Loyalist Submission Tips

Questions to think about as you compose or create your piece (pick a few, don’t try to address all! These are just to get the juices flowing). 

First, some DO’s:

Think about telling it in a way that:

• Transfers one simple reason behind why you are passionate about it onto someone else to help open their eyes to the way you view it. 

• Imparts some of the change it created on your own life onto someone else. 

• Tell us like you were telling it to a friend—over coffee, in a letter, around a fire…

• Makes the ordinary seem extraordinary

• Imagine it was an extension of yourself, or part of your family. Now, spend time imagining how your life would be (or would have been) different had you not encountered it?

• Why do you want to tell people about this thing. In short not what it is but more, why does it matter to you? 

• Imagine you are just writing a letter to your son or daughter, making sure you leave behind a bit more of the story about why something was so important to you.

• Wonder what it would be like for that author, musician, leader and every other fan of this same thing to get to read your perspective, or see you tapped as one of the most true fans among them.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it.

This is a great talk by Bobette Buster on storytelling.

Now just a couple of DON’T’s:

• Lie, overly exaggerate, or make up experiences. (“This exaggeration becomes out and out lying and we don’t want to listen to people we know are lying to us.”

• Write something just to try to get something for free, receive a discount, or get recognized by a brand or other outlet for any kind of monetary gain

• Tear down any other person, place or thing as you seek to build up your own support

• Rush. Sit, think, ponder, dream. Then begin.