February is the month we (officially) celebrate love.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are awash with ideas – for dates, dinners and destinations – to amp up the romance and find the lo-o-o-ve.

This week I read that Winnipeg placed No. 15 among Canada’s 20 most romantic cities, in an annual list compiled by Amazon.ca.  According to the report, Amazon ranks the cities by comparing sales figures (since Jan. 1) of romance novels, sex and relationship books, rom-com movies and Michael Bublé discs. Seriously?

Apparently just reading (watching or listening to) all things romantic can put you in the mood… and your city on the love map.

Which got me thinking… novelists, screenwriters and songwriters all know how to turn up the heat with a few good lines. So this week here are a few hot tips to instill a little more passion in your writing.

Consider it the joy of text.

“When genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got and say it hot.”

– D. H. Lawrence

5 Ways to Write with Passion

1) Add some emotional rescue.

People everywhere, from your loved ones to friends and colleagues, are wanting to embrace emotion. Give it to them.  Speak it with words, paint it with pictures and say it like you feel it. Injecting emotion into your story, letter or speech, connects you and your passion to your audience –- whether it’s an audience of one… or thousands.

2) Open with your best line (s).

In journalism, after the headline, the most important line is the first sentence. From the top, you have to engage the audience and let them know why they should keep reading. Experts say you have three seconds to make a first, and often lasting, impression. That’s three seconds to connect and make them fall in love with what you have to say.

Literary agent Noah Lukeman says that what you say in the first five pages of a book is critical. The same can be said for your first five lines… of a love letter, business letter or cover letter.

3) Tap into the senses.

Use sight, sound, smell, touch and taste to enliven any copy. Writing is a form of visual art. Describing what you see (or sense) pulls the reader into the story. Good writing doesn’t talk “about” feelings; it uses words and imagination to connect with the reader and “bring him to his senses.”

4) Keep it real.

Recall, tell and retell true tales, hilarious anecdotes or life-changing testimonials. Passionate writing is infused with evocative, powerful stories — whether it’s about your business, adventures or life’s great moments. Good storytelling adds luster, meaning and connection. Few things are more inspiring than real stories (quips or quotes) from real people. As writer Kelly Diels says, “To write great dialogue, steal from your life. And the lips of everyone around you.”

5) Involve the reader.

Will you still read me tomorrow? Authors and readers are partners in the experience.  By involving the reader, writers show that they care about the content, storyline or information they are delivering.

In short, good writing is like good sex; technique matters but emotion, connection and attention to detail are what make it unforgettable.

So here’s to adding a little passion to your pen… and sharing the love.

It’s a brand new year of writing projects and possibilities, and whether wrapping up old assignments, editing ongoing ones or creating something new – blogs, books, scripts and more, every writer can use a little inspiration. And this week I stumbled upon some of the best writing tips I’ve seen in a while: “Belief and Technique for Modern Prose” by none other than Jack Kerouac.

Perhaps best known for his classic novel “On the Road,” Kerouac was an author, Beat poet and bit of a wild man, who lived – and wrote – on his own terms. So here are a few of Jack’s ‘essentials’ for better writing, in his unique spelling and grammatical style.

I particularly like points # 1, 4, 25 and 29.

1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy

2. Submissive to everything, open, listening

3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house

4. Be in love with yr life

5. Something that you feel will find its own form

6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind

7. Blow as deep as you want to blow

8. Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind

9. The unspeakable visions of the individual

10. No time for poetry but exactly what is

11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest

12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you

13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition

14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time

15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog

16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye

17. Write in recollection and amazement for yourself

18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea

19. Accept loss forever

20. Believe in the holy contour of life

21. Struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind

22. Dont think of words when you stop but to see picture better

23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr morning

24. No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge

25. Write for the world to read and see yr exact pictures of it

26. Bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual American form

27. In praise of Character in the Bleak inhuman Loneliness

28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better

29. You’re a Genius all the time

30. Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angeled in Heaven

As ever, 
Jack [Kerouac]

[Jack Kerouac. "Belief & Technique For Modern Prose: List of Essentials" from a 1958 letter to Don Allen, in Heaven & Other Poems, Grey Fox Press, 1958, 1977, 1983.]

