What Bloggers can learn from the Bard
Writing tips from Shakespeare? Why not?
The Bard of Avon, as he was called, made a name for himself as one of the finest writers of all time – and, wait for this – earned a handsome living from his craft. So what can his writing practice teach us? Is it still relevant? As timeless as his plays? As memorable as his quotes? Will a tip by any other writer smell as sweet? Or, to be-lieve or not to be-lieve, that is the question? Judge for yourself.
1. Value your work and earn from it: Too many writers are so thankful that somebody is reading what they write, they give it away for free. Believe in yourself. You have something to say and you say it well – that is a beautiful gift. Treasure it. Shakespeare was a canny businessman. He was a partner in the company that produced and staged his plays and earned a handsome profit from them. They even built the original Globe Theatre in London. As a result, he became a wealthy man at a young age. Many years ago, I remember doing a literary tour of the old City of London and being shown a buy-to-let flat that had been purchased by Shakespeare. Further research showed that in 1596 he purchased a coat of arms to restore his family’s lost prestige and in 1597 he bought the second largest house in Stratford. Learn from the master; paywall your work as soon as you get enough followers. Readers pay for quality. On any medium, in any century!
2. Believe in your talent for words: Shakespeare did not have a University education – he opted not to attend. The widely regarded master of the English language did not have a degree in English literature nor did he spend years poring over classical texts. He was a writer with a gift for storytelling and he took stories told by other people and told them more memorably. Can you name a single play written by Christopher Marlowe? Yet he was the more famous of the two playwrights in London circles after the great success of Tamburlaine in 1590. With a few exceptions, Shakespeare did not invent the plots in his plays. Sometimes he borrowed from old stories ( Hamlet, Pericles), at other times he collaborated with other playwrights such as Marlowe as in the Henry trilogy, or borrowed well-known stories ( Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing), and historical chronicles for many of his history plays. Yet in all cases, he wrote in his unique creative style, compressing undramatic material and creating memorable characters and quotes that are part of our life and lexicon even today. ‘Frailty they name is woman,’ ‘ Brevity is the soul of wit,’ ‘ Listen to many, speak to a few,’ are all part of the uniquely Shakespearean way of saying things, even though the plots of the plays in which they figure may have come from someone else. Similarly, there may have been other blogs about relationships, success, failure and even drawing up lists, but making the subject matter uniquely your own and writing about it in a memorable style is what you have to do.
3. Be flexible and agile: Again, this sounds like distinctly unpoetic, modern business advice but our friend Will had both variety and diversity in his quill. When the production of plays was halted by the bubonic plague in London in 1593 -1594, Shakespeare published two narrative poems on sexual themes, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. The poems show the guilt and moral confusion that result from uncontrolled lust. Both proved popular and were often reprinted during Shakespeare's lifetime. It is helpful to have a broad canvas: if your readers want more of something, dig deeper. If there is an unpopular subject, have something else on offer. ‘ Nor custom stale her infinite variety,’ may have originally been said by Shakespeare in praise of Cleopatra but it could apply equally to a successful blogger.
4. Be prolific: Bloggers gain an audience through publishing often – you know that already. Just as a benchmark though, consider Shakespeare’s output, he wrote at least 37 plays during his lifetime, possibly more (there is at least one ‘lost’ play – Cardenio). Then there are a number of plays that most academics agree Shakespeare was involved in writing with other writers such as Love’s Labour’s Won, Edward III, Sir Thomas More, and The Two Noble Kinsmen. He started writing in 1592, shortly after moving to London, and stopped in 1613 when fire engulfed the Globe theatre and he moved back to Stratford. That works out to a staggering 37 plays in 21 years – which is an average of 1.76 four or five act plays a year. He was a writer and a half! So go for it – with discipline and focus. Have a calendar of events ready to write on. Keep a journal with half-baked ideas you want to put into the creative furnace. Don’t be afraid. ‘Cowards die many times before their death, the valiant never taste of it but once!’
5. Be where your audience is: Shakespeare was born in Stratford but moved to London – leaving his wife and children behind in the sleepy midlands borough. He was determined to succeed where his audience was; where fame and fortune beckoned. The internet is no different. You should know your target audience and go after them. The net is not uniform either. Sites are very different in terms of personality. See where you fit in best. Even the best writing in the world will not win you followers or subscribers if the right people are not reading your posts. Search engine optimisation is a modern term but Shakespeare was ambitious and he was determined to be a successful playwright despite the fact that he was not born in London – the centre stage of theatre. On dreaming big again, he said it best: ‘We know what we are, but know not what we may be.’
6. Seek out influencers to promote your writing: Few readers know that Shakespeare’s famous sonnet ‘ Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,’ was written for a man, the 3rd Earl of Southampton, to be specific. While Shakespeare buffs have debated whether it was a homo-erotic poem, present opinion regards the Earl as Shakespeare’s friend and patron. The role of patrons/mentors (influencers in modern times), cannot be underestimated. Shakespeare knew that and used his relationship with Henry Wriothesley wisely. ‘What I have done is yours, what I have to doe is yours, being part in all I have, devoted yours.’ His dedication to the Earl in the Rape of Lucrece may count as OTT in present day circles but it brought him rewards which were very useful in competitive Tudor England. Similarly, his history plays often had historical facts changed to suit the monarch’s views! So make sure you have people you please with your writing, who tweet your blogs to their many followers. If you can find a celebrity to do it, even better!
Finally, to quote another great Shakespeare line: ‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.’ This is your chance to achieve greatness – thrust on you, by the Bard himself.