The transition from a career of selling ideas, to telling stories
For decades, my heroes have been a brand. Craftsman, McDonalds, The Home Depot there have been so many over the years. In every campaign, there’s a mini story. A victory, if I may. A positive outcome, a problem to be solved. The triumph is the satisfied use of the brand. The bite and smile as we called the moment.
This was my battlefield. Deadlines, creative reviews, client concerns, editing rooms and the eventual success or dreaded lack of sales of any campaign. I loved it, the strategy, the language, the dance between logic and persuasion.
But when it came to an end, and it always does, especially in the ever-youthful business of ad agencies, I left the industry. However, I couldn’t slow down. There was an itch that was just beneath the surface that now clamored for attention. It turns out, your passions have a way of finding you when you least expect them.
After thousands of taglines, client meetings commercials, print and direct marketing campaigns there was one campaign that I needed to fight.
I have always loved the 18th century, in particular, the era surrounding the French & Indian War. That dress rehearsal for the coming American Revolution. There have been many fiction and non-fiction books based on the familiar players of the time. A 22-year-old George Washington for instance who cut his teeth as a military leader. But where are the tales of the commoner? That everyday individual that had little say in the events that unfolded in a world so dangerous, every shadow harbored death.
It was from this idea that No Quarter was born. A tale of two Irish brothers that couldn’t be more opposite who find themselves thrust in the middle of this conflagration raging across colonial America. It’s also about three women who represent the three oppressed cultures trying to survive in a world dominated by and run a foul by men.
Like my decades in advertising, just because you have an idea, you have to research it, be sure that it can work. That same instinct applies to novel writing. Aligning with historical events, understanding how each individual character will react to those events. And like the ad world how the story applies to audience, the emotion, rhythm, and authenticity of the moments. The difference is, now the product is the adventure. Not a polished in a brochure or entertaining Super Bowl 30 seconds, but the gut feeling that leaves dirt under your nails and powder smoke in your lungs. And, if I’m lucky, there’s a sentence or a thought from a character that lands in a way that makes you think.
So, the campaign changed. But the art of telling it story did not. Because whether you’re trying to promote a brand of tools, encourage a store visit, or engage with a Irish foot soldier, it all comes down one simple question: Can you make someone care?
That’s what I hope to do with No Quarter. It’s not just a series of novels, but a question of yourself. What would you sacrifice for your sibling? For your lover? Or for your very life?
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