It occurred to me that the stages of producing a new story (or other creative project) is a lot like the process of brewing.

Stage One: Malting & Milling

Malting is a process through which you alter the barley so that the finished beer has a particular color and flavor, then you open the grain so that it can absorb the water in the mashing stage. This is when you settle on a mood that will remain consistent throughout the narrative. You have snippets of ideas loosely connected with a mood and you talk to people you trust to help you solidify the idea. Then you closely examine those ideas, organize them, and prepare them to grow much larger with your next stage.

Stage Two: Mashing & Brewing

This is when the starches in the malt convert to sugar, the end product of which is called wort. More ingredients (such as hops) are added, which is then boiled and filtered. I think this stage is like researching, when you gather all of your facts together to help your ideas take on full flavor, then you cut out the problematic ideas and correct any issues that have arisen during the research process.

Stage Three: Cooling & Fermenting

This is self-explanatory; both our soon-to-be-beer and our project need to be set aside for a while. Walk away and let things come to fruition. A book might complete a first draft during this period, but it might still need to lie untouched for a little while for best results.

Stage Four: Maturation & Finishing

The beer is moved to a new vessel, within which it will go through whatever steps the brewer chooses to impart a particular flavor. Likewise, our project or book goes through the beta rings, or our new business is looked at by our accountant or lawyer.  You’ll taste the beer for the first time, and release your first announcements of what’s to come with your project.

Stage Five: Drink, and be merry!

It’s time to pop the cap, to let that book out into the world. Time to “ship”, as Steve Jobs famously said.

Feeling a little thirsty now…

Photo Credit sashimomura on Flickr Commons

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For many of us, the sharing economy is a no-brainer. You don’t need to rent an expensive office where you sit alone and unstimulated for several hours every day; try coworking instead. You don’t need to own that care you only drive two days a week, just use Zipcar.

The entry point into the sharing economy is usually the desire to save some of that hard-earned dough, but people stick around for the creative atmosphere and community that comes along with most of these transactions. It’s cool, and these days, kinda hip. But it’s also nothing new, being built on a model that is as old as civilization. Unfortunately, the sharing economy also comes along with its own version of an STD.

Industries that tend to be ultra-inflated with hype, like coaching and free educational courses, leech off of the healthy participants in the sharing economy as a matter of course. With the glutted marketing atmosphere of the web, this content seems to initially add value to the community but most of the time it’s just regurgitated hot air. Too much intake and you feel like you’ve been chanting in the retreat circle too long. All that second-hand breath makes you dizzy and nauseous.

I’m not saying that there aren’t gems who create truly original content amongst the coaching and free eduction crowd. There definitely are. But since it’s free, it’s also incredibly easy to imitate. And thus, the fluff is born.

Fluffy bunnies tend to procreate at astonishingly high rates, coming up with new methods for delivery that bypass our natural skepticism. The rest of us suffer under the weight of their well-disguised spam. And I, for one, am done with getting caught up in doing business with them. So here is my list of recommendations to help the other ‘preneurs out there with what I’ll call Fluffy Bunny Killers.

Think of it like a condom for your business. (Now you’ll NEVER forget.)

1. Ditch your intern and get an accountant instead.

I know that your hipster intern makes you smile and laugh and brings a great creative energy to your team. They won your heart because they don’t charge much and they know how to create slick graphics on their iPad. Only they flake out when you need some serious business done and often see deadlines as negotiable, like the time their parents tell them to come home for dinner.

Are you having to chase down your clients for payment? Is tax time a huge pain in the ass? Kill the fluffy bunny babies. They are adorable, but pretty useless until they’ve grown in all their fur. Use the resources you were using to compensate them to hire someone that brings something unambiguous to the table.

2. Learn the signs of the leeching economy. Then don’t do that.

This one is fortunately easy to spot. They want you to work for “exposure” (whatever that means) or promise you a share in future business. They don’t offer a written contract and when you ask about their tax ID they tell you they’ll get it to you when they’ve finished filing the papers. They are also very nice and often well-intentioned, which makes it hard to say no. You might have met them in church or at an association meeting, where they managed to get a free ticket and have an entire box of business cards offering free sessions stuffed in their bag – which is itself a freebie from another event.

