“I find that most people know what a story is until they sit down to write one.”
—Flannery O’Connor
Are you a writer, reader, or fellow blogger?
How about copy-writing? Are you a copywriter?
I would like to be a copywriter, for it would be nice to make a living writing, but I have a chip on my shoulder.
I hate to be manipulated. And that often comes with copy-writing.
We see an intriguing headline, and this is especially true in health-related blogs, like “NEVER Eat This!”
What?
Or “Five Foods That Will Help You Live to be 100”
.
Tell me. What are those five foods?
I’m willing to be dragged along for a page or two, but six feet of text on my screen is too much.
Here’s the scenario: First, the DOCTOR must introduce himself. Of course, he has awards up the kazoo or is chief of something. Then he must tease you with the promise that he will tell you the five foods that will give you longevity. First, though, he provides testimonials by people who have followed his advice and turned their health around. Next comes some history, maybe he will tell you about his family, or how his wife was sick and now she is running marathons. Next comes the jungle story, how he had to go into the Amazon to find that rare herb that will give you longevity. Next, he must take it to the laboratory, test it, and mix it with other herbs to give it more potency.
You get it, right? A supplement is coming up. and I wanted him to tell me those five foods.
Maybe they are buried in that copy somewhere.
Would we buy his product if the text was shorter?
I don’t know. I was ready to buy his herb after a page, but I burnt too many calories wading through his copy.
Am I the only one?
There is an idea in copy-writing that if you keep people reading long enough, they are more apt to buy.
Is that true?
The enemy is noise.
Noise is too many words.
Story makes music out of noise.
“I’ll never forget,” wrote David Bach, “the moment I asked my mom, “What really makes the world go round—money or love?” David was about five at the time. His mother looked him straight in the eye and said, “David, love is what makes life special…but without money you are in deep trouble.” Actually, “deep trouble" are David’s words, not his mother’s. He had never heard her use “adult” swear words before, but he got the message that not having money could be really painful.
Now, I hope that guy comes out with something I want, for I’ll buy it from him. Oh, I did. I bought his book, Smart Women Finish Rich.
Now, I have a book too. Well, don’t run; it’s a small eBook of only 8,000 words, to the point and pertinent.
Long ago and far away, (30 years ago in San Diego, CA.) I took a training to help my vision. The instructor was trained in the Bates Method of Vision Training. A few months ago, on a whim, I blogged about my experience on https://travelswithjo.com and received many requests for more information. I wrote a second blog post that received more positive comments. So, prompted by these people who obviously had a need to help their vision, I wrote this booklet:
To know more or to read the Introduction of Hello Beautiful: The Art and Science of Vision Training Using The Bates Method, please go to https://jewellshappytrails.com
