What about Bobs?

Storytelling stuff worth sharing

Hello friends—

So my beloved Rebecca and I had a fantastic vacation up to Michigan. Big family reunion/housewarming party in Rochester Hills (just north of Detroit). Took in a Tigers game at beautiful Comerica Park. Zipped up the thumb to Harbor Beach, where Rebecca grew up. Spent a few days with her parents and cousins up there. Had lunch at an orchard (their cider was on point). Discovered the joys of a kegerator (thank you, cousin Joe!). Hiked Bald Mountain. Hit up an Arts and Apples Festival. Jumped off a pontoon boat into Lake Huron—67 degrees and, after the shock wore off, blissfully cleansing.

All told, everything you hope for from a family vacay. :)

But now we’re back with our pups and getting back in the groove. So let’s get groovin’!

Storytelling Tip o’ the Week

Just had my weekly Micro-Memoir class over at ACE. A question came up about what to do when you’re struggling structurally with how to open a story.

The prompt had been: “Write about a time in your life when you were asked or answered a provocative question.”

One student talked about how she went back and forth about whether to OPEN her story with the question or CLOSE her story with the question. She ended up in the dreaded “paralysis by analysis” netherworld for much of her writing time.

Here’s what I told her, and here’s your tip o’ the week: when you’re unsure, don’t stop writing. Don’t analyze in your head. Just prove it. Prove it by writing both. Fast and messy and with no editing. Write ‘em both and write ‘em as fast as you can.

See, writers fear wasting time. We fear throwing away our words. But check it out: nothing you crank out on your keyboard or with your pen is ever wasted time. In the act of writing, you will stumble across paths you didn’t even know were there. And at the end of the day, you’ve created. You’ve produced. You can’t edit until you’ve got some material.

Plus, back to the initial conundrum, you will discover very quickly which option is most effective once you see them manifesting ON THE PAGE. Don’t try to fix it in your head. Start writing.

I’m working on a play for a client. I wrote him three different potential opening monologues. When I started, I wasn’t sure what the best approach was. By the time I finished, it was obvious. I would have bet my house on which one he was going to pick. And I was right.

The other two openings? I kept them, of course. Practically zero memory usage on my computer. Never know when a line or two from either might come in handy down the road.

Nothing is ever wasted… as long as it’s ON THE PAGE.

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Speaking of ACE…

The new catalog has dropped, and my next two classes are open for registration!

In October I’m teaching Storyteller’s Bootcamp, and in November/December I’m teaching Playwright’s Playground.

And check this out… my pops, the one and only Bob Cannon (Bob number one in this newsletter), is joining the ACE team! I’m not sure the ACE community is ready for two Cannon gents. But he is coming in guns a-blazin’, teaching iPad/iPhone wizardry, Apple TV tricks, and everything Microsoft: Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

So if you’ve been wanting to up your tech game, Bob’ll have your back.

Check out the catalog and get signed up with either Cannon HERE.

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The Podcast

Next Monday on the Page&Stage Podcast, my guest is Bob Danna (Bob number two in this newsletter). You may recall his name from me promoting his book My Curious Life, which I published through Ibis Books back in April.

Speaking of Bob’s book, you can check out his terrific Kirkus review HERE.

If you can’t wait all weekend for the podcast, there’s also a radio interview with Bob on Close Up Radio.

And if you need even more Bob Danna in your life (and don’t we all??), he’s also a featured speaker on September 25 at this super cool online event, LearnOps Summit 2024.

And of course, your inboxes on Monday will feature my conversation with Bob. We talk about growing long hair, solar eclipses, living in Las Vegas, and also how he became a memoirist and storyteller.

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Quotable

After hitting number one in multiple categories on Amazon, Penny Zenker’s The Reset Mindset has started pulling in the rave reviews. Check out this one from BlueInk Review…

In a world of constant change, it’s easy to hurriedly react to events rather than to take control. In these pages, Zenker argues that when we pause and reflect at difficult moments, we make better decisions and improve interactions with our families, friends and co-workers. Most of the book centers on defining and describing the author’s “Reset Practices”: “Step Back,” “Get Perspective,” “Realign.” When done repeatedly, these habits create the skill set that allows one to stay focused when problem-solving and to remain open to new ways of thinking. Zenker describes her approach clearly and conversationally. She also shares personal anecdotes, often with humor, always with humility. Some pressed-for-time readers might chafe at the idea that slowing down their reactions and stepping back will help them save time. But the author delivers compelling evidence that not doing so creates the opposite effect: loss of time, dwindling re- resources, and burnout. In all, this title offers readers therapy, inspiration, and a breath of fresh air.

The reader reviews on Amazon are also rocking and rolling. Five stars across the board. Congrats, Penny!

Penny was also my guest on the most recent Page&Stage Podcast episode. You can check it out HERE.

Thanks as always for reading, and have a great weekend!

Jason “Bring on the 67-degree Lake Water” Cannon