How to be an original, plus what readers REALLY want
Catalina Margulis
I help speakers, coaches, experts and thought leaders write, finish, publish and market their books to grow their brand, business and impact.
Perhaps the best compliment I’ve received about my upcoming debut novel is that “It doesn’t sound like a book.”
Because I don’t want people to just read my book. I want them to LIVE IT.
Maybe it’s my love of punk rock. Maybe it’s because, in addition to being a total book nerd, I’m a French literature major and Spanish literature minor, and have been exposed to a lot of experimental writing and fiction. But I love the mental gymnastics that some books (and movies) require me to do. My literary heroes are authors like Emile Zola, founder of the Naturalist movement (huh, maybe that’s where I get it from ;), and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I’m South American-born so Magic Realism runs in my blood). Authors who reinvent and reimagine the possibilities for narratives. Authors who challenge our conceptions of the ways stories are and should be written. Authors who stretch our imaginations to embrace what might otherwise seem impossible, or unpopular.
Regardless, the books (and movies) that REALLY turn me on tend to be the ones that colour outside the lines. That dare, that risk, and that challenge me to think in new and exciting ways.
I saw a couple of great movies over the weekend that got my mind spinning, and had me thinking about (and re-thinking) narratives. Both the stories we tell ourselves, and the WAY we tell them.
We can all get stuck on the things we “should” do. The ways stories “should” be told and the kinds of lives we “should” be living. But nothing riles me up more than being told how I “should” do anything, especially when it comes to living my life or writing my books.
Your time on Earth, in this life, is yours to discover, and yours to create.
Don’t let anyone write your story for you.
Cat xo
PS: If you’re wondering what those movies were, one is American Fiction, with the amazing Jeffrey Wright. I was so impressed by the story and the way it was delivered that I looked it up and discovered it was written by a Percival Everett who happens to be a genius, just like his protagonist. FASCINATING stuff.
Here’s a fun, recent interview with Percival.
Movie Recommendations
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The other movie I happened to see this weekend was The Greatest Hits, a story about love and time travel and an ode to the soundtrack of our lives. I won’t give away the ending, but suffice to say, the main character finds a new way to write her story.
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Here are some other movies I’ve loved that play with narrative—both in the way these stories are told, and in the existential dramas that unfold. Perhaps any of these will inspire you to approach your book or screenplay in a fresh, innovative way—or even your life, maybe.
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Adaptation, starring Nicholas Cage
A brain teaser and classic Nick Cage.
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Being John Malcovich, starring (of course) John Malcovich
Another brain teaser with the incomparable John Malcovich.
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I Heart Huckabees, starring Dustin Hoffman and Mark Wahlberg
Makes me smile the whole way through—Mark is delightful in it.
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Amelie, starring Audrey Tautou
Fantastical. Joy!
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Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor
领英推荐
I dare you not to cry.
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The Royal Tenenbaums/The Darjeeling Limited
Both by Wes Anderson—take your pick.
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Flirting with Disaster, starring Ben Stiller
Never fails to make me giggle. Mary Tyler Moore AND Lily Tomlin? Can’t be beat!
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PS: What about you? What stories and movies have rocked your mind and delighted your spirit? Let me know—I’d love to see your recos!
How to Be An Original
A couple of weeks ago marked the anniversary of the death of my childhood hero Kurt Cobain. Kurt was a master of taking the most conventional pop, chewing it up and spitting it out with gnarly vocals and seething guitar. (Like “Sliver,” my favourite.)
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Kurt intuitively understood what storytelling masters and experience designers have since figured out: That listeners, readers, viewers and audiences WANT something predictable. Something they’ve heard/seen/read before. AND they want something novel, something exciting and fresh, and perhaps even a little surprising.
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Think about this as you work on your book and begin to entertain the idea of sharing it with others: How are you making your story fresh and different? How are you contributing to our collective narrative by bringing something original and uniquely you to it?
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Don’t try to be like anyone else. You’re too original for that.
(Mural art by So Gnar)
How to Write for Your Audience
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Speaking of things that tickle my brain, my interview with Kendall Haven on story and brain science was perfectly cerebral and dreamy.
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Kendall Haven is a master storyteller, who has led the research effort for the National Storytelling Association into the architecture of effective stories and into the process of story-based influence and persuasion. An internationally recognized expert on the neuro-science of story, Kendall created the first detailed, tested model of story that accounts for the neurology of how narrative material is processed, understood, remembered and recalled.
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In my interview, Kendall shares what’s happening in the brain when story is taking place and what we can learn about it to be more effective communicators, storytellers and influencers. He also shares the keys to a great story and a hack to find out what your ideal audience wants and the best way to deliver your message to them.
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Watch the interview here: https://youtu.be/DpbMHZY5Txg?si=O_syV5WiszoSEWo1