#April stories: How To Make Your Writing Pop.
The untold secrets of starting your writing journey
Since late last year, my husband and I have been trying to prepare snacks at home.
It’s been exciting, sometimes funnily disappointing, and nothing short of memorable, from preparing puff puff, pancakes, chin-chin, and the latest being popcorn.
Each of these snacks comes with a unique experience, but I will share our making popcorn experience and how that can apply to our growth as creators and individuals.
I’ve been craving popcorn for a while, and I thought, “why can’t I just buy the kernel and make as much as I want?
After all, it takes a few YouTube videos to make.” So I dashed to the nearby market, bought some kernels, and decided to make some pops.
We watched a few videos (call it a 10minutes crash course) and excitedly set the pot on fire.
Then, hopes raised, we put the kernel as instructed and waited for the allotted time. But instead of the loud pops, we heard what sounded like a clock ticking, then no sound and finally, our pot was emitting smoke.
Bring it down quickly, I beckoned to my husband as I was busy preparing the sugar and milk we would use to garnish our popcorn. Oh yes! I was ready.
When he opened the pot, guess what? Instead of popped corns, we had burnt kernels with a mix of not-so popped grains. We kept wondering the reason. Is it the heat, the oil or the shake?
We tried this a couple of times on different days, and the results improved by little as we kept researching. Not forgetting that I always selected the few popped corns and left the rest for my husband, who didn’t want us to throw them away.
But a few days after, we stopped by to ask a popcorn merchant what could be the reason.
He explained so many things to us that you can’t find in any youtube video, and most importantly, he said there is a different kernel species that pops better, which is what they use.
Oh! That struck me.
“Why didn’t they mention it?”
“Haven’t they experienced this issue before?”, I asked.
And that experience taught me a few things about making things pop.
First, making it pop here is a metaphor for attaining success in what we do, standing out or growing to be a better person.
So, back to my lessons.
No matter how hard we try, if the system, seed or idea is not suitable for the situation, we’re likely to produce little or no results.
Think of it as using quality equipment to voice the wrong message or writing impeccably to the wrong audience. We kept trying and reinventing; it got better, but it could have been a hit if it were the right kernel.
Consistency prospers the right idea and timing.
Secondly, the more we try, the more we find better ways of doing things. I know I talked about getting it right initially, but you may never know you’re wrong except if you try.
For example, if I had never tried this out, I wouldn’t know what I know now about making popcorn.
What have you been scared to try? I know you want to study everything about it, but sometimes it works this way; Study the basics, Start and Study More.
Finally, if you want to learn anything, learn from the people in the business. Learn from those who have practical experience other than head knowledge.
Why people in the business, you ask?
Because their drive is different. They relate to such ideas daily on different levels with different people. They can discover what’s not written in the books.
They know the exceptions because, in the real world, theories change.
To add to that, learn from those making money from the skill you want to learn. They know what YouTube videos don’t always tell.
I learned to not just learn from afar. To pay if it guarantees more personal access.
I’ve been applying these lessons in all I do which includes content strategy at my workplace, Tedbree, ghostwriting and voiceovers.
If I could apply these consistently, I would be sharing sweet testimonies with you this May. And I know I will.
Thanks to my unpopped corn, I know how to make a few things pop, not just my writing skills.
That’s a titbit of my April Lessons. How about you?
What significant thing happened to you in April?
Share your light bulb moments in this piece with me.
