#monster joe’s truck and tow
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Fic Recs - Joel Miller (series)
fic recs for completed and ongoing series starring Joel Miller
Key: 🏴 = dark, 💕 = fluff, ⛓ = rough/bdsm elements, 💀 = dead dove do not eat
Mind the warnings, and please read responsibly. you control your own media consumption.
All Fic Recs | TLOU Fic Recs | Joel one-shots pt. 1 & pt. 2
dark!Joel
*note: if fics fit multiple categories but contain dark!Joel, they will go here only.
🏴💀slasher!joel by @toxicanonymity (ongoing)
summary: serial killer Joel Miller picks you up with his tow truck and you end up fighting (and fucking) for your life.
🏴⛓💀 raider!joel by @toxicanonymity (ongoing)
summary: Stockholm syndrome on your end, it isn't time that does it on his. Joel saves you from bad men, but claims you for himself and takes you with him. You're his, and he won't let anyone forget it. His survival persona starts to crack, and he gets softer with you, but even more possessive and protective. Emotionally, this is quite a slow burn. Smut wise, not so much.
🏴💀 bullet for you darlin' by @kewwrites (ongoing)
summary: After surviving on your own for so long, when you're no longer useful for trade Joel decides to take something a little more personal from you.
🏴💀 blessed be the fruit by @romana-after-dark (ongoing)
summary: A few decades into Gilead’s conception, you head into your first posting as a handmaid after an affair with a guardian landed you in trouble. Determined to keep your head low in order to keep your son safe, you take on the moniker of OfJoel. Commander Miller has very little to do with you and mrs. Miller regards you with disgust, however you find solace in an unlikely friendship with Commander Miller’s daughter from a handmaid 14 years ago, Ellie who just got done with wives school. You and your friend, Ofthomas start teacher her and her friend Reilly under her mothers nose. Slowly, Commander Miller begins spending time with you and you begin to learn more about the man he was before and an affair begins outside the confines of the ceremony. Although initially you go along with it out if survival, you find yourself falling for the version of Joel you saw in these late night rendezvous.
Which Joel is really him, and how will he react when his own daughters secrets are revealed?
🏴💀 vampire!Joel series by @toxicanonymity (ongoing)
summary: vampire!Joel kidnaps you and tries to keep you.
🏴💀 smother by @beardedjoel (ongoing)
summary: can you hold a man as both your savior to be worshipped and the monster that he is?
🏴 carnal by @pascalsbby
summary: You thought you had it all figured out before him. Animals. Tender, primal flesh. That’s what we are at the end of the day, no? Fucking, testing one another, and then eating each other alive, heart first. Maybe the heart is the sweetest part of the body- or maybe it’s just the easiest to get to. You knew you wanted to be completely devoured by him. You wanted to fill the space between his teeth.
bdsm
fics with explicitly d/s dynamics or play, not just rough sex/kinks, dom!Joel unless otherwise noted
⛓ strawberry by @joelsgreys (ongoing)
summary: a series of connected stand-alones following daddy dom!Joel and sub!reader through different elements of their dynamic.
⛓ you wanted this by @alwaysmicado (complete?)
summary: Joel and you have a fun dynamic going. You provoke him, he punishes you - you both get off. When you meet him after you’ve fucked someone else, he decides to show you who you belong to. It’s all fun and games, right?
qz!Joel
something wretched about this by @covetyou (complete)
summary: Your father has been sick since before the world went to shit, but being sick now just made things even harder. Ration cards were few and far between, and the pills to keep him comfortable were even scarcer. When he can't pay up, what lengths will you go to to protect your entire world? Featuring Joel Miller; self appointed pharmacist, medication supplier, drug dealer and total, utter slut.
the menu by @tightjeansjavi (ongoing)
Joel Miller has a menu concocted just for his customers. Pills? He’s got ‘em. Guns? Ammo? Name your price. Booze to warm the broken souls and hearts of the QZ? give him a holler. Everything comes with a price, of course. Joels got somethin’ special on his menu. Somethin’ that he doesn’t advertise freely. Y’gotta want it. Y’gotta have a desire that matches his own, only then will he offer what you seek.
