthy and ethical brands, attract loyal customers, and foster positive relationships with stakeholders.
By setting fair prices, avoiding predatory pricing practices, providing transparent pricing information, avoiding price discrimination, and honoring price promises, companies can ensure that their pricing practices are ethical and in line with customer expectations.
My Question:Can you give me case studies on ethics in pricing?
ChatGPT answers:Sure, here are three case studies that demonstrate the importance of ethics in pricing:
1.The Case of Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals
In 2015, Turing Pharmaceuticals, led by CEO Martin Shkreli, acquired the rights to Daraprim, a drug used to treat parasitic infections. The company raised the price of the drug from $13.50 to $750 per pill overnight, leading to public outrage and accusations of price gouging. The move attracted negative attention from the media, politicians, and the public, and damaged the reputation of both the company and its CEO.
2.The Case of Wells Fargo
In 2016, Wells Fargo faced allegations of unethical practices related to its pricing strategy. The bank was accused of opening millions of unauthorized accounts for its customers, charging fees for those accounts, and manipulating pricing to generate revenue. The scandal led to a $185 million fine, the resignation of several top executives, and a significant decline in the bank's reputation and customer trust.
3. The Case of Patagonia
Patagonia, a popular outdoor clothing brand, is known for its commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical practices. In 2019, the company made headlines when it announced that it would be implementing a new pricing strategy that reflected the true cost of producing its products, including the environmental impact of manufacturing.
This pricing strategy was designed to encourage customers to consider the true cost of their purchases, and to incentivize environmentally-friendly behavior. The move was praised by customers and environmental activists, and helped reinforce Patagonia's reputation as an ethical and socially responsible brand.
These case studies highlight the importance of ethical pricing practices, and demonstrate the potential consequences of unethical pricing decisions. In each case, the companies faced significant negative consequences, including damage to their reputations, loss of customer trust, and financial penalties.
By prioritizing ethics in pricing, companies can avoid these negative consequences, and instead build trust with their customers, enhance their brand image, and ensure long-term success.
___________________
That's truly impressive for about four minutes of work. But is it anything you can't find on the Internet? I don't think so. Hence, AI is really a faster car, because it's able to collate things much better than wading through search engines.
However, I'm willing to bet that almost all the articles you read about ethics in pricing will be just as dry. The ones who write better, write better because they are coming from an angle that's interesting.
In every day life we meet people who are boring, and correct. And people who are interesting and correct. We tend to want the ones in the second category. I'm not sure how AI will become more interesting.
I think it's a much faster, cleaner system of getting things done. That's at least my opinion for now. I know that I can write better, more interesting articles. But if I'm stuck it gives me a starting point to agree, or even disagree with the premise. Hence, it's a useful tool to have.
My Question: I need to write a speech for a wedding toast. I have no clue what to say.
Here's the answer:Writing a wedding toast can be a bit daunting, but don't worry, I'm here to help! Here are some tips and ideas to get you started:
- Start with a brief introduction: Begin your speech by introducing yourself and how you know the couple. It's also a good idea to acknowledge the parents of the bride and groom.
- Share a personal story: Share a personal story about the couple, highlighting a moment that demonstrates their love for each other or something unique about their relationship. This can be a funny or sentimental story.
- Offer your congratulations: Congratulate the couple on their wedding day and express your happiness for them.
- Give advice: If you're close to the couple, you can give them some advice for their marriage. Share some insights that you have gained from your own experiences.
- Raise a toast: Finally, raise a toast to the happy couple, wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness.
Here's an example speech outline:Introduction: Good evening everyone, my name is [your name] and I am honored to be here to celebrate the wedding of [bride's name] and [groom's name]. I have known [bride/groom] for [X years/ever since we were in school/together at work], and it's been wonderful to see [him/her] grow as a person and find true love with [his/her] partner.
Personal Story: I remember the first time I met [bride/groom] and [his/her] partner. [Share a brief story about the couple here, focusing on something unique or special about their relationship].
Congratulations: Today is a special day for [bride/groom] and [his/her] partner, and I want to congratulate them on their wedding. You two make a wonderful couple, and it's clear that you were meant to be together.
Advice: As someone who has been married for [X years], I can offer some advice to the newlyweds. [Share some advice that you think would be helpful, such as “always communicate with each other,” “never go to bed angry,” etc.]
Raise a Toast: So let's raise our glasses to [bride/groom] and [his/her] partner. May your marriage be filled with love, laughter, and happiness, and may you continue to grow together and support each other throughout your lives. Congratulations to the happy couple!
___________________
Is that a memorable speech? I think it's pretty average, but it's given you and me a starting point.
My Question:I'm going to have a meet-up.What do I say to the participants?
Here's the answer:When addressing participants at a meet-up, it's important to make them feel welcome and comfortable. Here's an example of what you could say:
“Hello everyone, and welcome to [name of the meet-up]! I'm so glad you all could make it today. My name is [your name], and I'm the organizer of this event. Our goal today is to [insert the purpose of the meet-up, whether it's to network, learn new skills, or socialize].
Before we get started, I'd like to take a moment to introduce myself and get to know all of you. If you could, please take a moment to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about who you are and what you're hoping to get out of this meet-up. We want this to be a safe and welcoming space for everyone, so please be respectful and open-minded to others' opinions.
We have a great schedule planned for today, with [insert any planned activities or presentations]. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to ask me or any of our team members.
Finally, I just want to say how grateful I am for all of you being here today. I believe that we can all learn something from each other, and I hope that today's meet-up will be both informative and enjoyable. So let's get started!”
I asked Chat GPT this question a few weeks ago. It gave me the same answer. So it's not really updating itself and that means that there's likely to be a lot of redundancy. That everyone could end up cutting and pasting.
Question:I need some interesting, unique April fool jokes
Here's the answer:Sure, here are a few unique April Fool's jokes that you might want to try:
- “The Prankster's Oreo”: Remove the creamy filling of an Oreo cookie and replace it with toothpaste. Give the Oreo to someone to eat and watch their reaction.
- “The Fake Remote”: Use a small piece of paper to cover the sensor on the bottom of someone's remote control, making it appear that the batteries are dead. Watch them frantically push buttons to try and make it work.
- “The Fake Parking Ticket”: Create a fake parking ticket and place it on someone's car windshield. Watch as they panic and try to figure out what they did wrong.
- “The Bug in the Ice Cube”: Freeze a plastic insect into an ice cube and add it to someone's drink. Watch as they freak out when they see the bug floating in their beverage.
- “The Switcheroo”: Switch the contents of two different food containers, like swapping salt for sugar, or putting milk in the orange juice carton. Watch as someone takes a sip or a bite and is surprised by the taste.
