CREATIVE DRIVE
The newsletter for people who want to have fun saying things
NUMBER 30
Don't take any of that back-and-forth. Know you want and go for it.
Recently, I was asked to describe a writer's perspective on the differences among distribution channels: "At what point does your approach diverge if you encounter a different channel or venue for your writing?" Surely there's an end to that line of thinking. Why must every new encounter be met with a blank stare?
Channels for the dissemination of writing don't diverge. If we see things logically, they're parallel or at least gradually convergent. After all, they have the same objective and goal, which is to permit effective communication between the writer and the audience or, in a commercial context, the seller and the prospective buyer. So, the core message will be the same regardless of the channel.
If you're a bit confused about that, you'll be less so as we explore the dynamics of message and delivery. Let's illustrate those dynamics with three simple scenarios: a speech or sermon, a children's story and a product brochure. These are good examples because a) I tend to hold forth when I know a subject well; b) I remember my childhood; and c) I've handled speeches, children's books and brochure work. So, on to our three lovely contestants. Please introduce yourselves!
"Hello. My name is Fontina, and I'm a speech. You might even think of me as a sermon, but in either case my purpose is clear. I want to put you in an either-or situation so that you'll ultimately choose the correct path. Do what's best for you and others, for example, and rich rewards for all will result. Anyway, thank you!"
"Hi. My name is Petunia, and I'm a children's story. Now, with a name like Petunia and my nature as a tale for kids, you may be tempted to think I'm a shrinking violet. Look again, and you'll see that my story has all that is good, and some of what's bad, of the world in which we live. So, with my story you'll have to get the message: Be good, don't tell lies and, most importantly, don't believe them. Thanks, everybody!"
"Good afternoon. I'm Stella, and I'm a brochure. I want you to imagine the boring, tedious repetition of your current routine. I need you to feel the heaviness of it all without the convenience of my brilliant new product. That’s the way I get you to want what is offered. I'll make you drool each of the fifty times you read me. So, my message is simple: Buy my product or suffer without it. Free copies can be found in a cardboard box at the exit. Thanks!"
"Whoa, dude. I mean, do you have Stella's number?"
Look, this isn't a girlie magazine, so get your hand out of your pocket and listen for a minute. Do a changeup with the identities of our contestants, and in any order they still work. Make Fontina a children's story, Petunia a brochure and Stellar a speech or sermon. In each case the motivation is consistent: Do what I need you to do, and you'll be rewarded for good behavior. Each suggests a scenario along the lines of "what if," "if or," or "have not versus have." It's a choice of two, but there's just one correct answer.
"What about statistics? What about data on sales and reach?"
Such questions are best answered with another: What about lunch? After all, to put statistical data before the task of writing is to put dinner before breakfast. Whereas our contestants were fundamentally alike, data will always be subordinate. You might ask why that's so, and I'll tell you:
If you're going to write a brochure, you'll already know the nature of your audience. If you're going to write a children's story, you'll already understand what it's like to be young. If you're about to write a speech or a sermon, you'll know the purpose is to inspire devoted effort among a set group of people. So, nothing more need be known. If you're ready to write a brochure, a story for kids or a speech to the faithful, you damned well know what you should talk about. The car or phone has a set of features, some of which distinguish it from others. The children's story has a cast of characters, an attraction and an either-or predicament. The speech or sermon will map the route to be taken by you and your followers.
What the hell is so difficult about that? Do you need any guidance other than fact and logic? If you're a thinking human–not the sniveling acolyte of an overweight, cash-strapped golfer–you'll get started with a fundamental set of tools:
1. A mental picture of your audience
2. An either-or scenario
3. A statement of benefit, i.e., reward
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"Okay, then. It's good to know where we're headed. Who's going to drive, though?"
You will. You'll be the driver. Here are the keys, here's your map, and that's your destination. Ask yourself some questions: "Who am I? What am I about to do? Where am I headed? When will I arrive? What benefit or reward will I share when we all get there?"
Statistics have nothing to do with your attempt. They have zero to do with the measure of effort you'll give to the task. As long as you still have to write your piece, forget the statistics. They can't help you plot a creative course.
I've had some pretty sharp clients, including those with backgrounds in sales and marketing. One, for example, developed product lines for consumer and professional audio companies, and he built a string of successes on a zero-budget basis. One was a marketing pro who was also a pilot with a commercial-aircraft certification. Another was a renowned lecturer who could face an audience of hundreds and look into their eyes without blinking. The audio marketer had a sales background, and he insisted that I write with vigor. He wanted better writing than any of his competitors could have, so that's what I provided for each product line he ran. The marketing professional wanted accurate representation of features and benefits, and that's what I delivered. The lecturer wanted clarity for a somewhat challenging subject. Done. However, in no case was I subjected to a statistical analysis of audience demographics. Only once did I encounter that kind of talk, and it was a turnoff for everyone but the speaker.
The Channel Is Yours
The only channel to worry about is the one you own; the one you operate all by yourself. The reason you have a channel is to deliver a message to the consuming audience, whether you do that for a manufacturer, a movement or the pleasure of casual readers.
Any audience in any scenario will have the same question: "What's in it for me?" If that group consists of corporate buyers, they'll want a guiding statement of value. If the audience is a large group of employees who are somewhat disheartened in their work, they'll want the encouragement to keep trying. If you're only reading to entertain a pack of hungry Doberman pinschers, be sure the book smells like liver.
"So, what is my channel?"
Your channel is what the term implies. It's a causeway. It's a supply, and you're the supplier. Fill that channel with the kind of information a target audience will want. It isn't necessary to know how many of your audience members have freckles on their butts, nor is it necessary to know how many of them should use mouthwash. You won't know their names, but you might have a guess as to age and location. In other words, if you're writing a children's book, create accordingly. If the audience is in England, use a relatable manner of expression.
A QUICK EXERCISE
This will be fun. I'll write a paragraph that reads like a story, and you can write closing sentences that make it a speech or sermon, a children's tale and a brochure. Let's go:
The sky is wide and blue, but we cannot fly like birds. The clouds are like mountains of cotton, but they cannot cradle us like a mother's arms. The ground at your feet is so deep, but we cannot dive into it. All these things require the magic of the imagination, and each takes the desire to do more than is humanly possible.
The closer for a speech: So, _________________________________ to ___________ the ________________________ and _____________________________________ so that ________________________________.
The closer for a children's tale: If you want ___________________________ like _______________________, you must ____________________________ and _________________.
The closer for a brochure: That's why __________________________ will ________________________ to _________________________; to exceed ___________________________________.
THANK YOU for reading this issue of Creative Drive. If you got something out of it, please consider a subscription to the expanded version–called The Lone Writer–on Substack.
See you next time!
© Copyright 2024 by Lawrence Payne. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.