Two minutes 26 seconds. That's how long it will take you to watch this video, commissioned by nonfiction publishers, Dorling Kindersley (DK), in answer to the question: Is traditional book publishing dead? 

But the video should spark more than just admiration for its creativity; it offers some clues as to how to stimulate your own innovative streak. I'll share how in a moment. First, take a look:

www.youtube.com/watch

Aside from cleverly communicating an important message in less than three minutes, the approach that DK and the film's producers Khaki Films took offers nonfiction authors two important lessons about creating compelling content.

1. Human beings love to be surprised and intrigued. Part of the left hemisphere of the brain called Broca's Area "anticipates and ignores the predictable." There's way too much content out there already for today's writers to get away with presenting information that simply meets readers' expectations. Before sitting down to write your book, ask yourself: "What assumptions do most people make about my topic that I can reverse or otherwise bust?" Don't serve up stuff that speaks to people's existing beliefs; give them more than they bargained for--something fresh, controversial, unexpected. Malcolm Gladwell has created an entire career doing this, so can you.

2. One of the assumptions I busted in a Toolkit I co-authored for UT's Graduate School entitled How To Find a Good Idea and Do Something With It is that creative work is totally original. The folks at Khaki Films drew on two sources for that DK short: A political TV advertisement produced in Argentinia in 2006 called The Truth and The Lost Generation put out by AARP. That's why writers who aspire to produce brilliant books need to be curious, to read and watch extensively, and expand their creative storehouse from many different sources. You never know when two or three snippets of information could coalesce to become your next BIG idea!  

Speaking of great ideas...

Would your home accommodate 12-15 friends and colleagues who aspire to be authors and would benefit from my brilliance at transforming good ideas into great ones?

I love helping nonfiction authors transform ill-defined or so-so book ideas into "killer" concepts. These fun, highly informative and inspirational events benefit from being held in intimate surroundings rather than seminar rooms. So, if you would open your home for three hours on a Saturday morning (or perhaps a weekday evening) and can attract at least 10 people who need my incisive critiquing of their ideas, you'll get the event and an hour's consulting with me for free!! We all need to become better at generating brilliant ideas these days--help me to help the people you know get their creative juices flowing more readily, and enjoy themselves into the bargain!

Email me at drliz@bookdoula.biz to discuss details.

“Dr. Liz has helped me shape my book in a way I didn’t even know was possible. Her experience and expertise added so much value to the process, opening my mind to ideas I would never have thought of myself." Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, Health Mentor

Quote of the Month:
"My big gripe about newer writers is they’re not willing to put the time in. Somebody’ll write one book and they’re asking me who my agent and my editor are, and I’m thinking, Don’t you worry, sweetheart, you’re not any good yet. Give yourself time to get better. Writing is really hard to master. You learn by failing over and over, but a lot of people don’t care for that, thanks." Sue Grafton.