Remember, when pulling pranks, it's important to make sure that everyone involved is comfortable and that no one is harmed or offended. Keep it light-hearted and fun, and enjoy the laughter and joy that comes with a good April Fool's joke.
Question:I want to tell some really good jokes at a stand up comedy. Can you write a script for me?
Here's the answer:Sure, here's a sample script for a stand-up comedy routine. Of course, feel free to personalize it to your own style and sense of humor:
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! It's great to be here tonight. I love performing stand-up comedy because it's the one job where you're allowed to be completely ridiculous and people will still laugh at you. And trust me, I've been pretty ridiculous in my life.
I'm a big fan of animals, especially dogs. I have a dog at home who's so lazy, he doesn't even lift his leg to pee. He just looks at me like, “Dude, can you move a little to the left?” I'm pretty sure if I gave him the TV remote, he'd never leave the couch.
I also love food, but I'm not the best cook. In fact, I once tried to make scrambled eggs and ended up with an omelet that looked like a Jackson Pollock painting. It was pretty abstract. My girlfriend walked in and said, “I thought you said you knew how to cook.” And I said, “I do. It's called ‘experimental cuisine.'”
Speaking of girlfriends, I'm pretty sure mine is a superhero. She has this ability to find things that I swear I've looked for a hundred times and can't find. I'll be like, “Honey, have you seen my keys?” And she'll say, “Did you check the pocket of the jacket you wore last Tuesday?” It's like she has X-ray vision or something.
I also love technology, but sometimes it can be frustrating. I don't know about you, but I've definitely had moments where I've yelled at my computer screen like it can hear me. And then I remember that it's not a person, it's just a machine, and I feel a little crazy.
But you know what's even crazier? The fact that we're all here together tonight, laughing and enjoying ourselves. It's amazing how comedy can bring people together, even if just for a little while. So thank you for being here, and thank you for laughing with me. Have a great night!”
Ok, I'll stop, but I think you'll notice three things about the writing style.You will notice that there's not much:
1- Originality
2- Personality
3- Angle of idea
I think we're safe for now.
The post Will AI And ChatGPT Replace You As A Writer? appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you use stories in your article?How do you use metaphors in your article? How do you create an unending stream of metaphors?
Even if you have a workable metaphor, how do you use the metaphor in your article? The key is to go backwards and find the one word or one idea that you want to convey. Almost magically, the word seems to fit the metaphor. Not convinced?
Let's find out how to go about this relatively-easy task.
Right click to save this episode.
A methapor needs a starting point.That starting point is always exactly the same. It's a single idea. And this idea is often one word, or a couple of words, because sometimes a single word won't do. However, let's start with a single word.
Hence, let's look at a word like: “stuck”.When we take a look at any of these ideas, we notice that we can almost always come up with a story.
- Buying a pizza
- Transferring data to a new computer.
- Going for a walk
- Going through security check
- Meeting a friend from college.
- Buying a totally useless app
- Setting off the smoke alarm
What if the word were something else, instead? Let's take “confidence”.* Buying a pizza * Transferring data to a new computer. * Going for a walk * Going through security check * Meeting a friend from college. * Buying a totally useless app * Setting off the smoke alarm
Once again, you have a story that neatly fits the term “confidence.” Just for the heck of it, let's pick on a third word, like “random”.* Buying a pizza * Transferring data to a new computer. * Going for a walk * Going through security check * Meeting a friend from college. * Buying a totally useless app * Setting off the smoke alarm
You'll notice that you can find a story—or at least twist the story—so that you can fit any of the terms.Which tells us that the word you choose isn't as important as you'd believe. Yes, you have to have that word in the first place, because the direction of the story depends on the word. Nonetheless, you can do this exercise with almost any word of your choosing and you'll find that you can create a story that fits that word.
And just as proof, let's take the term “confidence” and “transferring data to a new computer”.Almost immediately we run into a problem, don't we? Buying a pizza, meeting a friend from college—those sound like things you're likely to have a high confidence about. Hence, if you have a story you could easily link “confidence” with “pizza”. With the transfer of information, that confidence level isn't quite the same, is it? In conditions like this, we go the opposite way.
It's time for that example. Let's first start with the story and then attach the word, “confidence” later.
Let's say the story runs like this:* Imagine you've bought a new computer. * You've been assured that it's relatively easy to transfer the data across. * However, as both the computers sit on your desk, you don't feel so confident. * What if something broke as you transferred the information? * Or worse still, what if only some of the data were copied and some left behind? * Then, almost magically, both screens light up and you get step by step prompts that enable you to simply press buttons. * In a matter of minutes, you've enabled the transfer and your data is being seamlessly transferred to the new computer.
It's at this point that we have to use the term “confidence”. We can use it both ways—as someone being “confident” or someone “lacking confidence”.
Let's try “confidence” and start with the last line.* In a matter of minutes, you've enabled the transfer and your data is being seamlessly transferred to the new computer. * Imagine everything in life were so seamless! You'd have an endless amount of confidence, wouldn't you?
Let's try the opposite scenario: “Lacking confidence”.* In a matter of minutes, you've enabled the transfer and your data is being seamlessly transferred to the new computer. * Imagine everything in life were so seamless! You'd have an endless amount of confidence, wouldn't you? However, things don't always fall in place so easily. This causes us to lack confidence.
Having the combination of the story + the but + the word, is what allows you to create an unending stream of metaphors. However, if you ask me, the story must come first.
Which is why you should have a story bank with not just five or ten, but possibly dozens, or even hundreds of stories. As you see something unfolding the way it shouldn't, you know there's a “but” involved. That's the starting point to your story.
Try it today. Go for a coffee. Did something happen? Where's the “but”. Once you start looking, you'll see the “but” everywhere. That's when you make a note of it, and get started on writing metaphors.
The post How To Write Non-Boring Metaphors In Your Articles appeared first on Psychotactics.
You'd think you would need to have some scintillating stories to write a metaphor.Or worse still, you'd believe it's a skill that only some people have and can never be learned. Well, you know what they say, right? The proof of the pudding is in the eating. And the proof of writing metaphors isn't in some fancy story, but rather the mundane activities in our everyday life.
Ready to go on a metaphor trip that's fun? Well, here we go.
Right click to save this episode.
Do you know why we are often bored when friends tell us about their holidays?It's easy to imagine that we're slightly envious, because they've had a good time, and we haven't. However, that's usually not the case why we get bored. The reason why we're dying to escape is because their stories are all goody-gum-drop stories. They'll tell you in excruciating detail about the restaurants they went to, the palaces they visited, and the experiences they've had.
