Hi, I’m Lindsey. I love helping people discover their superpower, create compelling content, and feel excited about pitching and networking. I teach people how to pitch like a boss, network like a VIP, and write like an Oscar winner. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for actionable creativity and career tips.
Love What You Write!
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Hi Over the holiday break, I listened to a podcast where an author was unhappy that he wrote thrillers instead of literary fiction. This man has written 7 novels, both traditionally and independently published. He writes entertaining, well-written books. Success by any measure. But he feels like they're not important because they are not Art. He's fighting against his author brand, which is funny thrillers with heart. That is a great brand to write; it's fun to read and easy to sell. Lots of writers think entertaining people has less value than fancy, often erudite Art. I disagree. (I'm capitalizing Art here because people put it on a pedestal, making it more important than it is.) One of my mantras is stories matter. Entertaining and moving people is an important part of the human experience. Just because you think the kinds of stories you write are not important, doesn't mean they're not important to some people. Unfortunately, as writer we rarely know the impact our stories are having on our readers and viewers. Maybe someone is reading your cozy mystery while they get their chemo. Or someone is binge watching your sitcom as they grieve the death of a loved one. If you are feeling like your stories aren't important enough, I encourage you to watch the old movie Sullivan's Travels (1941). It's a comedy gem about a film director during the Great Depression who wants to make important movies, so he runs away from Hollywood to live life as an ordinary person. During his adventures, he gets to see the impact his frivolous movies are making, and it changes his perspective. Whatever kinds of stories you gravitate to telling, embrace them! Your stories are delighting your audience. And maybe changing their lives, even for a moment. Happy New Year! And happy writing! In Case You Missed ItTwo Real Life Examples of Screenplays Turned Into Novels: A screenplay A pilot How to Make the Most of the Holiday Slow Down Cheers, Lindsey Thanks for reading! You can share this article here. Was this week's newsletter useful? Help me to improve! Click on a link to vote: 👍Super! - 😐 Meh - 👎 Not my jam |
Hi I'm Lindsey Hughes
Hi, I’m Lindsey. I love helping people discover their superpower, create compelling content, and feel excited about pitching and networking. I teach people how to pitch like a boss, network like a VIP, and write like an Oscar winner. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for actionable creativity and career tips.
Hi Reader, If your story’s middle sometimes feels like a long, suspiciously quiet hallway…good news: the midpoint is where the lights flip on and the music changes. This is the hinge that turns a character’s inner journey from their Lie to the Truth, and it fuels the entire back half of your plot. Characters have three things pushing them through the story: The lie they believe about themselves or the world. What they want. Their want is often a plot goal like money or power. Their true want....
Hi Reader, Last week we talked about the importance of Amazon reviews for writers. This week we're talking about the other internet book powerhouse, Goodreads. How to Write a Goodreads Review (and how it’s different from Amazon) Goodreads is the cozy book club on the internet—more conversation, more context, more “why this worked for me.” Reviews here tend to be a bit longer and more in-depth than on Amazon because you’re talking to fellow readers first, not a storefront. Think: a friendly...
Hi Reader, As a writer and a story geek, I love consuming people’s content. I also love supporting other writers. To get our work in front of and build an audience, we often work for free. Screenwriters and novelists write projects on spec. Bloggers and podcasters make content free before they monetize it. So, I look for ways to support creators’ work I like. I’m a Patreon of my favorite podcasts and I subscribe to online magazines like The Epoch Times. One of the easiest ways to help authors...