We packed up the kids and dogs and headed for a cabin in the mountains outside of Blowing Rock, less than two hours away. We arrived as the sun was sinking behind the range, unpacked, and went out to dinner. As we were about to sink our teeth into a pizza, Phebe stopped us. “We need to pray,” she said. We all grabbed hands and nodded our heads to the amazement of people at nearby booths and tables. No…
Most of what constitutes branded content these days is so formulaic that it’s indecipherable. It’s as though everyone bought the same book and is following it to the letter. It’s boring and uninspiring. And that’s not just an elitist writer saying this. When I read branded content I think from the perspective of the audience. And, well, yawn. Sure, there are some outliers who get it, but most don’t. The problem started a couple of years ago when the benefits…
It’s been about a year since I published my novel, Minor King. I’m grateful to all of my friends who have read it. And, as an independent publisher of a minor work, I’m truly grateful that so many people have publicly endorsed it. Because it’s not an easy story to swallow. In fact, that’s why I decided to write this post—to set a few things straight. If you have not read the book, but intend to, I urge you to…
Six hundred billion dollars. That’s how much brands around the world spent on advertising in 2014. $600,000,000,000 to get people to notice, engage, and, ultimately, buy things. It’s particularly interesting when you consider that at its core, advertising is propaganda designed to get people to do what you want them to do. And boy are there a lot of ways to advertise. Print will tell you that it’s as strong as ever. Radio too. And outdoor. The direct mail guys…
Not everyone is creative. Some people are sharers. Consumers. Distributers. It’s ok. It’s not all that to be creative anyway. And before I get bitch slapped, yes, creativity is innate in all of us. It’s not like an exclusive club reserved for people with nose rings and purple hair. So yes, even if you consume and share way more than you actually create, you’re still technically creative so … [holds hands out in front of him] But I’m going to guess…
In 2010, after my dog Tucker died, I wrote a story about the morning we had to put him down. It was cathartic to write, even though I did so through a tsunami of tears. After posting it to my blog, I received the greatest outpouring of love from people that I’ve ever experienced. People reached out for weeks afterward, as the post was shared across social media. It seemed that everyone who read the story empathized with my loss…