Your brain is waiting for the “but”.A story without a “but” isn't much of a story. It's just a pointless blah, blah that no one really interested in. You may politely listen, but that doesn't mean you're engaged. The same applies to any story—and it's why you start off a story, with a “but”.
Let's take a look at the story from the book, The Brain Audit.* Imagine you're putting seven red bags on a flight. * You get off at your destination, and the bags start rolling on the conveyor belt. * You spot the first red bag, you take it off the belt. * Then there's the second red bag, then the third. * However, there's a green bag, a polka dot bag, and a big set of boxes. * And then you see it, the fourth red bag, then the fifth and the sixth. * So when do you leave the airport?
You didn't quite see the “but” in the story text, did you?However, you felt it. The story was going one way where you were picking off the bags one by one, when suddenly there was this “but” that showed up in the form of a green bag, polka dot bag and a big set of boxes. The second time you felt that tension, was when you got all the six bags, but the final bag was missing.
Let's go somewhat chronologically through The Brain Audit and get to the second story* Imagine you're driving down the highway without a care in the world. * You're listening to the music, watching other cars as they pass you by. * You're mildly aware of the scenery as you zoom down the road. * And then from the corner of your eye you notice something. * You spot the red and blue flashing lights of the police car * Almost instantly you press down on the brakes
Once again, we have two points of tension. The first was the red and blue flashing lights and then the instinctive reaction of stepping on the brakes.
Almost every fairy tale has “buts” embedded as points of tension.* In the case of Cinderella, she wants to go to the ball like everyone else—but… * She does get to the ball, the prince is entranced with her, but… * The prince is trying to find the girl he met, but…
Goldilocks and the Three Bears is boringly repetitive, yet it still sticks to the but…* Goldilocks wants to sit down, but… * Goldilocks wants to eat porridge, but… * Goldilocks wants to take a nap, but…
You've got the idea, haven't you? But just for fun let's sneak in a Taylor Swift story.* Taylor Swift is on stage in front of thousands of fans when she introduces another singer. * The crowd goes wild, even before they see the other person. * The other singer is Lisa Kudrow, from the hit series “Friends”. * The song they decide to sing is an all time favourite called “Smelly Cat”. * The crowd goes crazy as they launch into the song.
Notice there was no turn in that story? No “but” shows up, so the story isn't as interesting as it could be.* Let's run that story once again, now with a “but” * Taylor Swift is on stage in front of thousands of fans when she introduces another singer. * The crowd goes wild, even before they see the other person. * The other singer is Lisa Kudrow, from the hit series “Friends”. * The song they decide to sing is an all time favourite called “Smelly Cat”. * The crowd goes crazy as they launch into the song. * However, Lisa Kudrow isn't happy and interrupts Taylor Swift. * They stop playing, as Lisa Kudrow gives Taylor Swift some advice. * She says: “That's not how you sing it, you have to feel the music”.
The second story is almost identical to the first one, but the “but” instantly ramps up the power of the story. In fact, a story isn't really a story unless there's one or more points of tension in it. It's just a rather boring sequence of events.
It's the “but” that brings the tension.
What do you do next?Step 1: What's your story? Or metaphor?
Step 2: What's the “but” in the story? Does it have more than one “but?”
Sounds pretty simple, eh? But how do you get the story in the first place?In pirate stories, there's always a map. Somewhere on that map you're bound to find treasure if you can only figure out where the X spot is located on the map. Finding treasure seems to need a lot of locating and even. more digging when it comes to stories.
However, that's not the case at all .The problem with storytelling is just a matter of doing some prep work. If you sit down to think up a story, you're almost always likely to believe that you're not a natural storyteller.
The reality is that all of us have told stories, but these stories have happened to us.Hence, it's easier to tell the story because there's nothing to invent. Yet, if you're going to tell stories on a regular basis, you will need a story bank. Without the bank you're as hopeless as a pirate without a map. Or worse, a pirate without the X on the map.
To get stared with a story bank, you simply need to come up with almost boring every day situations. Here are some examples, below.
- Buying a pizza
- Transferring data to a new computer.
- Going for a walk
- Going through security check
- Meeting a friend from college.
- Buying a totally useless app
- Setting off the smoke alarm
- Heading to the cafe before everyone else
- Sharpening pencils.
- Shoe shopping.
- Driving a clunker of a car.
- Feeding the tyrannosaurus before going to bed.
As next step, you choose three of those everyday situations create straightforward analogies + add to story bank.
Buying a pizza* You decide you want to have pizza on Friday night. * You get to the pizzeria's website. * You put in your details: name, telephone, type of pizza and credit card details. * The order goes through quite easily. * You get ready for a fun dinner.
Transferring data to a new computer* You've bought a brand new computer. * However, all the information and apps are on the old one (as you'd expect). * Now you have to back up everything onto a back up drive. * Then restore it all bit by bit. * Add all the software codes.
Meeting an old friend from college* You're buying groceries at the local store. * Someone taps you on the shoulder. * You turn around and you can't recognise her at first. * However, you realise she's a friend from college.
Choose three of those everyday situations create personal analogies + add to story bank.Buying a pizza Imagine you decide to have pizza on Friday night. * You get to the pizzeria's website. * You put in your details: name, telephone, type of pizza and credit card details. * You hit the button to submit the order. * However, all your data is erased and you have to start putting in all the details again. * You're keen on the pizza so you go through the entire process again. * Once again your details are wiped out. * You decide to use the phone instead.*
Transferring data to a new computer You've bought a brand new computer. * However, all the information and apps are on the old one (as you'd expect). * Now you have to back up everything onto a back up drive. * Then restore it all bit by bit. * However, to your surprise, you don't need to go through this laborious process. * All you have to do is place your old computer next to the new one and it will transfer it all across.*
Meeting an old friend from college You're buying groceries at the local store. * Someone taps you on the shoulder. * You turn around and you can't recognise her at first. * However, you realise she's a friend from college. * You'd like to spend some more time, but your 5 year old niece is throwing a tantrum.*
Notice that all you've done is add something that makes the story your own. But because of the YOU, the readers put themselves in your shoes.
With this mundane list you can create a starting point to the story, and then add a bit of stuff that makes the story quite uniquely your own. In doing so, you've managed to take two important steps with storytelling.
You've realised that you need the BUT to create tension. Secondly, it's dawned on you that you don't need to have a dramatic Cinderella sort of story. You can take the most everyday events and turn them into your own.
The only point that really remains—and yes, we're going backwards—is to know where this story is going to end. And we say we're going backwards, because it's something that we need to know from the very start. Before you think up the story, before you have the “but” in place, you need to know what's the “one idea” that you're trying to communicate with the story.
