BEYOND THE LIST: CLUES FOR CREATIVE CONTENT
On the one hand, the interwebs is a tangly mass of blah-ish noise. On the other, it’s an inspirational supernova and source of greatness. Oh, the dichotomy, the chasm of contrast! Think of it like this: what happens when you mix together the paint colours on your palette? It always turns to beige. Always. That’s content in essence; unless it’s creative, relevant and crafted, it’s just beige noise.
Okay now – sit up, smooth your ruffled brows, brush off the negative nay-saying and start from the very beginning like Julie Andrews (without the mountain spinning).
Get it down people
You’ve got a gym membership you’ve not used for a year. Sound familiar? So too, you’re an oracle in your field – In. Your. Head. There’s no utility in intention alone, it’s got to be backed by action. No matter the nature of your block, you need to sketch it or speak it to that little memo app you’ve been meaning to download – just get it down. Afterwards you can train and tailor it.
Talk when you’ve got something to say
We’ve all been there – the painful silence in the company of a mismatched companion where the conversation has inexplicably centred on wildlife for the past 20 minutes. It peaked at ‘So – do you think bears have bad breath?’ and hit a low with ‘I think penguins are nature’s comedians.’ If silence is better – shut up, it’s more interesting.
Conjure up a someone
Don’t talk to an amorphous mass. Make metaphorical eye contact with a person you know who represents your audience, and write to them. You wouldn’t talk to a child in the same tone as you’d talk to a lawyer. Talk to a butcher like you’d talk to a baker and you end up with a multigrain chicken or a T-Bone baguette. Adjusting your tone is both respectful and effective. Being real is appreciated.
First is the worst
Creativity can be about spontaneity but just because it happened first, doesn’t mean it should stay. Most of the time, the first thing you write will resemble the proverbial cliché. You’ve got to get the black jelly beans outta the jar to get to the red ones. Push pass your new sentence on the block and make it work harder. Employ craft, inhabit the anti-obvious.
Make meaning
Meaning is what separates us from the amoeba. Amoebae are; they exist in a zen-like predisposition, doin’ what amoeba’s do. We have choices; we have depth. When we struggle with things in our lives, it’s most often the meaning we assign to happenings, words and context that motivates or moves us. Individuals make meaning, so make sure you write with resonance. Hit nerves, strike chords, paint personal pictures, be relevant and work from the inside out.
Kill the ‘amazing’ superlative
Be gone the go-to declarations: ‘brilliant’ ‘amazing’ and ‘excellent.’ Stretch your expression muscles, get over the ‘wonderful’ wall and see what thunderingly triumphant word is on the other side. Chances are it’s been said before, so why not say it with personality, authenticity and gusto. Tell a story, put your message inside a well thought out arc, and be better than ‘amazing.’
Get ahead with headlines
What would you rather read:
- Council Builds Popular Dam.
or
- Dam; we love our puddle
Keep it compact. Long headlines are like the drawn-out end of a phone call where both parties just want to hang up. Give an indication of what the audience is going to read but package it as a teaser – you need to harness the potato chip factor… can’t stop at just one. Remember ‘Once you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents out of your dollar.’ (David Ogilvy)
Get a third eye
We all know when we’re too close to something. From research and revising, to finally setting your baby free on the wwws, you’ve kept your journey close to your chest. If your content can do no wrong – get a friend to read it.