Salvation for the Stagnant Writer: the Bio—and I Don’t Mean Blurb
What grabs and keeps you in every great story? The Heroine or the Hero, from the moment you see them. If you want instant content infused with automatic inspiration, write a short biography article.
By getting someone to talk about herself, you receive a stream of events, characters, emotions, trials, triumphs. Sift through it to find her stellar wondrousness. It’s there! Even if she presents everything about her life as one boring drudge, or as one failure after another, a gift from her to the world is waiting for you to polish and display it. As a result, the triple meaning of your encounter with her will shine forth:
One: Now her value will live on in the Reader, who will go forth richer, and closer to the fulfilling of his own potential.
Two: The Heroine will be awash in therapeutic rays of her own greatness and feelings that you reflect back to her by your accepting curiosity during the interview. She may not ever have been aware of this treasure in her. She will know herself better, do more what she wants, become a truer version of herself.
Three: And what of the Writer? You know you get the best deal of all, don’t you? This is better than archaeology, Indy! You have the privilege of making this world-historic discovery—even a famous person will yield up hidden gems—and bestowing it to the reading public for generations to come, sure. And yours is the honor of having elevated the Heroine’s understanding of her own power: what does the dirt or the ocean care that the archaeologist or scuba diver revealed its contents? Plus, more than that of the Reader and the Heroine, your view of this marvel is comprehensive.
Best of all, you will never be the same as before you went on this expedition. You’ve witnessed heroism in its birth, and you’re propagating the stuff of heroes. Your pulse now radiates a beam from these precious jewels. Your blood refracts a bit more ruby.
If you imagine yourself to be working for a cause that doesn’t bring about your very own transcendence, take a break from whatever task you’re hammering out there, and write a biography article. Be as relentless as Watson and Crick in pursuit of the Hope Diamond of biology. Once you find it? Good luck with stagnation.
Now imagine what an article would be like if the subject were someone out there working on the Millionaire’s Estate Tax. What could a biography piece on our website do whose Hero was someone out there already on the radio, or leading interested and growing crowds to an understanding of what’s necessary to replace the global elite with Smart Government? What changes might you incite by writing the untold trials and triumphs of someone out there actually customizing education? Like maybe an active Montessori teacher.
Or instead of highlighting milestones and successes in the quest for Equal Opportunity for Every Child, another MeritocracyParty dot org biography article can show how Meritocratic Democracy will eliminate the problem that required your subject to become a Hero (leaving him free to slay other dragons).