The post Storytelling: How To Write Non-Boring Stories (While Using Rather Boring Situations) appeared first on Psychotactics.
We all know storytelling is a crucial skill to have as a business owner, but also as a person. When we tell stories at the dinner table, everyone seems to listen. The same concept applies to marketing, but there's another bigger reason why you need to be able to tell stories. Ready to learn the […]
The post Why Is Storytelling So Important In Marketing (And How To Use It In Your Marketing) appeared first on Psychotactics.
Isn’t it better to recycle your articles instead of writing all the time? Why do you have to keep writing articles? A tiny bit of recycling may not be out of place, but there’s a good reason why we should keep writing new articles all the time. Well, here are my reasons anyway—Why I keep […]
The post Why You Have To Keep Writing Articles (Even If You Have Written Articles For 20 Years) appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you write an email subject line that has been opened? What makes a good email headline? What subject lines get the most opens? There's a reason for putting the brand name as well as the headline in the subject line of your email. It's called getting your attention. See, customers subscriber, and then […]
The post Getting Email Headlines Read appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do I write my headline? How to write great headlines that keep readers engaged? And does a headline gets the client’s instant attention? Let's find out, shall we? You’ll see the waffle in headlines everywhere you look. You’ll see a headline that’s weak. And wimpy. Headlines that say: “Do you fit this category?” (As […]
The post Why Headlines Need To Avoid the Shotgun Approach: Using Pet Peeves appeared first on Psychotactics.
Long Or Short: Which Headlines Are Better? How short should a good headline be? What makes a good headline? How long is too long for a headline? Let's find out, shall we? Let’s say I told you to go down to the supermarket. And I gave you directions. Take the first left, and then take […]
The post Do Long or Short Headlines Work Better? appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you overcome barriers to writing headlines? What are the mistakes when writing headlines? Assume I visited your home. How would I enter? Through the window, or the backdoor. Surely you've reserved the chimney for good ol' Santa. So where do I enter? Why through the door, right? And when you write copy, what's […]
The post Headline Mistakes: How To Avoid Barriers That Weaken Your Headlines appeared first on Psychotactics.
Do headlines work? How do you use headlines? How do headlines grab attention? What are the things to keep in mind while writing a headline? Let's find out, shall we? Haven't you stood in the wrong supermarket queue before? Every other queue seems to move ahead, but no, you had to pick the wrong queue. […]
The post Headline Psychology: How To Use Headlines To Get To One Thought appeared first on Psychotactics.
There are only two kinds of headlines. Unfortunately, most of us end up with the bad kind. Let's call that the “write and hope” kind of headline Instead of the “writing and hoping”, we really want to create “predictably clickable” headlines. And we want to write them every single time. But that's not how we […]
The post Are Your Headlines “Write and Hope” or “Predictably Clickable”? appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you write a headline that works? Is there a headline writing formula? Laurel and Hardy. Batman and Robin. Superman. Which is the odd one out? Yup, it's the guy who can't handle Kryptonite, of course. If Superman is in trouble, there's almost no one to rescue him. But Hardy or Batman can get […]
The post The Magic of Double-Whammy Headlines: And How To Use Their Enormous Power appeared first on Psychotactics.
Think of a story. Any story. Maybe just Cinderella, for instance. What does it bring up right away to your mind? 1) Sequence 2) Suspense and 3) The roller coaster Stories are like magic lamps. They have a sequence, there's suspense and sure to be a roller coaster. So if we examine Cinderella's story we […]
The post Three Core Elements of Storytelling (And Why You Need To Write Stories Right Away) appeared first on Psychotactics.
Bill Gates isn't known for making brilliant speeches. But there's this moment where he stands on the TED stage with a schoolboy smirk on his face. He reaches a container that's sitting on a table nearby and opens a container. He then proceeds to tell the audience he's just released a few mosquitoes into the audience. Suddenly Gates' […]
The post How The “Mosquito Moment” Brought Bill Gates’ Story Alive! appeared first on Psychotactics.
Storytelling secrets are hiding in plain sight Storytelling has a lot of guidelines and rules. And storytellers can't always explain what they're doing? And yet, they're incredibly powerful. For instance, the concept of “anticipation” before the “problem”. It's nowhere to be found? Find out how to tell riveting stories here. Here are three storytelling secrets […]
The post Three Unknown Secrets of Riveting Storytelling appeared first on Psychotactics.
Without a doubt, stories take first place. So how do we use storytelling in our marketing? Storytelling is way more powerful in creating any sort of persuasion in marketing because of how the story unfolds. Robert McKee is a creative writing instructor who’s famous for his “Story Seminar”. In his seminar, he explains why persuasion […]
The post Story Telling: Why It Ramps Up Your Persuasion Power appeared first on Psychotactics.
Storytelling struggles without a catalyst Yet a catalyst doesn't have to be in your face. It can be quiet, almost introspective. So how do you create powerful catalysts for your stories? And then, once you have the catalyst in place, how do you connect the story back to your article, podcast or presentation? In this […]
The post StoryTelling Series: Why StoryTelling Loses Intensity Without A Catalyst—And How To Use The Catalyst To Maximum Effect appeared first on Psychotactics.
Should stories be dramatic? Incredibly, the answer is NO. Drama comes from the 90% principle. And this means that your audience needs to know 90% of your story in advance. And that's one of the elements that make storytelling incredibly powerful. Right click and ‘save as' to download The Transcript This is Sean D'Souza from […]
The post Stories That Create Clients To Instantly Sit Up And Take Notice appeared first on Psychotactics.
Storytelling isn't an art. It's a science. Every kid knows how to tell stories. And it's cute to be a storyteller when you're a kid.But when you put structure to writing and storytelling you take it from science to art. Find out how this works with storytelling. Right click and ‘save as' to download The […]
The post Is Storytelling An Art or Science? appeared first on Psychotactics.