Every life has a story; and every story can change a life.

This week I helped a client write her signature story, something I think is important for every leader, businessperson or organization to do.

Your  “signature story” reveals WHY you do what you do. And as Simon Sinek succinctly puts it: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

People connect far more to the essence or reason behind your work – your mission, vision or raison d’être — than to your expertise.

A signature story may or may not be dramatic, but it tells the tale of what happened to change, define or alter the course of your life and/or work. These are the moments or experiences that helped shape who you are, tested your imagination, strength or will, or fueled your passion. (You can read my signature story at the end of this post.)

Signature stories serve as models of possibility, examples of inspired action or new beginnings. They help your audience, clients or ‘tribe’ connect with you, as they illuminate the purpose, cause or belief that moves you to do great work, which in turn can inspire others.

Common signature story themes:

Signature stories may include an event that became a catalyst for change, a tale of transformation, or a time of deep diving for the soul. However, the ‘defining moment’ that alters the course of a life may not be dramatic. It could be as simple as making a decision… and acting on it.

Here a few possible themes:

1)    From corporate to conscious: For example, perhaps you left the frantic corporate world to pursue a calmer, more authentic life in work that feeds your spirit and soul.

2)    From the fall to the call: Perhaps a life of drug and alcohol addiction led to a moment of  ‘enlightenment’ when you decided to get sober and pursue a path of helping or counseling others.

3)    From the test to the testimony: Maybe your “test in life” (a weight problem, eating disorder, or severe illness) has led to your “testimony” of recovery, healing and health.

4)    From driven to deliberate: Maybe you were simply looking to change and re-focus your life from one of being driven to one of being deliberate – in your choices and actions.

5)    From victim to victor: For example, a loss of a job, relationship or home caused you to stop depending on (or blaming) others for your situation, and then take personal responsibility for your life and success.

6)    From the shadows to the light: This may be a period of despair, depression or a ‘dark night of the soul’ that ultimately led to an awakening or heightened self-awareness that revealed your own light. In other words, a time in your life when it was the darkest before the dawn.

Your signature story may or may not relate to one of these themes, but they might spark some ideas. Your signature story, like your written signature, is unique. So tell it your way.

Here’s my signature story (an edited version of a previous post), and why I believe the time to do what you love is always NOW.

Someday Is Not on the Calendar

You could say 1988 was the year that I lived like there was no tomorrow.

It had nothing to do reckless spending, learning to sky dive or being diagnosed with a rare, intractable disease; it had everything to do with making my self available… for life at full speed and spending time with those I loved, doing the things I loved.

We hear a lot about living in the present, embracing the moment and the power of now, yet often neglect to put the theory into practice; 1988 was my opportunity to change that …forever. The events of that year brought home the “power of now” with all the subtlety of a car accident—more accurately, two car accidents.

In February, a close encounter with a moving car brought life’s fragility to my attention. I was hit at a pedestrian crosswalk by a 16-year-old driver who passed a van, which had stopped to allow me to cross the wide boulevard of Portage Avenue. I bounced off the hood of her car like a bad dismount from a trampoline, was thrown about 15 feet from the point of impact and landed, smashing my right knee on the pavement. I was conscious throughout the entire “flight” and miraculously had no head injury or other fractures.

The ER doctor told me I could have been killed … I knew that. But a last minute action-hero-inspired-instinct to leap on the car’s hood probably saved my life, and certainly my legs.

Shaken but awakened by the incident, I didn’t let a battered knee and some crushed cartilage keep me from a winter escape to California with my 23 year-old sister and my sixty-something father.

That was my second winter escape with my sister, after a thrilling week in New York City where I took her (for the first time) as a belated Christmas gift.

Later in the fall, she and I rendezvoused with some of her friends in Montreal for an Amnesty International concert and a few days of old-world charm in Vieux Montreal. There’s a photo of all of us overlooking the city from Mount Royal, looking like college kids filled with optimism and standing at the top of the world. That scene is forever etched in my mind.