jackson!Joel
A Safe Haven by @joelsgreys (ongoing)
summary: When Joel Miller and Ellie Williams return to Jackson, Wyoming to begin their new lives, the last thing Joel expects is to catch the eye of the thriving community’s equine veterinarian. Young, beautiful, and married, Joel knows that he should stay away from a woman like you, but he can’t help but to be drawn to you like a moth to a flame. As you start growing closer to both Joel and Ellie, you find out all about the secrets they both carry—and they find out you’ve been hiding a secret or two of your own.
mall rats by @strang3lov3 (ongoing)
summary: you and Joel are assigned to scavenge an old mall. (well, you're assigned and Joel has to accompany you for backup). sarcasm, bickering-as-foreplay, and more ensue.
Mr. Miller series by @tremendum (ongoing)
summary: six months before you ran yourself into any trouble with somebody - that’s no easy feat, considering your track record, so you like to call it a win anyways. but boy, talk about a rocky start with someone. Tommy’s goddamn brother, no less.
slow hands by @tightjeansjavi (ongoing)
summary: Joel Miller thinks that your coffee shop in Jackson is a bit too “frivolous” for his taste until Tommy tells him one day that it’s the best cup of coffee that he’ll ever have. Little does he know..he’s going to get more than just a cup of coffee when he finally meets you. You soon find out that the grumpy old man with a rambunctious teenager, is hiding sugar sweet softness under layers of hardness.
Fear of God by @netherfeildren (complete)
summary: What was monstrousness? What was it, but a certainty that there existed within you multitudes of desires, needs, guilts, impulses – humanity? At the end of the world, when the dust has finally settled, Joel grapples with what it is to take hold of your own monstrosity – your own humanity – and live with it. And what it is to bear that truth in the palm of your hand held towards the person you love, offer it to them, and have it be accepted for what it was. Courage, above all else, it is courage that is necessary to go on.
angst
clouds by @softlyspector (two shot)
summary: Joel comes home to find you telling your daughter a bedtime story.
Pink by @netherfeildren (complete)
summary: Humanism: an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.
dinner and diatribes by @tightjeansjavi (ongoing)
summary: you’re the kind of love that Joel Miller has been dreaming of all his life
fluff
[yikes I do not read enough fluff. send me your faves pls. coming soon?]
no outbreak/AU
New in Town by @justagalwhowrites (ongoing)
summary: When you move to Austin for work, your best friend Sarah recommends that you hang out with her dad, Joel, to get to know the area. Sarah just never mentioned the fact that her dad is just your type.
ravish by @psychedelic-ink (complete?)
summary: Joel, only now starting to feel the impending sense of loneliness, decides to listen to Tommy and sign up on an online streaming service called Ravish.
a lover's pinch by @hier--soir (ongoing)
summary: a one-night stand with a charming texan turns into something much more thrilling when you discover he is your new college professor. joel miller is entirely off limits. but now that you’ve had a taste, will you be able to keep your hands to yourselves?
sugar daddy joel by @notjustjavierpena (ongoing)
summary: Joel Miller, a walking menace, buys you pretty things in exchange for shoving his cock in you.
the checklist by @thetriumphantpanda (ongoing)
summary: Your new boyfriend Joel finds your hidden stash of porn, full of pages with their corners folded over, marking the things you like the most. Expecting him to feel bad about finding things you’re into, things you haven’t asked for from him, you’re surprised when he offers to help you tick them off.
meet me in the back series by @atticrissfinch (ongoing)
summary: When the gas station clerk refuses to sell you alcohol after a shitty day, you need to get creative
Divine Dynasty by @cavillscurls (ongoing)
summary: Your father had been a loyal asset to the Miller Clan for his entire life. After his passing, Joel feels a responsibility for you and your safety; inviting you further into his world, and your desires.