Storytelling is a craft that small business owners need to improve their marketing. Without stories, a marketing strategy is like a boat without a rudder. Fact, figures and data can only go so far. Learn how stories help to create powerful marketing, in a completely non-threatening manner. Right click and ‘save as' to download The […]
The post How To Craft Amazing Stories For Business appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you make your articles or sales letters more interesting? Analogies and stories always increase the drama and attention span. Yet, it's hard to find and craft interesting analogies and stories on a regular basis. Or is it? Find out how you can use a simple and effective ways to tell great stories and […]
The post How To Craft Interesting Stories and Analogies (For Articles and Sales Letters) appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do most of our stories end? Usually it's a fairy tale ending. Or maybe it ends in chaos, sadness or even disaster. We believe that an ending is crucial for any story. And there is no doubt that endings are needed for stories, but they're almost always irrelevant when you're using a story for […]
The post How To Write The First Line Of An Article (And Instantly Get The Reader’s Attention With A Story) appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you create Powerful Content Writing with Storytelling? How do you write a storytelling article without being boring? It's not unusual to approach an edit with a machete. We see a mass of words and want to hack through them to make the story more interesting. The problem is, that we don't know what […]
The post Storytelling: How To Edit A Story (And Why “Relevance” Is The Key To Editing Any Story) appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you write an intense story? How do you make your story more dramatic? We often believe that stories have a sequence. First, this happens, then that happens and then something else shows up. And while that belief is generally true, the heart of the story is the “stuck point”. You know your story […]
The post Intense Story: Why Starting With The “Stuck Point” Creates Intense Stories appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you tell stories? How do you become a good storyteller? When you hear someone tell you about their vacation, you try to be interested. All that exotic food, that astounding accommodation—it's all boring. Yet there's a reason why their story is boring. We aren't really hearing stories, but instead, we're just getting a […]
The post Storytelling: Why Storytelling Needs The Thumpity-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump appeared first on Psychotactics.
The hardest part of writing is usually the first few lines. However, the ending can also be quite a vexing problem. Unless of course, you use a simple method called “sandwiching”. When you use a “sandwich”, it closes the loop, leading to a very satisfying sort of finish. How do you learn how to sandwich? […]
The post The Sandwiching Method: How To Create A Perfect Crescendo For Your Story Using A “Sandwich” appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you tell a story effectively? How do you decide which facts to keep and which ones to drop? Why do you have a bloated story? It's often because there are way too many facts in the information you've put down on paper. Even if we know we have too many facts and figures, […]
The post The Storytelling Test: How To Quickly Test How Your Audience Will React To Your Story appeared first on Psychotactics.
When we write an article, we tend to get one point across. Yet, what if we were to disagree with our “one point” and do a complete U-turn? It doesn't seem logical to flip flop, does it? And yet that's what the client needs to create a more complex, more interesting version of an article. […]
The post U-turns: Why Almost Every Article Needs One To Create Drama appeared first on Psychotactics.
Write every day. Write every day. Write every day. We seem to hear a lot of that advice when we start off in writing. Yet, are we likely to be misunderstanding what the real meaning of “write every day” means? Most of us believe that we need to write at least an article a day, […]
The post Why “Write Every Day” Is Seriously Misunderstood (And Why It Prevents Us From Writing Every Day) appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do we keep writing? Are there specific writing tips you can follow to write better and get to the finishing line? We often go looking for a magical solution to help us write. And yet, the magic is usually found in the ordinary. How can seemingly repetitive advice help you become a consistently good […]
The post Three Tips On How To Keep Writing (Against All Odds) appeared first on Psychotactics.
Is writing making you tired? Is there a way to overcome exhaustion when writing? When we think of writing, we automatically assume it's the act of sitting down at the computer and creating a new article, report or book. What we seem to miss is that there are other factors that come well before the […]
The post Why Writing Is So Exhausting (And How You Can Make It Less Of A Chore) appeared first on Psychotactics.
Should we follow a formula when writing an article? Let's go deeper into how it's not just the article writing alone, but how a fixed formula can derail us. We often believe that if we've written an 800 words article in the past, the next article needs to be just as long. Which slows down […]
The post How A Fixed Article Writing Formula Can Derail Your Writing appeared first on Psychotactics.
Is there a difference between an author and a writer? Sometimes the articles you and I write seem boring—and they are. As you'd expect, there's a reason why. We are trying to write from the ground up. We wake up wondering what we'll write about, eventually figure out a topic and then get to outlining. […]
The post Why You Should Not Write Like An Author When Writing Articles appeared first on Psychotactics.
Short or long articles, is there a formula to increase or decrease an article length? Either your article is too long and bloated or it's much too skimpy. When faced with either of these situations we are at a loss as to what needs to be done. Well, worry no more because “examples” are waiting […]
The post Article Length: How To Write Long Or Short Articles – The Power Of Examples appeared first on Psychotactics.
Do Clickbait Headlines Work? Can a normal headline be just as powerful? Clickbait headlines seem to be designed to get our curiosity. But what makes a clickbait headline so attractive in the first place? And how do we write “normal” headlines that are far superior in getting the attention of the client?
Let's find out in the podcast.
Right click below to save this episode.
Re-release: Why You Don't Need Clickbait Headlines To Get Clients (The Power Of Normal Headlines)
Original: Why “Normal Headlines” Are More Powerful Than “Clickbait Headlines”
P.S. Remember to download The Headline Report if you haven't already.In ten minutes (or less) you’ll learn how to systematically build a headline that works.
The post Why “Normal Headlines” Are More Powerful Than “Clickbait Headlines” appeared first on Psychotactics.
How can you write an article faster? How can you increase your writing speed? One of the most draining aspects of article writing is the research that we need to put into writing an article. No matter how hard we try, we end up spending hours, even days digging up for the right research.
But what if there were a faster and better way to do research. What if that method was “accidental”, yet super reliable? Let's find out how to go about it, shall we?
Right click below to save this episode.
Re-release: How To Use “Accidental Research” To Speed Up Your Article Writing
Original: How To Speed Up Your Article Writing Using “Accidental Research”
Have you ever accidentally found money in your jeans? When I was growing up, I almost exclusively wore jeans. Except I'd wear one pair, then pull out another and soon I'd have an assortment of jeans hanging on hooks behind the door.
A pair of jeans might have sat there for a week, or a few months, before it washed. Right before they went for a wash, I'd dig through the pockets to empty them. Now and then, I'd find money, and I'd make a big announcement. “I've found money in my jeans”, I'd say excitedly.
My mother thought I was daft. “That's your own money and your own jeans”, she'd say. “You didn't find anything. You had it all along.” Yet, to me, the accidental discovery was real and exciting. It was money I didn't think I had and I was going to put it to good use.
A similar kind of philosophy needs to be implemented when it comes to research for your articles. Instead of driving yourself crazy, trying to find research, how about accidentally finding the research and putting it to good use?
Yet, right before we dig into this little khazana (treasure) of unexpectedly finding research, let's find out why we go about it the opposite way—and why it slows us down a lot.
There are two broad types of articles when it comes to research. There's the research-based article written by journalists. Which is to say a journalist will spend days, weeks, months or years interviewing, digging up facts and counter facts. And that kind of article is something you find in the New Yorker.
