You always want your reader to think you’re just like them. Someone who worries about the same things… Faces the same daily struggles… And heck, even watches the same TV shows and shares the same worldview. Because the more you can mirror your reader… The more relatable your emails and sales pages will be. So […]
Story Lead Checklist
They make many copywriters roll their eyes in disgust… Wondering who gets sucked into this garbage. But in certain markets, they work gangbusters. What am I talking about? Story leads! You know the ones… Those dramatic, over the top tales of people being rushed into hospital… Women falling down stairs due to their weight… And […]
Give Your Hero a Flaw
He wasn’t always the world’s most powerful superhero… There was a time when his popularity took a dip. Fans had lost interest. He was too perfect. Too boring. Too stale. Nobody thought he’d ever lose. And so, people stopped wanting to hear about his tales. So you know what the writers did? They created Kryptonite. […]
Give Your Stories a Ticking Clock to Raise the Stakes and Build Momentum
It would be “like killing Tony Soprano.” Series suicide, in other words. No, I’m not talking about the ending of the Sopranos… I’m talking about the show “24”. Because when it was suggested to one of “24’s” writers that they remove the pounding timer… His verdict was they may as well put a bullet through […]
Conflict Makes Heroes More Human
Seeing his parents shot dead in front of him wasn’t enough. He still had to endure years of nightmares and wracking guilt… He had to train himself to a near superhuman level… And prowl the mean city streets looking for trouble… Before he could become one of the world’s most popular superheroes… BATMAN. Because here’s […]
To Write Great Leads Combine the Drama of a Soap Opera with Emotional Loss
“Dr. Lee, how bad is it this time?” “It’s not good, his heart just can’t support his weight.” Near death story leads like this are all the rage in supplements world. And for good reason. “People are bored shitless” (to quote John Carlton)… And opening your sales letter with a dramatic moment can reel in […]