It’s hard to say no. But say it anyway, kindly but firmly. They are not on top of their sh*t and they will drag you down with them. These incredibly vocal and intense bunnies are out there to sell, sell, sell! They ask for a minute of your time but end up getting a lot more because they play on your emotions and sympathies.

Note: We’ve probably all been one of these people at some point when we started out. That’s okay. Be nice, but let them learn their lessons the hard way. It has the effect of thinning out the bunny-herd. The strong will survive and become productive, stable rabbits… after they learn the basics of doing business, of course. There are free courses that can teach them about it, so there’s no excuse.

3. Learn what spam really is and opt-out.

When we hear the word spam, we usually think about unwanted emails. (That, or deliciously oversalted compressed meat in a can.) But content is at such a high volume on the web that it’s evolved many times over. The bunnies have gone forth and multiplied. It’s not just email anymore.

According to Spam.abuse.net, spam is “flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it.”

I would include in this description the invasive new visual advertising employed by AdChoices, the division of Google that rapes your browsing history and shows the ad for a single website you visited on every single website you visit thereafter. I’m sure it’s effective, but it makes me feel like Google raided my panty drawer. The last thing you want is for your potential customers to feel like you’re creepy.

Don’t encourage these methods. They are on bunnies on crack.

Go here to see the number of websites that have been watching you. This is the REAL Big Brother. You can also adjust your preferences there, which I highly recommend. Once you opt-out of these site advertisements, if you delete your cookies from your browser they will often start right back up. Since you have to do this from time to time for good browser health, bookmark that page and revisit it every quarter or so. I’d mark it on your calendar for the same time you’re seeing your accountant.

There’s a lot more to this topic, but I’d rather hear some ideas from you. Share your Fluffy Bunny Killers in the comments.

Photo credit cali4beach on Flickr Commons

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Fast-forward to ten years later, and every client I worked with that had to connect with Paypal did so with a groan. I advised people to look for other options whenever possible.

The reason? Their customer service sucked.

As recently as last year, I had an incident wherein I spent six hours on the phone with Paypal support. My call was dropped eight times and the majority of the people I spoke do did not speak English particularly well. Moreover, that incident was over what should have been a simple question, but a vital one. I was close to losing my temper over it, which is not an easy thing to accomplish.

I could go on and on with painful Paypal stories accumulated over a decade, but that’s not what this post is about. It’s about an incident that occurred this past Saturday.

I woke up to an inbox flooded with messages about account changes, cards added to my account, and transfers of all of my money out of my account in $25 increments. Needless to say, I was horrified, and not because all of my hard-earned money was gone. It was because I’d now have to spend all day on the phone with Paypal trying to get it back.

I put my earpiece in and went to the store, figuring I didn’t have to sit at home while I sat on hold. When I called I was put in a queue with a recorded warning that there was a high volume of calls. No surprise so far.

Less than three minutes later, a polite, native English speaker took my call. Within thirty seconds, he confirmed who I was and told me the money was already back in my account, and did I want the hold lifted?

In a state of shock with my hand frozen in the act of picking up a bottle of laundry detergent off the shelf, I said, “Um… if they’re out of the account… yeah?”

“Yes, ma’am, they have been locked out of the account. All you have to do is log in and confirm your identity and your account will be fixed.”

And that was it… or so I thought. When I got home and logged in, I confirmed my identity in three ways, which didn’t take more than ten minutes, but it didn’t look like the hold had been lifted.

Here it comes, I thought, picking up me phone. Now I’ll see the Paypal we all know and don’t love.

After being on hold a bit longer this time – like five minutes – I was politely informed me that I just had to log out and back in, that it was already fixed. Again.

I questioned the gentleman about the change in customer service and he told me that Paypal has revamped it because (duh) it was a major pain point for customers.

Will it hold? I hope so. Paypal is a mainstay of working online, to the point that if you serve international customers – and we all do, that’s why we work online – you have no choice but to offer it. I’ve been emailed twice since then to confirm I was pleased with the interaction. And for the first time, I am.

So kudos to you, Paypal. Keep it up and you will eventually earn our trust back. It might take some time, though.

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As hard as it is to believe, they started out writing advertising copy. When I first heard this I thought it merely an illustration of how writers once climbed the ladder toward being published themselves, or a way to make ends meet until they did. I have since learned that the truth is far more compelling.