Law of Attraction by @mandoisapunk (ongoing)
summary: you and your criminal law professor have an undeniable attraction toward each other. so, it's only natural that you both explore that attraction... but navigating a dynamic like that is never as simple as it seems.
online friends by @walkintotheriveranddisappear (complete)
summary: hot single dilfs in your area want to chat, and you're more than willing to comply (aka: anonymous sex chatting with joel)
Catalyst by @ezrasbirdie (ongoing; ft. Frankie Morales)
summary: After falling into bed together on the night of Frankie’s 40th birthday party, you, Joel, and Frankie start a relationship.
#joel miller x reader#joel miller fic recs#joel miller fic#tlou fic recs#the last of us fic#the last of us fic recs
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The Greatest Pumpkin Ever Picked (Bob Floyd x Reader)
Summary: It's almost spooky season and you and Bob let Auggie go nuts to try and find the perfect pumpkin
Bozeman, MT
October, 2023
"Never saw a kid so excited to pick out a pumpkin," Joe chuckled as he and Bob slowly trailed behind Auggie, letting him run through the rows and rows of pumpkins in the field behind the farmers' market.
"It's all he talked about all week at school," Bob answered. "Kay, his teacher, was telling me about how they were planning to take the kindergarteners pumpkin picking when I went to go get him."
"Better to do it with the family first," Joe mused.
"Daddy! Daddy! I found it! I found my pumpkin!" Auggie shouted proudly.
"Show me where bud."
Auggie led his father and grandfather to the further end of the field where he pointed proudly to the pumpkin he had claimed as his own. It was huge, a gigantic orange monster that stood in the middle of the field, bigger than all the rest and much bigger than Auggie.
"Holy shit," Bob groaned.
Joe laughed at his son's exasperation. "Hey, the ghoul wants what the ghoul wants."
"Dad, there's no way we're gonna get that monstrosity in the back of the truck," Bob pointed out. "We're gonna need a crane just to lift it."
"Do you not remember what we did when you were that little?" Joe chuckled.
Bob searched his memory for any answer to his father's question until something sparked to life in the back of his mind. "You mean....?"
"Yep," Joe answered.
"How are we gonna do it?"
"Leave that to me."
Bob and Auggie waited patiently for Joe to return, paying for the pumpkin at the front end stall. Finally, Joe came back with the truck, parking it at the bottom of the hill that was just a little bit steeper than Bob had anticipated.
"Alright, lets get that sucker rolled in!" Joe announced.
"We gonna do the Charlie Brown thing Daddy?" Auggie chirped.
"Yep," Bob answered.
Bob helped get Auggie started and once the pumpkin rolled a little bit, Auggie began guiding the pumpkin, rolling it down the hill and running beside it as it picked up speed. He giggled the whole way down as Bob took a video on his phone, laughing at the sight of his meekly framed, bespectacled little mini-me running beside the monstrous pumpkin.
At last the steepness of the hill gave way to the truck bed where the pumpkin landed with tremendous force. The whole truck bobbed up and down like an old low-rider as the huge pumpkin came to rest perfectly in the bed.
"Well that was alot easier than we thought," Joe remarked.
"I just hope the shocks on the truck are ok," Bob told him.
Bob loaded Auggie into his carseat and buckled him in before he and Joe took off with the pumpkin in tow. As soon as the two of them pulled up the long driveway to the house and parked, Bob lifted a yawning Auggie out of the truck and carried him into the house.
"Woah that's one hell of a pumpkin!" you exclaimed, meeting your husband at the door.
"And one sleepy kid," Bob replied, kissing you on the lips. "I'm gonna go put him upstairs for a nap, he's exhausted."
"You do that, I'll set his lunch aside for when he wakes up."
Up to the bedroom Bob went, placing Auggie in his bed and covering him first with the duvet and then his Pinocchio blanket that had warmed him as a baby. Bob tucked the sage green and white crocheted blanket and Auggie's soft Dumbo stuffie in beside him before turning on the little fairy lights in the dark room.
Bob made his way back downstairs, following the smell of the savory lunch you had made while the skies had darkened outside. "You doin ok sweet pea?" he asked, pulling you in and kissing you.
