An Old Story: Let Me Repeat Myself

by | Aug 18, 2010

Book & roseMy Dad had favorite stories he liked to repeat.

I remember smiling at one of my brothers or sisters as he told one of those stories, thinking it was the first time we heard it.

Each time he repeated a favorite story, it was just a little bit different – or –  he told it to a great-grandchild who was hearing it for the first time.

Today, my family considers those stories treasures.

A Twist on an Old Tale

When you are a writer, no matter if a business writer, a blogger or a novelist, you are always looking for that next great story.

Maybe we should take a twist on an old tale, like my Dad did, and repeat ourselves.

What is Old is New Again

Sometimes it feels like we have run out of ideas. We need inspiration. You just might find that inspiration in your own back yard.

Look at your stories, your posts, even your business writing, and repeat yourself. The key is taking the same story and making it unique.

Here are some ideas on how to do that.

Update Your Story

Little in life stays the same. Take one of your stories and update it.

One of the great things about health reform (in case you were wondering) is that it has an endless supply of stories. What I wrote back when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed, is definitely in need of updating.

Find a New Audience

Like the great-grandchildren who had not heard my Dad’s stories, a new audience brings freshness to an old story.

You repeat a story they have not heard. An added benefit is no two audiences are the same. You receive a new perspective on an old story.

Ignite a Bomb

Nothing is more humbling than a story or idea that bombs. People relate to bombs. Who hasn’t had one at some point?

Take that bomb and talk about it. Tell why it bombed and what you learned from it.

If you’re really brave, ask others to help you understand why it bombed. Then write about their feedback.

Inspiration is All Around Us

Writing is a text picture of what inspires us. Inspiration is all around us.

My writer buddy, Lori Widmer, inspired this post with one of her own where she gave her Worthy Tip: Reuse, Recycle, Repeat.

Inspiration is found in you own words. What inspired you to write your words in the first place?

So, go out and repeat yourself. It just might become someone’s treasure.

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This is Day 18 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge – blogging every day for 30 days. I hope you’ll stop by often and offer your suggestions for topics and offer your comments. You can add the RSS feed or sign up by email to receive new posts. Thanks for stopping by.

Photo Credit: stockschng Image ID 515110

4 Comments

  1. Lori

    Wow, thanks for the link love, Cathy! My dad repeats himself, too. 🙂

    Great tips!

    Reply
  2. Cathy

    My pleasure, Lori. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Lori

    Hi again, Cathy.

    I just told this to a noob wanting to know if she had to write 50 unique queries or just one that she sends to 50 magazines. My answer was that she’d probably write more like 25-30 unique queries and revise them to fit other markets. Nothing is worse than a blanket query, but nothing says you can’t tweak the focus so that the idea fits somewhere else, too.

    Reply
  4. Cathy

    Great advice, Lori. I hadn’t thought about it from a queries perspective. And you are so right-blanket query-blech. You can tell when it is one-and that is not what you want noticed about you. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing your expertise, Lori. It is much appreciated.

    Reply

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