TA #59: 🦄 A New Abnormal; 2 Free Writing + Storytelling Events

Hey, you. You're doing great. .

Abby: May 2, 2004 - April 22, 2020

Welcome to the 59th issue of Total Annarchy, a fortnightly newsletter by me, Ann Handley, with a focus on writing, content, marketing, life. If you're new here, I want you to know that I'm sharing something a little out of the ordinary this week, because for me it's been an extraordinary week. Regular programming resumes in the next issue. 👌 P.S. Was this email forwarded to you? You need your own!

Boston, Sunday, April 26, 2020

Hi there.

This has been a hard week for many. Unemployment offices swamped with claims. Covid cases climbing. Schools and daycares closed for the rest of the year. Every one of us restless as rabble.

This has been a hard week for me, too: I lost Abby. Abby is my beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel—a long name for such a small dog. She's almost 16 years old. She's rare as a unicorn. She's my best friend.

I'm using the present tense still because I can't bear to say that she was this many old. She was my best friend. She was anything. I can't use the past tense just yet.

Death is like birth: There's no real way to prepare for it.

And death is not unlike how we're living in this Covid world: There's no way to process it while you're in the thick of it.

* * *

Tuesday night Baxter stepped into our house tentatively—like a toddler coming down the stairs on Christmas morning. Like this feels exciting but he's not sure what exactly is going on...?

Baxter is a 10-pound terrier, and he and Abby have a thing. He lives just two houses down, but he's never been inside our house before. Baxter is half Abby's size and a third her age, which somehow makes their mutual crush all the more sweetly ridiculous.

I carried Abby to him. He approached her—a perfect gentleman, for once: He usually comes in hot. Like a tiny linebacker.

She couldn't stand. She struggled to even focus. Then she registered Hot boi incoming! Her tail wagged for the first time in days.

Not the furious young beat of a snare drummer in a jazz club. But two or three slow, muted beats. A few slow claps, cheering for friendship and a love that overcomes whatever tries to get in its way.

That moment. That wag. It made me so happy to violate quarantine.

* * *

If it's true that dogs masterminded the Coronavirus lockdown—reveling in having their families suddenly home all day—then Abby was their ringleader. "So," she said months ago, unrolling the blueprint in some underground bunker. "Here's how it's going to go down. They'll be endless walks for the foreseeable future if we do this right..."

These past few weeks should have been stuffed with speaking gigs and flights and scrambling and lots of time away from home. But were instead about fresh salmon, snuggles on the couch, slow and deliberate walks by Baxter's house. Longing stares at his front window on the days he didn't come out. (I was embarrassed for her, really, the way she lusted so openly.)

Being home these past few weeks has been a gift.

* * *

Life is changing all around us at an alarming rate. Each of us is affected. Each of us is trying our best to navigate what everyone is calling the New Normal. But this week, for me, and maybe for you, too, there is only a New Abnormal.

Right now, I don't know how I will get through it, or what a New Abnormal looks like when I do. But I will.

You will, too. Even if all we can manage some days is few, slow, muted beats. Beats that signal, "YES. Hi. I'm still here."

Hi.

Still here.

Even when life feels this hard.

* * *

I'm keeping this part brief. Here are a few things worth sharing with you.

▶️ 30 Creative Alternatives to 'Unprecedented' in These Unprecedented Times. Are you sick and tired of unprecedented? SAME. My suggestions: bananas, hot mess, whack.

👉 👉 👉 Related: My two favorite word tools:

1. RelatedWords For synomyms and... well, related words.

2. WordHippo Synonyms, antonyms, words that start with E. It's all here.

▶️ Maybe your brand needs a smaller story? Great example of a B2B brand that told a smaller content marketing story to get bigger results.

▶️ This Google doc is for writers and brands that hire them. Tab 1 is a list of open B2B writing and content positions. Tab 2 is a list of available writers. [h/t Dennis Shiao]

TWO FREE WRITING, STORYTELLING EVENTS

This past week I gave two online talks, both free, and both featuring my patented analog (Annalog?) PowerPoint approach. You can catch them on demand here:

📺 How to Write Your Face Off: Writing for Non-Writers. My best writing tips, direct from my Tiny House to you. [Reg. required]
👉 I ran out of time before Q&A, because I can't shut up when I'm talking about writing, apparently. The plan is to answer them Live on the MarketingProfs Facebook page this week. When? I'll share when exactly on Twitter.

📺 Storytelling in a Covid Age. My Analog PowerPoint keynote at the now-virtual, now-free Content Marketing Conference looks at the 7 non-negotiable things your brand story needs right now. Don't miss the decidedly non-analog second keynote by the fantastic Andrew Davis (get that man a Netflix show!) and the hilarious Drew Tarvin, as well as sessions from so many more speakers I admire.

LOVE LETTERS

💌 To the wonderful Mitch Joel for featuring me on his wonderful podcast. Listen to us dive deep on writing, isolation, working through crisis, and where the best stories come from.
💌 To Monday.com for featuring my best tip on leading a remote team.
💌 To Max Branstetter + TA reader Marisa Corcoran for the love for this newsletter in Max's podcast.
💌 To Dennis Shiao for featuring the LinkedIn Live show Marcus Sheridan and I are doing, in his post on live video.
💌 To Gerri Knilans for giving a shout both to MarketingProfs and to me in this post on ways to feed your brain right now.
💌 To Irma Zandl for the love.
💌 And to Carole Alalouf, writing in the Search Engine Journal, for quoting me in her piece on how businesses are adapting their marketing in times of forced isolation.

Thanks for reading this far. Thanks for your kindness and generosity.

Hug your pets. Hug your people.

I'll be back on May 10.

P.S. If you like this newsletter and want to support it, buy a book. Or forward this newsletter to a friend with an invitation to subscribe right here: www.annhandley.com/newsletter.

SELECT PUBLIC EVENTS
NOTE: Many dates have changed; some events are now online only. Here's what I've confirmed so far. More to come.

📅 April 28: Marketing Writing Bootcamp, online [code ANNBFF saves you $100].

📅 June 2: Search Engine Journal eSummit

📅 June 23 AMA Nashville, Nashville, TN

📅 September 15-18: UBA Trends Day, Brussels, Belgium

📅 November 3-6: MarketingProfs B2B Forum is back in SF! Get in on early-bird pricing; code ANNLIKESME saves you $ (risk-free money-back guarantee)

📅 November 30-December 2: Digital Sales and Marketing World, Hartford, CT

📅 Your Date Here: Book me to speak

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