By Laxmi Hariharan,
Author & Global Marketer
I wrote The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer in six months. Like a blurred flash of lightning, the 96,000 words swept me away and took me by surprise. Every time I finished a chapter, it felt as if I was touching a purple patch somewhere inside. Above all, there was this feeling of oneness... Of having stepped into the spotlight, so it illuminated my features for the first time in the mirror I held up to myself. Life is ultimately made of moments like this. It's what we remember when we look back. And this feeling... this emotion is what I now aspire to find in everything I do, moving forward. I can't settle for less.
Dramatic? Perhaps. But then the act of writing has always been very dynamic for me. Perhaps it’s because I write for readers like myself, with attention deficit. We simultaneously update our Facebook status and check the latest tweets, while posting our latest wardrobe acquisition on Instagram. All this while commenting on our Whatsapp group(s) and carrying on a real life conversation with someone... Oh! And somewhere in between, we also watch the latest vblogger on YouTube.
In all this clutter, we are searching for answers too. For, we are dreamers. And we like to read. It's just that we don’t particularly relish waiting too long in static waters for whatever’s happening next in the plot. Yet, for all that expectation of action, we do need depth. We like to feel complexity of character and experience real emotions. Those we carry inside of us much of the time, but hesitate to express, as we are not quite sure what to make of them. So we try to find the words that mirror these sentiments.
It’s a tall order then to appeal to a generation with as much attention deficit disorder as this one. Here are my five points to reach Generation ADD:
1. Keep it short and simple: Twitter’s 140 characters is a good guide. If you can't express your idea in 140 characters, then you are probably not clear about what you are trying to say.
2. What are you trying to say?: No waffling allowed here. Sorry, but this generation does not suffer verbal diatribes gladly.
3. Say what you really mean: Look inside. How honest can you be? Lay it out there... If you do, they just might give you a little of their time.
4. Videos/visuals: Pictures and videos that express the essence of your words really do strike a chord; vbloggers rule.
5. Addictive fiction: I aspire to write words so addictive that your eyeball can’t help but track them across the page. Which also means you have to be clever. Make the tweet a question. Make that Facebook post provocative. Keep your YouTube video short, not more than 140 seconds. Keep the chapter short, quick like the episode of a TV series... and can you end with a cliff-hanger? Keep them coming back for more...
Finally, it comes back to authenticity. However you express yourself, why are you doing it? Is it really self-expression or more to find your five seconds of fame? Somewhere along the way, content creation and content marketing have blurred boundaries. Yes, you do need to amplify what you are saying so you increase the chance of discoverability by your target audience; just not at the cost of authenticity. Beware of spending all your time tracking your social media reach. It’s vital to channel that energy into the actual creation of content instead.
Feedback: laxmiharihar@gmail.com
