Why Story Power
In a recent Monday Mash-Up, I shared Tim Ferriss’ podcast interview with Annie Lamott. Her book Bird by Bird is one of my favorites about writing. In the interview, Annie tells Tim how she came up with the book title. This story alone is a priceless lesson for writers — especially those struggling to get it…
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Powerful storytellers embrace and conquer stage fright. Take Darden Smith. He’s a singer-songwriter who has released 15 critically acclaimed albums and performed around the globe — including a concert in February 2019 at the venue I run, (ware)HOUSE Concerts in St. Louis. He’s an author, too, who wrote a book I love called The Habit of…
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I heard a speechwriter describe why her boss — the First Lady of the United States — connected so well with audiences. “She would have things that she’d want to tell the audience,” the speechwriter said. “She wanted to make sure that she was honoring their stories. She’s always wants to learn about her audiences (“What…
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In 2017, I jumped from an airplane 15,000 feet above New Zealand… …on purpose. Here’s a picture at the moment of truth. Those are MY legs, hanging out of the airplane, 2.84 miles above Lake Wanaka. Here’s another picture… …after I jumped, freefalling at about 200 feet per second. The plan: Freefall for 60 seconds,…
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I listened recently to my friend Dan Rubright describe how he created a song. Dan’s a great jazz guitarist and composer who appeared on the Songs Out Loud podcast and dissected his tune “Prepare for Departure.” This podcast blew me away — not just because I love great music… …but because I love to create… …and I help…
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When Instagram was new, I opened an account and thought… …now what!? I wasn’t into selfies. Instagram marketing wasn’t a thing yet. I didn’t know what to photograph or why. Then I decided to look for interesting images that surrounded me. I was at home so I looked for interesting stuff in my house. I…
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A few years ago, my friend skipped his high school reunion because he was between jobs. He didn’t want to face his classmates while down on his luck. I get it. He dreaded that “what are you up to?” conversation. He didn’t want to tell his story of dreams deferred. He wanted to be the…
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Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who peppers their speech with big, fancy words — just to show the world how smart they are? Yeah. I run into that person a lot. And, I have to admit (gulp!) I used to be that guy. I used to love big, fancy words —…
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There’s a movie I like called The Muse. Albert Brooks plays a screenwriter named Steven Phillips who has lost his “edge.” Everyone says he’s past his prime. So Steven gets a Muse. Not a figurative muse. A literal muse — as in a real-life Greek goddess, a daughter of Zeus. Her name is Sarah Little (Sharon…
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After his book The 4-Hour Workweek became an international bestseller, Tim Ferriss told an interviewer he wanted to name the book The 3-Hour Workweek… …But, Ferriss quipped, “My publisher thought ‘3-Hour Workweek’ was unrealistic.” Ha! I’ve read the The 4-Hour Workweek a few times. It’s loaded with valuable lessons. But the most valuable lesson is one not even in the…
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