“Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the ego, and lessens the frictions of social contacts.” – Clare Boothe Luce, Born Apr. 10, 1903. Lying is powerful. Whether you call it telling tales, self-delusion, pretending, make believe, whatever – if you want to get good at what we do, you need practice. If you want to […]
To Gain Persuasive Power, Practice Practical Lying in Person… Read More »
“For each letter received from a creditor, write fifty lines on an extraterrestrial subject and you will be saved.” – Charles Baudelaire, Born Apr. 9, 1821. Practical advice there – shockingly from a POET, no less. Poetry being the most useless kind of writing. But even in Baudelaire’s time, he knew that if you’re going
If You Want to Get Paid to Write, Write Where the Money Is Read More »
“If you’re too big to fit into fashion, then you just have to do your own fashion.” – Vivienne Westwood, Born Apr. 8, 1941. When I first went freelance and was trying to figure out this whole guruhood-as-a-business-model thing, I had a worry. What is going to be my “thing”? What is going to be
“Each of us is meant to have a character all our own, to be what no other can exactly be, and do what no other can exactly do.” – William Ellery Channing, Born Apr. 7, 1780. This is good advice in general, but I would add that if you can manage to be interesting, and
The “U” in USP Stands for “yoU” Read More »
“The ability to speak is a short cut to distinction. It puts a man in the limelight, raises him head and shoulders above the crowd.” – Lowell Thomas, Born Apr. 6, 1892. Getting on stage to teach copy at marketing events was easily the biggest factor in my rapid rise to recognition and success –
Speaking Publicly is the Shortcut to Authority on Any Topic (If You Don’t Do It Wrong) Read More »
“Give me a laundry-list and I’ll set it to music.” – Gioachino Rossini, Born Feb. 29, 1792. I hate hearing people say they have nothing to write about or nothing to say. Take a thing. Any thing you find. Scroll way down your news feed. Click “random” on Wikipedia. Then, connect it to your core
Pumping Up Reader Brains With Metaphorical Muscle Read More »