It lives not solely by its writing but by its research and detail. The goal of journalistic writing isn't usually to take you immediately from A to B. Instead, it's often a slow burn, to give you facts and analysis that you may not have understood. It still brings change but it isn't usually instant change.
Even so, the research that we seek exists all around. Take a case study of Barbie, for example.
Did you know that Mattel (the company that makes Barbie) has been struggling to sell Barbie in the last few years? Modern mothers don't like the concept of a skinny woman as their kid's role model. Mothers ignored the advertising, causing Barbie sales to dip quite considerably.
Well, there you go—that's a story. Barbie was stuffed as a brand and has made a comeback, based solely on the change in Mattel's strategy. There are facts, figures, strategy, and all of that is pure and unadulterated research.
When you run into that level of research, you have to thank your lucky stars. You can take that case study and write an article that makes readers sit up and take notice. But in most cases, none of us has time to go looking for stories of this nature.
As a writer, you could spend several hours searching for facts and counter-facts that will prove your point. Yet, that's usually not the goal of the business writer, that's the task of the journalist.
The real goal is to get you from A to B. As a business writer, if I can give you some case studies and data, that's great. The primary goal is to get you to your destination and a result, which brings us to our second kind of writer—namely you and me. We too, must research because it helps bolster our articles. It makes them more attractive. Facts and case studies are clearly compelling.
And let's not forget the First Fifty Words of the article. Having a story unfold in a way that holds the readers' attention is an incredible asset to have. If we are to do this kind of research, we need to do this in our “low energy zones”. Maybe you're reading a book, or on the bus listening to a podcast.
And on that podcast, someone talks about the Barbie movement. You realise that the information is valuable as a case study and it probably has data to make your article shine. This is the way you and I have to do research—almost accidentally.
We need to stumble on something, and then take that data and create the article around what we have found. Or, if it's not possible to use that material right at this very moment, we store it away and can use it sooner than later.
Sooner is always better, of course. I ran into this Barbie movement story about a year, maybe two years ago. I have it stored away, but I only know a few of the details. I knew a lot more when I first read it.
Which means I have to not only track it down but have to go over the information once more. And that takes time—often time I don't have, which is why you need to find a story, case study or data and work with it as soon as you can.
Most of us work the other way round and try to find research that fits the idea. Instead, stumble on the information and put an article together.
Also, remember that one case study is usually enough. As you keep your eyes and ears open, you'll often run into several interesting stories. When we are talking about “marketing movements”, for example, there are bound to be many case studies. Take Casper mattress, for example. They too created a movement as did many other brands.
It's easy to get sucked into the vortex of flitting from one case study to another. And in doing so, you're not necessarily making the article a lot better, but you sure end up spending a ton of time and energy.
The story can't just be dropped in to your article. It has to be crafted in a way that makes sense, has pace and is interesting to read.
All of which takes even more time that you didn't have in the first first place. Keeping to a single case study, that you accidentally found, is usually enough to get your point across.
As business writers, our goals are at least moderately different from the journalist. Yet, almost all the material we've read over the years, whether in a book or through reporting, has been the journalistic kind of article. It's baked solid with details and research.
The journalist is trained to go into the nitty-gritty; to find how “the flood has impacted an individual” or “how the new monetary policy has caused a few people to get inordinately rich”..
This level of detail is pretty standard fare for a journalist. Their articles are also defiantly aiming for change, but it's a different kind of change. It's slower moving and requires a lot of digging.
We, on the other hand, need to get the client to move to the next stage. Which is why it's best to find the research in advance, and craft the article around it.
Let's find it accidentally and put it to good use right away saving time and effort, while keeping our storytelling standards interesting and informative.
And now for a tiny summary 1) Journalism calls for research. It's not as vital for us as business writers.
2) Our goal is primarily to get the client from A to B. And if we have a great story or research data, that's great.
3) Research needs to be done accidentally and then used in your piece. It needs to be quickly used while it's still “hot and relevant” in your brain. Otherwise, you're likely to waste time, searching for it much later.
4) You don't usually need more than one piece of research. If you have one Barbie story, use it well. Forget the Casper mattress story, even if it's just as relevant.
5) Let's not forget the purpose of your article. It's to get the client from A to B.
P.S. Notice this article has no research data at all. It's still interesting. And it gets you, the reader, to make changes to your writing technique.
In short, a job well done, eh?
The post How To Speed Up Your Article Writing Using “Accidental Research” appeared first on Psychotactics.
Can we really write an interesting first line? Is there a system we can use? The first line of an article drives most of us insane. And as if that were not enough, we are called upon to write an interesting first line. How do you nail that first line every single time? Here are three—not four—just three methods that will excite and surprise you.
Right click here and ‘save as' to download this episode to your computer.
When my niece, Marsha was just nine years old, she wrote a line that stops almost everyone in their tracks. Marsha had an assignment which involved writing out the ‘autobiography' of a pencil. And her first line was: I am a pencil. Every day I grow shorter.
Notice the drama in that line? No matter whether we have to give a speech, deliver a webinar or write an article, we could all do with great first lines. However, what makes an outstanding first line? The answer lies in writing, not an exciting line, but a boring one.
Which is cool, because we all know how to write boring lines. But how do we wring the excitement from it?
Let's find out using three simple techniques. 1) The power of WHY
2) Creating a U-Turn
3) The usage of specifics
1) But first, we must start with the “boring”. To write a great line, you should ideally start with something boring.
Example:
- The boy got on a bus.
- I saw Keira at school today.
- The journalist was due to fly home.
There's nothing even remotely interesting about those lines. And they're just about to become exceedingly interesting, simply by whatever follows. Not all lines have to be so subdued.
Sometimes there's a story that you can't hold down, no matter how much you try. However, we'll get to that part later. Right now, we're all classically-trained at being boring, so it's an apt starting point.
Once we have the boredom in place, let's add a bit of drama. 1. The boy got on a bus. He would never get off. 2. I saw Keira at school today. But all I noticed were a pile of clothes. 3. The journalist was due to fly home. Two hours before takeoff, he was detained.
Yes, I realise you noticed, it wasn't strictly one line, but two. And you probably even overlooked that it took two whole lines because you quickly realised that what was important wasn't so much whether it was one line or two, but instead, the drama that ratcheted up at a furious pace. One second there was a warm northerly blowing*, the next moment it was a full-blown gale.
And while there are many possible combinations to get to the first—and ahem—the second line, let's explore a few options. The fewer we have, the better we can get at creating drama. Let's start with the power of WHY. Let's take the three examples because it seems like a fair enough starting point.