My adventures that year with my younger sister in New York City, California and Quebec marked 1988 as a year to remember – the months imbued with a feeling of endless celebration and joie de vivre. We were living large, living in the moment, and enjoying the languorous luxury of time without taking it for granted.

In November, we took a weekend road trip to visit our older sister Elaine for a quiet family celebration with a rural setting and home cooking.

On the highway home, in a pitch-black November night, my sporty Toyota Celica was hit head-on, and crushed, by a drunk driver. I survived; my younger sister did not. She died instantly, six inches from my side, in the passenger seat.

Looking back, I realized that I seized every opportunity that year to celebrate life, and all its opportunities. It was as if I had some advanced notice, if only subconsciously, that 1988 would be the best year available to live flat-out, laugh loudly, travel widely, and cherish each moment with loved ones… like they might be my last.

Nineteen eighty-eight was the year that my younger sister and I made ourselves available for the people, places and things that we loved.

We didn’t just read about being in the present, we lived it.

We said “Yes!” to everything the universe sent our way; we set dates, booked the time and, most importantly, showed up.

“Someday” was not on our calendar.

—————————–

Why do you do what you do?

I’d love to hear your signature story.

Today Oprah Winfrey bids us farewell on the last show of her epic 25 seasons. And while she has inspired and influenced millions around the globe to “live their best life,” her love of the written word and her legendary book club has ignited careers, launched bestsellers and encouraged a more educated, caring world.

In Oprah’s honour, and word lovers everywhere, here are 15 things writers know for sure:

1)  Writers know how to roll out a great story; it’s part of their creative DNA, their toolbox of talents, their raison d’être – not everyone can tell a tale with power, panache and pacing. Think of the last time your friend told a joke and forgot the punchline.

2)  Writers know the true meaning and proper usage of raison d’être. (See above)

3)   Writers know how to help you tell your story in your voice – about your life, your achievements or your dog.

4)  Writers know how to reflect, review and respond… and make others do the same. Think of the last movie, play, song or book that had an impact on you… it probably had an engaging storyline, fabulous lyrics or a killer narrative created by someone who knew how to string a few perfect words together.

5)  Writers know how to move people to tears, or to action. Powerful stories tap into our dreams, myths, hopes and fears. They can be catalysts for ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

6)  Writers know that best-selling copy is far more than the sum of its grammar, accurate spelling and proper use of the subjunctive.

7)  Writers know that good writing is sensual writing. They have uncanny descriptive powers that can imbue a story with all the senses – sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Good writing puts you in the moment… your pulse quickening, eyes widening, mouth watering. You get the picture.

8)  Writers know that compelling words and high-impact speeches can change the course of history. Think Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

9)  Writers know that good content trumps everything – substance wins over style – and good writing has the power to inform, entertain and enlighten.

10)              Writers know that good writing is like good sex; technique matters but emotion, connection and attention to detail are what make it unforgettable.

11)              Writers know how to reach multiple… formats, and tell a story in print, broadcast, online or on screen.

12)              Writers know how to say more with less.  Just do it. Think differently. Yes, we can.

13)              Writers know how to add wit, charm and personality to a story – from a stellar business profile that will increase your sales to an alluring personal ad that will get you a date.

14)              Writers know how to reveal the truth about humanity… who we are, what we love (or hate) and what we care about – deeply.

15)              Like Oprah, writers know that well-chosen words and well-told stories have the power to change lives… and sometimes change the world. Writers know that the pen really is mightier than the sword, and they know how to use it. (The pen, that is.)

What do you know for sure – about words, writing or writers?

I’d love to hear from you.

It’s been awhile since a novel has touched me deeply,  inspired me to look at life (and death), art and beauty in a new light… and actually moved me to take action in my own life. But that’s what happened when I read “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” a brilliant book by a French philosophy professor, which delivers far more truth than fiction.

It’s a series of eloquent little essays– on time, beauty and the meaning of life– delivered by two unlikely protagonists who live in a posh Parisian apartment block. Renee Michel is a 54 year-old frumpy concierge, who devours philosophy, music and art;  the other, Paloma, is a smart-ass, highly intelligent 12 year-old daughter of one of the tenants. Both are old souls and true intellectuals whose true talents and brilliance are disguised behind ordinary appearances.