It turns out that writers who are experienced in writing copy have had a crash course in engaging storytelling. These authors know that they have to grab you from the first sentence, because advertising often only gets a single sentence – and sometimes far less (e.g. “Just do it.”).

Powerful advertisements are designed to tell a clear story, to grab people in an emotional, primal way. They want a gasp of appreciation or a visceral reaction, anything to make the message unforgettable. And they’ve gotten very, very good at it.

When you have a strong beginning it makes the entire manuscript. I learned about this in-depth while reading the book Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence (Random House, 2012). Author Lisa Cron examined the neuroscience behind stories that grab you and just don’t let go.

From Chapter 2:

Here’s a disconcerting thought: marketers, politicians, and televangelists know more about story than most writers. This is because, by definition, they start with something writers often never even think about- the point their story will make. Armed with that knowledge, they then craft a tale in which every word, every image, every nuance leads directly to it.

As someone who is always crafting messages in both long and short form, this rings very true. I’ve studied countless manuals that describe the technique of messaging and creating believable stories, but beginning are vital. If they don’t grab you from the first sentence, the first image, and the first emotion the reader feels, they won’t read on.

I am still on a learning path (and I hope to always be there) so this is a lesson I will continue to work on. Having a premise or mission for the content I’m creating makes it simpler to keep your story going in the right direction.

Why not take a second to ask yourself, What is it I want my readers to walk away thinking about? What point does my story make? How do I want to change the way my readers see the world?

- Lisa Cron, Wired for Story

It works for blogs, ebooks, and greeting cards too. Think about it.

Photo credit: Karen Roe on Flickr Commons

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“Growth is evolution; climax is revolution.”

- Lajos Egri

From The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives

The post On Growth and Climax appeared first on Emily Breder.

But as much as it seems simple, putting a magnifying glass on yourself to decide what’s worthy of mention can bring raw feelings of low self-esteem rising to the surface, which is simply terrible for creativity and productivity. Be not fooled by this negative internal message!

Here is a good way to get started:

1. Start with: “I hate reading bios because…” This will give you a list of things to avoid.
2. Set a timer for five or ten minutes and write about how writing your bio makes you feel, and why.
3. Now that you’re warmed up, write at least three sentences about each of these topics: work, background, and interests.
4. Save this source material and reduce the bio to the length you require. Revisit once or twice a month.

If during any step you find yourself writing your bio instead of the writing prompt, just roll with it. That’s the point, right?

Make sure you leave in the stuff about your interests and background in the final cut. It might seem boring or trivial to you, but it’s like the pinch of salt in the cookies – without it, the whole thing tastes flat.

Still having trouble? Share your bio in the comments below and I’ll offer some critique!

Photo credit: Frustration by base2wave on Flickr

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With alarming regularity, I get panicked phone calls or emails saying, “Help me, Emily! I know you don’t do this stuff often anymore, but my (website has been in production/book has been waiting to get edited or formatted/content isn’t finished being written) for an ENTIRE YEAR by this guy I met in church and it still isn’t done to my satisfaction. Oh, and I paid them in full up front, so can you work for practically nothing?”

Headdesk, followed by infinite facepalms.

I’m not saying that terrific professionals don’t go to your church. I’m sure that a fantastic web designer/graphic designer/book formatter is sitting in a pew somewhere. But if they don’t have PROOF that they can do good work in a timely manner, don’t hand over your money. I mean, seriously – I can understand giving your teenaged nephew a chance to do something before you shell out the going rate for a service, but that random person you ranted to after Sunday service (or the friend of a friend who swears that yes, they can do that) have done absolutely nothing to earn your trust. Subscribing to the same belief system, however sincere, says nothing about their ability to deliver.

Perhaps you accepted out of compassion. They may just really need the money and are willing to do any piecemeal work to make ends meet, and you may be willing to give them a shot. The problem is that a desperate person is going to work for whoever is dangling the carrot in front of them, so when you pay them in advance, however well-intentioned, they are going to move on to the next project regardless of whether the work is complete. Plus, you are setting yourself up in advance to be taken advantage of because they know (however unconsciously) that you are the type of forgiving person who can take some delays while they watch YouTube tutorials. You may have blind faith in your deity of choice, but having it in random people is eventually going to get you burned.

