Should You Sell Direct? Lesson 2

The difference between an essay, a review or op-ed—well, you get my drift—and super-good narrative: story or memoir.

Not saying here that great essays and op-eds shouldn’t be read. They should!

Let’s talk!

I’m saying they work differently than memoir and fiction for this reason:

Fiction doesn’t “sell direct.” Essay does. Op-eds in the newspaper sell direct. They’ve got a point and the writer wants to make that point.

If your story or memoir isn’t working, here’s one main reason:

Your story may wear the clothes of fiction: You’ve got character and scene and conflict, but if it’s pretty clear to me where you’re going all the way along, why should I go on the journey?

When I read an op-ed or even a movie review, I know pretty quick what the point is. I keep reading because I wanna know all the writer’s reasons for coming to that conclusion.

Good flicks and good stories don’t work that way. Okay, okay, formula rom-coms, like the one we’re gonna study in Chapter 3 here do, but are so clever in doing so, we watch for the joy of how we get to girl meets boy and a happy ending!

Before we take on the assignment from Lesson 1,

Inspiration versus Perspiration

let’s talk about two more flicks with fab scripts and what makes them work. As I post this essay/review of sorts, I’m gonna explain, ever so briefly here, how I wrote it and ask YOU some questions.

Ask me some, too! Here’s my essay:

My title: Margin Call and Moneyball: Films about money?

Note: Here are some key words: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jeremy Irons, Paul Bettany, baseball, the economy, love, lose and win.

No matter what you’re writing, Titles make a difference. Get one that pulls your reader in.

Read this essay that sells direct. Disagree with me. Ask questions.

Here we go (with a writer q. or two inserted inside):

Margin Call and Moneyball: Films about money?

Margin Call and Moneyball, two films from 2011 with money central to the narratives, focus the camera lens on love.

Q: What did I just do in the title: I ask a question. What I’m doing is making you think this: Are these two films about money? –even if ostensibly they are.

These two flicks are flip sides of each other: one with love missing; the other with love surprisingly present.

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