They become friends and discover that intelligence and beauty can radiate from the most unexpected places, and people, when we look past the exterior and truly ‘see’ a person. As  Paloma says: ”Madame Michel has the elegance of a hedgehog: on the outside, she’s covered in quills, a real fortress, but my gut feeling is that on the inside, she has the same simple refinement of a hedgehog: a deceptively indolent little creative, fiercely solitary–and terribly elegant.”

We all have our ‘quills,’ yet in today’s society so many people are readily dismissed before the beauty beneath has a chance to be revealed. That’s just one of the novel’s many insights. At one point Paloma is reflecting on life’s fragility and death’s inevitability and makes a new commitment:  ”I’m going to stop undoing, deconstructing, I’m going to start building. What matters is what you are doing when you die and… I want to be building.”

Well said.  I’ve decided from here on in my life I plan to be building. I am done with negativity, complaining and those who are always “deconstructing.”

And Renee, too, has something to teach us. At 54, after years of emotional solitary confinement, she had met someone and was prepared to love again. A good friend of mine was so moved by this that she decided, at age 58, to take a chance in her own life. Within days of reading the book, she went online, connected with a nice guy, and just returned from a weekend in Denver with who just might be the man of her dreams.  Fantastic.

Within life’s despair there are those moments of beauty, where time is no longer the same–what Paloma describes as “an always within never.”

I, like Paloma, am going to search for those moments of always within never, the unexpected beauty and wisdom in this world, even when it comes disguised as a hedgehog.

I highly recommend this powerful, elegant story that reminds us of what matters.

I recently discovered The Fire Starter Sessions: A digital experience for entrepreneurs, written by Danielle Laporte.

In this incredible “e-book meets video transmission of business acumen and love,” there is a whole lot of mojo + logic + links/sites/interviews with amazing experts and resources that can help spark your genius and light a fire under your business (and other parts).

The Fire Starter Sessions include 19 actual Sessions, about 13 videos + 22 worksheets.

Some of the Sessions are:

True Strengths + The Metrics of Ease

Branding: Clarifying the Diamond of You

Products + Services:

Making Stuff That Feels Good to Make

Money: More is More, Enough is Plenty

Web Design + Traffic

Your Virtual Real-Estate

Stamina + Losses

Time + Fear Management

Visioning: Authentic Dreaming

Collaboration: Supporting Characters

… and more.

Danielle has been called a high-priestess of practicality, and as she shares her wisdom and (vast) experience aims high but stays grounded. As I work through the Fire Starter Sessions I am inspired, and “ignited” to expand my own vision, business and life.

If you’re looking to build a vision, a dream business or just light a fire under what you’re already doing, I highly recommend the Fire Starter Sessions. And if you aren’t in love with what you’re doing… this may also help you light up a different, more authentic and hot and happy path. Check it out.  Watch the video, then click on the “get stoked” button below.

Here’s to igniting your passion and fuelling your business.

As writers we strive to be original and the use of clichés may be seen at best as a lazy brain and at worst as an intellectual disgrace. Yet a well-positioned cliché sticks and stays; it is a concise, efficient and road-tested use of prose.

Clichés earn their status when a few well-chosen words can express an entire thought, story or image in a heartbeat. Clichés are chock full of meaning and the rest often goes without saying. Who needs to think outside the box when 24/7 we can find an expression that says it all.

Honest to goodness I could keep going until the cows come home but I think I’ll stop at this particular point in time before you throw me out with the bath water.

For writers, the fitting use of clichés may be all in a day’s work, but when we become too clever for our own good we risk adding insult to injury. So for those of you who love a good cliché across the board, I direct you to a recent article in The Boston Globe in praise of clichés, and to one of my treasured resources, The Dictionary of Clichés by James Rogers.

Hope you enjoyed this quick read though it may be nothing to write home about. In the future, I’ll do my level best to avoid well-worn words, come hell or high water.