There are exceptions, of course. If that person has a thriving business and a google-able presence in that field, and if they offer to do your work for a great rate, it could be worth a shot. But you need an agreement in writing like with any other business, and they need to take your project as seriously as they do full-paying clients. If they don’t know how to do that and don’t understand the language of business, find someone else.

Do it right the first time. Ask someone with experience who is willing to provide you with a formal quote, a tax ID, and a receipt that isn’t scribbled on a post-it note. That’s all I’m saying.

[/end rant]

Photo Credit darkuncle on Flickr Commons and probably Paramount

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I spent the rest of last night combing through my notes for ideas that grabbed me and collecting them in a new Scrivener file. I did some research on topics that generally fascinate me, mostly science-based, and jotted down a few more. I had toyed with the idea of making this fantasy or even horror, but since this is my first attempt at a 100% original story for public consumption I’ve decided to go with my strengths. This will definitely be scifi, possibly with a cyberpunk edge.

Then this morning I freewrote about 1500 words on the subject, just sort of ambling along. I parsed that out into a sketch of the plot from beginning to end using the Fiction Writer’s Cheat Sheet I made a few months back. By that time I had a rough idea for two main characters, so I threw together a potential first scene idea. From that, a few secondary characters popped out very naturally. I’m not quite ready to summarize it, but I will soon.

It’s still got a lot of kinks to work out. Like unformed dough, I’m just kneading it, getting it to combine and build lots of strong bonds so that it will rise properly. There is more to come!

Photo Credit Drew Coffman on Flickr Commons

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I talk a lot of smack about being brave, putting yourself out there, and making the change you want to make. Well, I just did. It’s time to put both feet firmly in the world of fiction publishing. I’ve been meandering between nonfiction and fiction for too long.

So today I announced the new short story, probably science fiction, which I will be publishing (details forthcoming). I’m writing it this month, then running it through my beta-reading circles, then offering it up to the critical public via Amazon’s KDP select program, which will allow me to offer it up for free for a few days.

This is my first time publishing my own work, though I’ve helped others publish a number of times. I’ve set up an email list to notify my adoring public (all three of them) about important news such as when the book is available for free. I’m not out for a million dollars here; I’m just making the leap and seeing what happens.

If you’d like to follow me on this journey, sign up. It would definitely put a smile on my face!

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This has coined the term “working to failure”. You heard me right; in lifting, failure is a good thing.

Similarly, when you work independently you experience failure quite a bit. In fact, failure has become a rite of passage for entrepreneurs. An exhausting, emotional rite of passage, true. But would it be as worth winning if it didn’t strain you a bit? I think not.

I used to play a lot of video games. I also used to cheat. I wasn’t really interested in high scores; I just wanted to play through the story. I played role playing games like Final Fantasy and I read a sh*t-ton of books, mostly scifi and fantasy and a bit of classic literature. I also got pretty heavy in the process. I got sick and I got tired, and then I got more sick and tired because I had been sick and tired for so long that I didn’t remember being any other way.

First I realized that the games stopped being fun because they weren’t challenging. Nothing was fun anymore – it was all escapism. I decided that I was going to damned well find a solution to all of my issues, and for once I wasn’t going to cheat. No short cuts.

That doesn’t mean I wanted to work more than necessary. Far from it. But I wanted to be smart about it and do it right. I wanted to do it right the first time. It didn’t exactly work out that way, because you can’t learn anything new without failure. You can’t get stronger, or smarter, or win any other battles without feeling the strain.

Nowadays, I relish the strain. If I wake up in the morning and some part of my body isn’t a little sore from lifting weights, I feel like I haven’t worked out enough. I’ve actually gotten to like the soreness, but in a compassionate way, because I like my body and I want to care for it well for a long, long time.

In work, whether writing a book or creating a business (though the two are not really different at all anymore) it’s a little trickier. It’s emotional, and we are powerfully motivated to avoid emotional pain. Seeing that website die or that book flop or that painting criticized hurts like hell. But it’s a good hurt. Take it all in. Don’t avoid it. After a while, you feel that ache and instead of wincing and licking your wounds, you say, “Bring it on. More lessons to learn. More strength to build.”

Just remember: it all starts with awareness. And it ends with acceptance – not denial – of the pain. When done with kindness and compassion, you’ll have something that lasts… and lasts.

Photo by Emily Breder

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