"Now that I can walk around a little bit," you answered. "Princess wasn't really letting me sleep much, but other than that, I'm alright."
"Where's Patrick?"
"He's upstairs, asleep in his room," you answered. "Guess the pumpkin picking tired Auggie out."
"Ran the thing down the hill until he got to the truck," Bob chuckled.
You laughed as the image popped into your mind of little Auggie running after the pumpkin. "You think he'll wake up and we can carve it later?"
"We'll see," Bob answered. "I don't know if we'll be able to fit it in the house though."
You relaxed in his arms, the baby girl in your belly finally settling down long enough to relax herself. You couldn't wait to carve the pumpkin and see Auggie's little face light up at the sight of the future jack-o-lantern that would soon decorate the farm.
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Sorry I called
// Requested: No.
Warnings: 1 swear, mention of blood, fluff, breakups
Gwilym Lee x Reader
wc: 2.3K+
//
Messy. That's the only word that you could describe your break up with Gwil. It was mutual. That didn't make it any easier. You hadn't fallen out of love, that wasn't the issue. The issue was that you were both busy and rarely had time for each other. Usual coffee shop dates had turned into sitting across from each other in silence as you worked on your separate projects.
Gwil wanting to expand his acting career took on TV shows and small gigs to get more experience. Being the talented man he was, he received most of the roles he auditioned for. He was overworked and went days without communication.
Although it's unfair to pin on all of the blame on him. You were also as unreachable at times. Being sucked into your studies at first, then constantly working overtime once you got a job in your field.
Both of you woke up at different times. Came home at different times. Ate at different times. Went to bed at different times.
Eventually, you both noticed a pattern and carved out some time to talk about it. In the end, a crying Gwil and a crying you came to the decision to break up the 2-year relationship you had.
That was a year ago. Well, 1 year, 11 months, 6 days and some odd number of minutes and seconds ago.
You had tried to move on and date other men. It never really lasted, 1 month at the most.
Gwil had been better off, not romantically but platonically. He had made some amazing new friendships and his career had taken off in a way that he could never have anticipated.
His Saturday night was in celebration of those new friends. Ben had just received notice that he was going to be in a new film, that was supposed to be the blockbuster of the summer. With that news, Gwil took it upon himself to throw a little get together with friends in celebration. Originally it had been planned to be a night out on the town, but the weather had disagreed. It was currently pouring rain. Thunder and lightning cycled by quite often. Yet the celebration was still on, just a change to the venue. The new venue was Gwil's quaint apartment.
Your night, however, wasn't so quaint. The rain didn't stop you from going downtown, you had a date. And one you were actually excited for. However, your date's car broke down and couldn't make it.
I'm really sorry Y/N! I won't be able to make it... Rain Check? xx - Tom
You laughed at the ironic ending, however, you weren't a monster and couldn't be mad.
Maybe Sunshine Check?
No worries, rather you be safe - Y/N
With a reply sent you grabbed your purse and headed out the door of the bar you were supposed to meet at.
Sprinting to your parked car as the rain-soaked your hair and knit jumper. Your heels giving you zero traction. Thank god not many people were out, you had been able to find a parking spot nearby. You slammed the driver's side door shut as soon as possible. With an exhale and a laugh you pulled out and started driving. The rain obscuring your vision every few seconds before the windshield wipers wiped them away aggressively. Your drive home was slow and left you reminiscing. You found yourself wondering about Gwilym. You hated it but everything reminded you of him. Especially rain. Even on your busiest days, rain meant movie and pizza night. Always.
God how you wished his arm was wrapped around your shoulders. A blanket was thrown over your laps. It was bliss. You wished it rained every day. Hard too, so that traffic was too dangerous and work was called off. Just so you could have an excuse to cuddle up with your ex. Yet it hadn't happened yet, and it wasn't going too. Normally you would watch a movie by yourself and maybe get a little drunk. You had even called Gwilym once or twice, the alcohol giving you the confidence to try one more time.
