Writer’s Notes and Observations

Dialogue, NLP, Top Writers, Disappointing Books and the Marketing Methods of Writers. Ever heard of hypnotic sentences? Read on

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

Disclaimer: If you read too many writing articles, you may become fearful of putting word to screen.

Dialogue:

I just read an article that told me not to use any word other than “said” with dialogue.

“Get in the car please, kids”, McTavish shouted.

“Get in the car please, kids”, McTavish said.

I will use said mostly, another adverb or adjective on occasion.

Hypnotic Sentences and NLP:

Another top writer on writing (and he is very good, I just read around ten of his articles) mentioned using hypnotic sentences.

I had to look it up. I didn’t like the sound of it. It’s suggests we need to write to subtly influence or manipulate our readers. My assumption was correct, the background is Neuro-linguistic programming or NLP.

Fortunately, because everyone is hustling us on some level, we get the feel for when we are being overtly or subtly influenced and then it’s exposed as what is: a vulgar con-job. I would not go this route. It’s more for copywriters and those whose only motive is to make a dollar (emphasis only), however that is dressed up.

Some of those word and phrase techniques we naturally use anyway, without the motive to covertly manipulate anyone. That sits better with me.

The Reading/Writing Osmosis Effect :

I mentioned that if we read effective and talented writers here on Medium and elsewhere we may pick powerful writing habits as if by osmosis.

There is an osmosis like process whereby, if we study good writing enough, we may absorb a methodology that works (because it is working for others) with no effort (other than reading) and adapt it to our own peculiar form of expression.

The Downside of Only Reading Top Writers:

Reading (only) top notch writers with large followings no matter how generous they may be (or indifferent via success, in some cases) has a downside worth noting.

It may make our own writing seem not worthy of the effort to publish and we may tend to writer’s despair. To counter this it’s worth reading broadly and communing with other writers who are not so well known, or on the insider loop.

These good people are most likely to appreciate our efforts and give encouragement and help when necessary. Not to mention claps. When was the last time you received a clap from a top writer? That’s not written with envy or resentment, just being realistic.

Knowing Your Limits (and Strengths) as a Writer:

It’s so important to know your limits as writer (as they currently stand) and your strengths without any need for embellishment, or undervaluing what is already there.

I recently read a short e-book on Amazon, it was woeful. It had all the material for a good read, but the writer had over estimated his own skill. That’s my own tendency. I could see myself writing that book. Full of enthusiasm and interesting experiences, but not taking the reader into account (enough).

Being objective, I would say to myself (as that writer). Get an editor. Put it up for honest review by other writers. Notice your own limits, and I hate to say it, because it’s so over used, “ kill your darlings”.

The main flaw I saw in the book, was he wrote as if under the influence of methamphetamine, way too fast. He spat experiences and events out urgently, as if the point was to get to some more meaty part of the book. He assumed readers were looking for a secret technique. Mostly they are not.

This fast, punchy script may work for action thrillers but generally not for biographic stories, where the action is non-action.

We’ve all read tedious books with some supposed great value. My most memorable was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I never got it, others raved about it. You surely have read one like this. Everyone thinks it’s a great read full of wisdom and so well written.

Every Writer Needs A Marketing Strategy:

If you look closely at some of the most popular ‘friendly-guy’, writers on Medium you may notice, a hard core marketing enterprise, just in the background.

It’s not harsh and in you face, it’s subtle and more a seduction. Like a tip jar in a classy boutique cafe. The tip jar is a nice piece of art, not a ‘jar’ at all.

And likewise, their CTA (call to action) only comes after, they have won you over.

Nothing wrong here. More, something we may all engage to some degree, if we are chasing a dollar as a writer, or merely enjoy the creativity of the writer’s marketing hustle — this, if we already have income sources.

In contrast, you will still find many tried and true, conventional CTA technicians who cast their nets, like fisherman in a sea of minnows.

These methods still work, otherwise they would have given up long ago (one would hope). Again nothing wrong here.

The means is just a little coarser, less respecting of the intelligence of the market audience that’s all. A refined art, versus pragmatic proven technique.