The power of posing a question—or an embedded question * A single bubble is always a sphere, but what happens when twelve bubbles touch each other? * Have you ever wondered how many words a professional writer writes in a day? * If you were Alexander the Great, how many cities would you name after yourself? * Which product should you pre-sell? Should it be the $20 product or the $2000 one? * Does it take 21 days to create a habit? Or 21 seconds?
A question almost always stops readers in their tracks. It seems like such an obvious ploy—to simply use a question at the start of your article. Just because it's obvious to you, as a writer, doesn't mean that the reader sees it the same way.
The person reading the article is doing so to satisfy her own curiosity, and if you ramp up the curiosity with a question, you've reeled the reader in.
If we examine just a few of the question-based first lines, you'll see how you too feel the gravitational pull. * If you were Alexander the Great, how many cities would you name after yourself? * Which product should you pre-sell? Should it be the $20 product or the $2000 one? * Does it take 21 days to create a habit? Or 21 seconds?
However, it's not just a matter of putting a question mark at the end of the sentence The fact or premise must already have a few dollops of curiosity. The way to get to find this curiosity is to figure out why you're writing the article in the first place. Let's say you're writing about “how to design a postcard”.
What's curious about designing a postcard, you may ask. It depends on the angle, or the sub-topic you're covering. If you stay at “how to design a postcard” and find yourself stuck, it's because you're at the “topic level” and need to go down at least to sub-topic or sub-sub-topic level.
Hence: Topic: How to design a postcard
Sub-topic: How to design an odd-sized postcard
Sub-sub-topic: Why an odd-sized postcard gets 300% greater response.
Without the groundwork of topic, sub-topic and possibly sub-sub-topic, it's a lot harder to come up with great first lines. But once you have your sub-topic, “how to design an odd-sized postcard”, you already have a premise in place. The question that naturally arises is: Why should I create an odd-sized postcard? The answers may vary.
Perhaps it's because: * They get a better response * They cost more but get a better response.
Now we have made some space for questions, haven't we? * If you had $100 would you spend it on Facebook ads or postcards? * When was the last time you didn't read a postcard? * Should you send a newsletter to your clients, or will a postcard be more effective? * Odd-sized postcards cost more to create and mail, so why send them?
If you've started down the road of writing an article, you already have the premise in place. Once you do squizz past the topic and head to the sub-topic, you'll quickly have to justify why the article exists. Use that natural curiosity to put a question in the first line. What's cool is that every article from now until forever can have questions, if you that's the method you choose to employ.
Won't the client notice? Would you notice? Can you remember the last article you wrote? What was the headline? Did you start with a statement or question? See? Our brains can barely remember what we had for lunch yesterday, which means they're not precisely keeping track of the first line of the article. You could write questions on an ongoing basis, and no one will notice.
However, questions are just one way to get rolling. If it's the variety you seek, we always have another option. One of my super favourites is similar to the “pencil getting shorter” line. It's the U-turn. We're going one way, and in a swift, unexpected move, we're facing the opposite direction. Let's find out how it's done.
2) Creating a U-Turn How red is red? Seems like an odd question, doesn't it? But the intensity of red depends solely on where the colour is placed. If red is placed next to brown, it evokes an overall dull feeling. Yet, as we've all experienced, put the very same shade red right next to a bright green, a yellow, or even black and it shines.
That so-called shine is merely a factor of contrast. And a lot of our first lines—especially the ones that start boring—could do with a bit of contrast.
Let's take a look at a few first lines. * In 2009, I flew to Chicago to speak at an event for free. And I made $20,000. * If you learned English as a child, your first letter would not have been S. * My father ran a secretarial college. And one of his students was a conman. * Does it take 21 days to create a habit? Or 21 seconds? * Imagine if you invented a set of tyres and your invention was ridiculed.
Be aware that almost any line can start off being drab. What follows is that which makes the first line heat up. Flying to Chicago, running a secretarial college, 21 days to create a habit—those are reasonably minded ideas. Yet what they represented is far more vital.
- The Chicago event was an unpaid speaking—yet got excellent dividends.
- The secretarial college is a safe space. No one wants a conman running around.
- A 21-second habit is like quick-drying cement. Who wants to wait 21 days?
Let's look at some more examples so you can spot the boring first part—and the surprising U-turn. * The most likely place to find a Singapore Airlines stewardess-in-training is the nursing home. * There are two types of grass on the Serengeti. The wildebeest avoid one type completely. * There's one hotel in Los Angeles that gets among the highest ratings on Trip Advisor. It's not a big hotel, or even very classy.
The question-based first line wasn't difficult to roll out. And now that you think about it, neither is the first line that makes a U-turn—or any weird turn, for that matter.
3) The Usage of Specifics 1492.
29th February.
Each of those numbers has an explicit connotation. While the rest of the world may gloss over 1492, it holds a special place for Americans as it's the year of Columbus' voyage to the “new world”. 1947, on the other hand, is the year the Indian subcontinent, namely, India, Pakistan and “East Pakistan” (Bangladesh) got their independence from the British. And 29th February.
Well, that's just that extra day we seem to get as a bonus, on every leap year. What's clear, however, is that numbers are specifics, and they have an exceptional hold on our imagination.
Let's quickly fly through a few first lines, shall we? Back in 2003, I was in real trouble when it came to writing articles.
- Imagine yourself in a helicopter over Milwaukee, USA, on the shiny morning of 13th June 1998.
- Does it take 21 days to create a habit? Or 21 seconds?
- Joshua Foer, a journalist for Slate Magazine, decided to something quite bizarre.
- In the late 1970s, when you asked for coffee to go, you had to tear a hole in the plastic lid, just to drink the coffee.
Days, timings, years—all sorts of numbers seem to get our attention, don't they? Yet, snuggled in the middle of those first lines is the story of Joshua Foer and Slate Magazine. Even though you may not recognise Foer as the US National Memory champion; have no idea that a magazine like Slate even exists, you still feel like reading.
Even so, it's dicey to have so many unknown factors in the first line. Readers don't necessarily follow a thread because you've loaded it with specifics. They do so because there's a story unfolding. If there's no curiosity level, or it doesn't relate to the reader at all, they'll just abandon the article.
Let's look at a first line that has specifics but ends up ho-hum * When the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was amazed * In the early 1980s, carrot production industry operated at a very low-profit margin.
While 1492, 1947 and 29th February are specifics, they can't stand alone. They need some oomph to get them to the status of a great first line. For example:
- In 1947, the Indian continent got their independence. By 1948, more than fifteen million people had been uprooted, and between one and two million were dead.
- In 1492, Christopher Columbus made landfall in America. And part of the success of the trip was due to biscuits—hardtack biscuits.