Before you could cringe at the thought of those awkward conversations, the bright, blinding beams of headlights stared you down. Instinctively you swerved over, nearly missing the troubled driver. Hitting the breaks you tried to slow down enough to regain control. It was too late. The side of your car hit the barrier on the shoulder of the road. The airbag deployed, sending your head back as the seatbelt locked against your sternum.
Your heavy breaths and groans of discomfort filled the air.
"Fuck," you breathed out.
Still dazed at what was happening you reached for your phone and looked around, slowly assessing the damage. You were relatively fine. A bruise forming and framing the cut that the steering wheel gave you, on the initial impact. That was it, besides the inevitable soreness from going from 40 miles per hour to zero. Your car, however, was another story. The front bumper was missing and the engine smoking. Upon realization that there was smoke coming from your car, you grabbed your phone and jumped out.
"Bloody hell," you groaned as the ice cold rain hit your skin.
Grabbing your phone you hesitated. You were just off of the exit that would lead you to Gwils house in under 15 minutes. You could call him and see if he could pick you up. But you haven't spoken while sober since the breakup. Or you could call the police and a tow truck. That would be the rational decision. But they were probably busy with more serious crashes. Or you could call your roommate and tear her away from her own date.
Looking down at your phone you realized you had 20% battery left. You probably had enough for one phone call. So that's what you did. Your mind dialed 999 for police but your fingers dialed the familiar number under Gwilym's contact.
"Pick up, pick up, please pick up," you muttered as you heard the tone before the voice message again.
One more time wouldn't hurt, would it? You didn't think, you just kept pressing redial.
On the other end of the phone, Gwil sat laughing at some dumb remark Joe had just made.
The first time you rang he didn't look at his phone and ignored it.
The second time you rang, he picked up his phone and saw it was you. He ignored it.
The third and fourth time you rang he hit the red button that ended the call before the third ring.
The fifth time you rang, Ben stepped in.
"Is everything alright mate? You can take the call if you need," He said quirking a brow at him.
"It's nothing," Gwil answered, sounding unsure.
He didn't want to pick up in case you were drunk and were in a reflecting mood, He couldn't take hearing you cry out his name in pain again.
"Answer it," Lucy said in a very motherly tone.
"Yeah, I probably should. I'll make it quick." He said standing up from the dinner table.
He walked into the kitchen and picked up.
"Oh thank god," You spoke into the responder, the sound of rain hitting the metal of your car in the background.
"Y/N." He said bluntly.
"You're drunk okay? Hang up and save the apology. You need to move on, It's been almost 2 years," Gwil said harshly into the phone a little louder than he should have.
He had a group of very nosy friends, who were most certainly listening to every word.
"For starters, I'm actually not drunk." You spat angrily, annoyed that he had that impression of you now.
"And I was in a car accident a few kilometers off of the exit on 4th. My car is wrecked and undrivable. It'll take hours for the police to come, and I don't want to stand in this miserable rain any longer than I have too. I thought you would be at least civil and maybe pick me up so I can call a taxi from someplace other than the side of the bloody highway." You ranted, wishing you would have called your roommate instead.
"...."
"You know what, sorry I called," You said spat even more annoyed.
"Are you okay? Y/N?" He asked gently, melting back into the loving man you knew.
"I-" You started but your phone conveniently decided to die.
"Y/N?" Gwil called into the phone, now becoming panicked.
"Y/N? Are you okay?" He called one more time, and upon receiving no answer he pulled on his shoes and grabbed a raincoat.
The rest of the cast exchanged worried glances.
"Is everything alright?" Ben asked for the group.
"Yeah should be, I'll be back in 20. Make yourself at home," He called halfway through the door.
By the time that Gwil had made it to your location, you had resorted to sitting in the grass. You were soaked to the bone, but it didn't bother you at that point. You were just contemplating what to do if Gwil didn't show up within the next ten minutes and how stupid you were to call him.
Thankfully the headlights of his car slowed down and pulled in front of your car. A flashlight found your figure and illuminated the worry knotted in Gwil's face.
"Y/N?" He asked timidly watching you shakily stand up.
"You came...." You muttered.
