| writing that puts story first

bradley1Things have been quiet around here lately, but not for lack of trying. Frankly, for someone who hasn’t earned an honest paycheck since June, I’ve been remarkably busy. First, I’ve been doing a good bit of freelancing work, so much so that I had to take a good joke and try and turn it into an honest business. If you remember The Pandemic Group – the fake new media marketing company I started when the Swine Flu first became big news – you might be shocked (shocked!*) to see that the fake website has since been replaced with a brochure landing page.

Yes, that does mean I am starting my own company. And I already have some really cool clients. Instead of operating a strict SEO company, I’m leveraging what I call “conversational marketing” – that is combining smart SEO practices with helping companies take advantage of social media to find current and new customers and turn them into friends.

And speaking of social media, I presented on that very topic – of honing in your passion and finding others who share it – at this month’s Social Media Club here in Richmond. I had a blast and will post the videos of said presentation when they become available. I use the plural because not only was my presentation recorded, but I was also interviewed by Jolie O’Dell who came up what I believe she called “Robb’s Theorem on Furries in Niche Marketing.”

The basic premise of that theory is that furries, people dressed up like animals pretending to be people, is perhaps as far removed from normal life as any particular niche or vertical can be. And yet, when you take that passion and expand it onto a global scale, furries measure in the millions. If such a finite passion can measure in that quantity, other niches can reasonably duplicate that kind of community.

The video interview wasn’t the only bit of press that night. Grid Magazine was in attendance and snagged not only the photo of my above, but also a fairly good recap of the night in general. I do believe that this article officially marks the first time I’ve been on the other side of a printed byline. Yes, I’ve been on the local NBC affiliate a few times, but there is a special place in my heart for printed journalism.

And finally, in fiction writing news, I am now a full chapter into the second act of Project Kingdom. In the traditional Three Act Structure, this one is always my favorite. Why? Because the first act is really a setup, establishing the characters, pushing the hero on their call to action, setting the characters on their chosen paths and providing small victories which seem huge at the time. The first act, in other words, is driving by the characters. In the second act, everything is taken away from them.

Mark my words, the second act of Project Kingdom is where things get real. Across the board, characters find their best laid plans going to waste, and even those pulling the strings find themselves losing control. People die. Things go wrong. Powers shift and roles are revered on a regular basis. And I’m exceptionally excited about writing it.

But I’m going to pound out a short story first. Why? Well, I watched the documentary “Postcards from the Future” on Friday night, and Chuck Palahniuk got me all inspired. I started thinking about technology, darkness, and the digital artifacts we leave behind. Throw in a castoff line from a Washington Social Scene Song…(“If any rock’s going to save my soul then what the fuck is it waiting for?”) and a story started to brew.

I banged out an outline in a few minutes, and I liked what I saw. I still don’t know the characters, but I’ve got 4,000 words left on my goal for WriteClubRVA, and I figure it’s about time I knock out something I can show.

I guess that means people are going to get a free story from me. If you’re wondering what my short stories typically look like, I’ve got a couple online in my portfolio.

*Bonus points if you got that movie reference. Hint – it’s my all time favorite film.

Harper Studio posed an interesting question – should newspapers, on the verge of closings and bad news, adopt a nonprofit or stance? This rebuttal was given at HarperStudio’s blog, but I thought I’d include it here as well.
It's Just Like Home, Only Way Minimal

The idea of a nonprofit, and thus editorially uncompromising newspaper sounds like a wonderful idea. However, the two primary comparisons – NPR and Wikipedia – are poor choices. Looking at current business methods that would require tailoring to fit right, rather than creating a new method which would be better suited for the unique scenarios that newspapers face.

Wikipedia, for all of its wonder and uses, has a much different cost structure than a newspaper. The number of people on staff is small, a mere fraction compared to those who contribute as editors and writers. Wikipedia also exists in a market where scarcity is not a concern – as long as the servers are online, and the hosting bills are paid – anyone who wants to read Wikipedia can. Even with these digital advantages, the Wikimedia Foundation still found itself begging for money to reach their relatively low $6 million goal for fiscal 2008.

NPR, which is arguably closer to the newspaper in terms of cost-structure, relies heavily on income derived from affiliates, whom are charged rates in the millions just to broadcast on an annual basis. This helps by evening out the chances for failure by putting a greater financial emphasis on fewer, more interested and invested people. However, even conducting business in this way hasn’t made NPR a pillar of strength. In December, NPR accounted a 7% job cut, trimming jobs across the board, and the cancellation of two shows – which accounted for the network’s entire left coast operation.

The other place where NRP fails is that, should newspapers shift to that type of business platform, they would likely have to scrap all of their advertisements and stop charging for subscriptions. Local printers would pay the newspaper producer, and readers would be asked to made donations to said printers. In exchange you get just the paper. They would, arguably, be quitting their job in hopes to panhandle their way to the same income.

And, as a system of business, donations don’t work. The problem seems to lie in people’s perception of value. Cheap is better than free in many respects. And buying is better than donating. This sense of value is based on spending habit priorities. Bills are a necessity, donating is charity to be done when one has extra money.

A far better question that newspapers should be asking is – “How do we make ourselves indispensable to our readers once again?” The answer seems to be an all out cross-platform blitz – instant headlines through the medium of the user’s choosing – text message, twitter, email. Access to online news as it happens.

But becoming more connected is only one step. Newspapers need to also leverage their specific demographic and give users something that’s hard to find elsewhere – hyper local news coverage. As noted in numerous sources, The Printed Blog is attempting to do this by culling content from local bloggers. For a nominal fee, it’s entirely conceivable that printed newspapers could hire bloggers of certain literary levels, and pay them to simply observe – or syndicate those who are already active.

Granted, the Times Company was already doing something similar to this, and got sued for it. But, they missed the part about seeking out the blogger’s permission first.

And the last step that newspapers needs to do? Cut out everything that the internet does better. Classified, sports, stocks – these three entire sections can be gotten rid of, saving the newspaper money on staff and printing.

The change isn’t going to be easy, but it can be done successfully. Newspapers typically have what new media wants – a vetted and lasting reputation. If they can extend that reputation into the digital world, actually becoming players rathern than carry-overs, all this saving talk will become nonsense.