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Creative Blog Writing - Speak From Your Heart, Don’t Vent Your Spleen
By Deb Gallardo
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A wise (new) friend sent this to me yesterday via Twitter: “Will my indignation make any material difference? If not, do I want to brand myself with it?” This in itself is fuel for a story idea. If you’re a writer who is not interested in the least about Internet Marketing for your books or blog, then you’ll probably want to close this page and move onward.
But if you see the potential in online marketing for getting yourself and your name and your products “out there” then look beyond merely finding story ideas for the moment. Look deeper and you’ll see a story unfolding before your eyes.
I’d been upset the better part of yesterday about the way a certain internet marketer had handled a product launch, and I wasn’t the only one. I was about ready to vent my spleen on a blog where a lively discussion was already taking place on the subject of Forced Continuity. (See Lynn Terry’s excellent Clicknewz Blog AND Jeff Jones’ related post that clearly defines Forced Continuity at Senjo Marketing.)
I got my friend’s tweet just in time. I did not post the comment I’d planned to.
Several hours later, the conversation was still ongoing. Other readers had added their voices, including the incomparable marketer Joel Comm (see this link for a video from Joel I posted the other day). That’s when I knew why I hadn’t been meant to write the earlier comment. There was a much more important one welling up inside of me that I hoped would turn around the whole discussion and make a crucial point not only about Forced Continuity (trust me, you know what this is, but just not by this name, so go to Jeff’s blog Senjo Marketing here) but about respecting and listening to the customer.
I made my point and even caught the notice of the aforementioned marketer, Joel Comm, who not only responded favorably, but said he was printing out my comment for his entire staff because my “elegant piece,” as he called it, spoke “clearly for the customer.” High praise from someone of his stature. And humbling, to say the least that he would not only listen but respond.
What was the difference between the impassioned comment that caught Joel’s eye and the spleen-venting vituperation I’d been saved from spewing? In a word - heart. Diffusing my anger by blowing off steam in a serious discussion would have accomplished nothing except to brand me as a hothead who speaks first and thinks after the fact. Not the kind of thing you want carved on your tombstone, eh?
Since posting my comment, I’ve received a number of Twitter tweets from people thanking me for the clarity I brought to the discussion. I’m not tooting my own horn here. (Or tweeting it, either.) I’m trying to point out how close I came to really blowing it.
These same people who tweeted and others who commented on the blog in reference to what I said, now respect what I have to say. In a way I’ve branded myself in the best possible sense. I’m proud of what I wrote (I certainly agonized over it long enough - two+ hours!), I even believe in it with my whole heart.
There’s that word again.
My final point is this: Our hearts are sometimes smarter than our minds and always smarter than our raw emotions. Follow your heart when it comes to getting your work, your comments, your copy “out there.” If you’re passionate about what you do, that will be contagious. That will attract people to what you have to say, because it’s genuine. And in a world where our politicians speak only in sound bites and so many ministers preach feel-good, socially-and-politically-correct messages from the pulpit that lull us into complacency, we all long for and readily respond to authenticity. We may not wholly agree, but at least we know when it’s real.
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April 19th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Deb,
No apologies for tooting your horn are needed. Your comment positively channeled the energy from a list of grievances towards a solution.
I’m glad you waited. I too have to make myself sleep on a response my brain knows needs to be heard and one my heart can temper into a useful point.
More people need to asking themselves before they unload a diatribe on another human “is this something I would want on my tombstone?”
Bravo,
Jeff
April 19th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Hey Deb,
I posted one of the previous comments about the forced continuity issue. I too was very careful in how I broached the subject. I’m a big fan & friend of Lynn Terry’s and I didn’t want to muddle her comments with emotional knee-flex reaction, but I too felt like something needed to be said. And since I had seen Joel Comm was already “listening in”, I thought, maybe he’ll take our comments as valuable “feedback” and I was elated to see that he did.
Great job in sharing what you did…you articulated yourself very well. You also made a great point here in this post…speaking from your heart vs. venting your spleen; something we all can be guilty of if we’re not paying attention, especially when it concerns a subject we feel very passionate about.
Carrie
April 20th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Jeff,
Thank you for taking the time to stop by here and to read the post. You’re always welcome and comments most definitely would be appreciated, as the spirit moves you.
Deb
April 20th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Carrie,
Lovely thoughts in your comments. I truly am grateful for the support Lynn’s group has shown me. I wanted to make a difference, but WOW, I never dreamed it would be that big of a difference. Have you seen Joel’s new page? Lynn has the link. Not sure where she’s putting it.
Again, thanks.
Deb
June 20th, 2008 at 2:13 am
Thanks for posting this. I was having a phone conversation with my x-boyfriend and he used the term “venting my spleen” to describe how he had expressed himself. I asked him what he would say if he spoke from his heart about the topic he was toiling over and he was in silence, struggling for words. Then I googled ’spleen’ to see what the Chinese medicine folks say and he asked me to google the whole phrase … and tada, your blog.
I agree with you comments and find my life enriched by clarity and willingness to put a whole-hearted effort into communication, which is informed by intellect and emotion, but not limited to them.
Thanks for your post!
Kim
June 21st, 2008 at 11:04 am
Kim,
Thanks for taking time to comment. I’m happy that my post clarified things for you, and hopefully for your ex-boyfriend. It’s not an easy lesson to learn to WAIT before speaking about something that has touched a nerve. I’m grateful a friend “tweeted” to me and saved me from myself.
The results of my waiting and then speaking from the heart have been nothing short of amazing. I still hear from people who appreciated my post on another site directed at Joel Comm.
Apparently I put into words what a huge number of people also felt but didn’t know how to express. It’s that heart thing. When we tap into it, we speak authentically, which always resonates with people.
Thank you again for stopping by and leaving a comment. If you have any writer friends, send them this way.
Deb
September 4th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Your post makes one think! Great article. Thanks for allowing me to comment!