His heart broke at your tone. It broke his heart to see you with blood beginning to scab on your forehead It broke his heart to see you standing, distraught in the thunderstorm that controlled the sky.
"Of course I did, no way I would leave you out here in the rain," He said stepping closer.
The two of you stood awkwardly, not exactly knowing what to say or what to do.
The loud boom and clap of thunder made you jump and look up at Gwil. He stepped one foot closer and pulled you towards him gently.
"Come on, let's get you out of this rain," He smiled and lead you to his car.
You simply nodded and got into the passenger's seat. You looked straight ahead out of the window, shuddering every now and then. The car ride was silent, except for the roar of thunder and the sound of rain violently hitting the glass. By the time you made it back to his apartment, you were full on shivering, no doubt that you would be sick tomorrow.
"Let me just call a cab and I'll get out of your hair, I promise-" You said walking into his apartment, interrupted by 4 slightly familiar faces looking at you.
"You could have said you had company over, I would have called someone else," You said becoming agitated.
"Nonsense," Gwil answered hanging up his raincoat.
"Gwil." You said looking at him with raised eyebrows.
"Uh, anyway... Guys, this is Y/N... my ex" He started, his breath hitching at the last part.
"Hi," You waved slightly, not really knowing what to do, besides stand awkwardly in the entry hall.
The group, led by Lucy, introduced themselves and asked what happened.
You sheepishly explained while Gwilym went to go get you dry clothes.
When he returned, you went to the bathroom and changed while he faced his friends with a million questions.
"Is she the ex you told us about?"
"Why'd you break up?"
"She's cute, and seems very nice,"
"Are you over her?"
"Why did she call you?"
"Is this why you've passed on all the girls that I've tried to set you up with?"
Gwil tried to hush them down, not wanting you to hear their questions and his answers. Even though you both knew that neither one of you was over the other.
"Um, can I borrow your phone? I'll call a cab and leave you guys alone?" You said quietly, trying not to intrude.
"Yeah sure," Gwil answered handing you his phone.
"The password is the same," He added, his cheeks turning pink again.
You laughed and stepped aside to call. However, as soon as the taxi company picked up the power cut out and a long tone replaces the British accent on the other side of the line.
"Shit," Joe exclaimed bumping into Ben as the lights cut out.
"I swear it wasn't me this time," You called to Gwil.
"Yeah sure Y/N," He retorted back with a small laugh.
"This time?" Ben asked sparking the lighter he kept in his back pocket.
Once you found some candles you all sat down on the couch, a glass of wine in your hand thanks to Lucy. You began telling them the story of when you and Gwil were both engrossed in work and you plugged in the coffee machine, causing the circuit to blow. Gwil's place didn't have power for 3 days. Next, to you, Gwil added details that you purposely left out with a smirk and a gaze full of admiration.
The stories continued all night long until the candles burned down to their bases and you ended up curled up in Gwil's embrace. Everyone fell asleep on the floor or the couch and armchair.
The rain still hadn't stopped by morning, but the power had returned. Lucy woke first and quietly woke the rest and shuffled them out of the apartment, careful not to wake the two of you.
Lucy could tell there was a lot of unfinished business that needed to be addressed, she also knew that both of you were still hopelessly in love with each other. She left a note on the coffee table in front of the two of you.
'Talk it out. You two are still in love, give it another shot. We're all in support. xoxo Luce & the boys"
And that is what you did.
#gwilym x reader#gwilym lee x reader#gwil x reader#gwil lee x reader#gwilym lee#bohemian rapsody cast#bohemian rhapsody x reader#bohemian rhapsody imagines#queen x reader#queen imagines#ben hardy imagine#joe mazzello imagine#bohemian rhapsody#lucy boynton
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Student Awareness of Nonstandard Danger Society
Jacob sat on a curb near the van while Regina stood over him, going over her notes. He tried to be as invisible as possible.
Witnesses had been few. No one had snapped a picture of the thing, at least as far as anyone could tell, and of the police, only Officer Regina Gale had seen the thing up close - her partner had been back at their patrol car, working the radio.
