A version of this story on the Two Little-Known Writing Tools to Help You Get Unstuck appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * I don’t believe in Writer’s Block. House framers don’t get 2×4 Block. […]
Writing
Copywriting Counsel from an Unbearable Campaign
A version of this story on Copywriting Counsel from an Unbearable Campaign appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * Fall 2020 has been dominated by a contentious, polarizing, absolutely gutting election—where one plumped-up challenger seeks to unseat […]
A Writer’s Hierarchy of Needs: How to Do Our Best Work
A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. Where to Do Your Best Work Yesterday, I disturbed the spider ecosystem thriving on Tiny Porch (TP), the official name of the screened porch of my […]
The One Thing Your Marketing Needs To Thrive in a Covid-19 World
A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * “Hello… My name is David.” That’s the start of a confirmation email that landed in my inbox recently. Not surprising, really: I’ve been […]
17 Non-Negotiable Things Your Email Newsletter Needs Right Now
A global pandemic is a great time to launch an email newsletter. Why? Because a crisis is not a time for Marketing to be clever or snarky. It’s a time to be helpful and sincere. It’s a time to build relationships, nurture customers, and create long-term loyalty. There’s no better way to do that […]
The Ridiculously Useful Holiday Gift Guide for Marketers and Writers [Updated for 2019]
This is the Handley Ridiculously Useful Holiday Gift Guide for marketers and writers, updated for 2019. Here are my picks for ridiculously useful gifts to help marketers become better, more confident communicators now and in the new year. Some are useful. Some are ridiculous. Some are both. Which are which? Well, that’s up to you. […]
How to Write Better: This Technique Takes Your Writing from So-So to Stellar [Live-Edit]
A friend asked me to look at a few chapters of a book he’s writing. It’s a strong book with a strong premise. But he’s struggling with making the writing equally buff. So together let’s live-edit a single paragraph right here, right now. Because the writing takeaway is a solid one you can apply to […]
Vivid Writing: How Do You Paint a Picture in the Mind of Your Reader? Add These 5 Things.
Big Word Day is a day that encourages people to use king-sized words just to impress others. I love words. Sometimes I like big words. (And I cannot lie!) But using big words for the sake of using big words…? So. Dumb. The point of writing is to connect with other people. To be […]
On Writing, Art, and Carving Your Own Bear
The other night, I stayed up way too late reading Jonathan Franzen’s The Discomfort Zone, a book I devoured and savored at once. Devoured: I wanted to stuff myself silly. Savored: I wanted to take small bites to make it last. I loved each small flavor and the way they worked together to create something […]