Of the three methods to get an intriguing first line, the specifics might be the easiest—and yet most difficult. A question almost begs for an answer. The U-turn starts with the boring, and there's a bendy-twist to keep your attention.
The specifics, on the other hand, follow no clear formula. The only overriding theme of this third method is to find something that's already powerful in the first instance, and then bring it up to the surface.
Columbus is both admired and hated in today's context Yet, there's there are aspects of his journey that are hard to ignore. Like the biscuits, for example. Or that the so-called ships, “Niña” and “Pinta” were not ships at all, but fast-moving caravels with fewer than 30 crew.
That for his maiden journey, Columbus chose to use an updated version of the caravel—the caravela redonda which had both square and lateen sails to help improve coastal navigation.
When digging for specifics in your own story or some fact, there needs to be a sense of mystery or surprise The line “Back in 2003, I was in real trouble when it came to writing articles” is only surprising if you know the person writing the article. That person was me, and I can now write a 5000-word article in a day, which makes the “trouble” seems surprising. Taken out of context, it is stripped of any drama and may well be ignored.
Nonetheless, if you're unsure if your first line is unusual, or not, it's a simple matter of getting some feedback. If you're a member of a forum, don't go about posting your entire article. Just post the first line and see if the audience is keen to know more. However, you can do this kind of testing just about anywhere.
I often speak with friends and clients on WhatsApp. That's one method I'd use. Or when I'm going for a walk with my wife, Renuka, I'll run the line past her and wait for her analysis. Usually, there shouldn't be any analysis if your line is evocative.
Whether you choose the question format, pulled a U-turn or added specifics, is up to you. In some cases, a line can have all three. Even so, it might be a good idea to start with just one type, e.g. questions, and then write a dozen or three dozen, so you get comfortable with that method. Once you get that fluency going, do the U-turn type of lines.
Then just for good measure try both of them—about 10 with questions and 10 with contrasty endings (U-turn). You're likely to find that specifics slip in any way as you do this exercise. Which means you're on your way to becoming a pro at the first line.
Whether it's a webinar, presentation, speech or an article, your first line matters. Go ahead, and make it count.
The post How To Wring The Curiosity Out Of The First-Line Of Your Article appeared first on Psychotactics.
How do you write headlines that work? If you’ve ever wondered if your headline is lacking some oomph, it might be because of an incredibly simple omission. It’s the lack of contrast.
Contrast works in real life with colours, textures or flavours. Not surprisingly, it works with headlines too.
Right click here and ‘save as' to download this episode to your computer.
Here are three common questions about headlines. 1) When do you write your headlines? At the beginning or the end?
2) Should you use HOW or WHY when writing headlines?
3) How to use Contrast to prevent headlines from going flat.
Let's get started.
Q1- When do you write your headlines? At the beginning or the end? The short answer is: mostly at the end. But the long answer is more interesting.
Most of the time I'll have an idea for an article, outline it and finally add the headline. About 70-80% of the time the headline will come last, often minutes before the article has to be queued or published. Or maybe I've just recorded a podcast, and it's going out. In such a situation, too, the headline will come last.
Which is why headline writing needs to be practised almost like you're in a flight simulator Simulator training is about flying, but it's also about “not crashing”. And since most of your headlines are likely to be written when you're hungry, tired and just want to finish off things, it needs to be second nature.
Just like a pilot faced with a plane falling out of the sky, you need to be able to get that headline to safety. And if you've done enough headline practice, and are watching for the specifics, this last-minute type of writing is no trouble at all.
However, there are times when I'm walking back home, and I get an idea for an article. In such a situation, the headline might pop into my head as well. I'll jot it down or record it on my watch (Just Press Record app) and then keep dictating the core ideas that will go into the piece. In such a situation, the headline comes first, and the outline and articles will be written a lot later, possibly even weeks later.
There's another situation when the headline comes first. And that's when you brainstorm ideas. That headline popping bit is fluke and if you don't care very much for fluke, you can use headlines as a brainstorming ninja move. That's because every tiny tweak in your headline can be the basis for a completely different article.
Let's take a few examples. Base headline: How to write articles
- How to write articles in under 45 minutes—every single time.
- How to write articles that CEOs read (and gets ignored by the general public)
- How to write objection-filled articles that make readers sit up and take notice
- How to write articles with stories that snap readers out of their world (and into yours)
- How to write articles that get fewer clicks but more long-term clients.
- How to write articles on a daily basis for the next twenty years (or more).
- How to write articles for any industry (and look like you're a complete insider).
- How to write articles in a sequence, so they fit neatly into a report or future book.
Notice what just happened above? That was just a simple, non-descriptive headline (How to write articles). From that one puny headline, we were able to generate eight separate headlines. The headlines would not take you more than 2-3 minutes each, which means that you now have about eight completely different directions to go in, because of simple, yet very effective brainstorming.
Which brings us to the headline of this article (which I wrote right at the end, by the way). And what's the headline? How to brainstorm dozens of article ideas by using the base-headline method.
Which takes us to the second question: Is HOW or WHY more powerful when writing headlines?
Q 2- Should you use HOW or WHY when writing headlines? Well, it depends. Is your headline obvious? Let's take a few examples. 1- Why you need to sit still when meditating
2- Why your kids will get a cold when in a room full of snotty kids.
3- How a shot of whisky makes commuting at peak times stress-free
Obvious, aren't they?
Now let's turn them around.
Why you need to sit still when meditating
How to sit still when meditating
Why your kids will get a cold when in a room full of snotty kids.
How to keep your kids from getting a cold in room full of snotty kids.
How a shot of whisky makes commuting at peak times stress-free
Why a rationed shot of whisky makes commuting at peak times stress- free.
If your headline is obvious, interchange the HOW with the WHY and vice versa.
And finally: How to use Contrast to prevent headlines from going flat
Q-3 How to use Contrast to prevent headlines from going flat If you've read The Brain Audit, you'll know the power of problem and solution.
When it comes to headline writing, we use the same concept of problem and solution to create contrast. If the headline brings up a problem, you bring up the solution shortly after. If it starts with a solution, the problem needs to follow.
When you look at the headlines below, you'll find some starting with a solution, while others start with the problem. What's common to them all is the loop is closed and that's what makes the headline curious.
—How to turn negative feedback into positive praise
—Ugly Bottlenecks: How to get past client resistance and close sales
—How to recapture lost leads and quickly refill your pipeline
—The Jelly Side Down Technique: How to close sales even when your presentation fails
The post How To Use Contrast To Prevent Headlines From Going Flat (And Other Headline Tips) appeared first on Psychotactics.