She herself was not interested in the idea that it had been some unnatural thing. Without her partner backing her up, she saw nothing to be gained for her career, or for public safety generally, by saying that it had been something other than a bear. Probably just a bear with a weird skin condition like the one that makes rabbits look like jackalopes. Probably.
Where did the monster go? Officer Gale and her partner agreed it was Animal Control’s problem now. It had been driven off.
Black van? There had been no black van. If a student had driven off with the black van, that would have made her responsible for not securing the crime scene. There had never been a black van. There was only Jacob, Mario, and Joe.
“Felony reckless driving, endangerment of minors, every kind of negligence you can find in the Colorado Revised Statutes, unlawful discharge of a firearm, use of a police scanner to aid in the commission of a crime..."
Jacob had wanted to hope that her anger was mostly just from maybe her being the one to hold the unrequited crush ball right now, but that hope was dimming as she piled on threats of criminal charges.
Joe, his face patched up by paramedics, offered a defense. “Officer, it was our fault. We heard about it and wanted to go see, and he tried to stop us! When we pushed on by, he came with us to try and stop us from doing anything stupid when we got here.”
She scowled. “Bullshit, kid. I saw the way he was driving.”
“That was my driving, Officer.” Mario touched his ear gingerly.
“Once more: bullshit - ”
“I’m serious, Officer! He was begging me the whole time to slow down, I was going to wreck his car and get us all killed. Hey, you think he would have smashed his own car on the curb and spun it out like that? Shit, I just learned to drive from an old Playstation, that was my first time behind a real wheel.”
Regina eyeballed Jacob. The lie might just about stand, he thought - his window tint was just shy of illegal.
“Is this true, Jake?”
He gulped. It was not right for a student to take the fall for a teacher, especially not when the teacher had legitimately screwed up. It was not right for him to take advantage of his long friendship with Regina and any trust that had carried with it. He would certainly get in serious trouble if he told the truth, of course, and the boys would be useless as witnesses for him with their credibility shot, but it was not right to accept this.
“Yes.”
He hated himself.
“I’ve been trying to keep them from doing anything stupid for weeks now, while they’ve chased one crazy conspiracy theory after another, just trying to keep them occupied, but everything came unglued today. My foot’s still not fully healed, I could barely keep up with them, much less stop them. And then when I saw that, uh, bear, I lost my head and did what I thought I could do.” He hung his head. “If not for you - your courage - your good aim...Regina, I guess...I guess I’d be dead now. I’m sorry I didn’t do better.” He hated himself as much for finishing off a lie with the truth.
He had no idea whether Regina was going to believe him. They had usually been very honest with each other, which meant that (a) he had no practice lying to her, and (b) she had no practice telling when he was lying. He couldn’t read anything in her face. Then Mario chimed in.
“Also, Officer, I totally saw you assault him without provocation. Twice.”
“Same here, Officer. What happened in between the two assaults probably broke some regs, too. What’s your badge number?”
Regina’s sea-green eyes narrowed, and Jacob sweated. Whether Mario and Joe were magnificent bastards, or just bastards, was all in the results.
She looked away and cleared her throat.
“...I have some calls to make to Animal Control. I will contact you if I need something from you. You will not contact me unless you are (a) dying, for (b) reasons that are in no way your fault.” She looked to the boys, and stopped acknowledging Jacob altogether. “We’ll give you boys a ride home.”
Magnificent.
A minute later, he was alone in the parking lot. After a few minutes more of looking around the chaotic scene, he found back his car, and turned the key in the ignition.
And again.
And again.
He pulled his phone back out, seeing Regina’s angry text still front and center on the alert screen, and called for a tow truck.
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The “Worst” Road Trip
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When you get some years under you as a skateboarder, you amass a whole bunch of stories about tricks, interfering weirdos, board setups and the absolute best times when riding a skateboard. As much as we try, not every session or trip turns out the way we expect. This is the story of My Big Fat Gypsy Road Trip.
Note: Please excuse the really bad video screencaps dotted throughout this article - the photos from this trip are lost to the sands of time.
Originally, after the successful "Sittin' On The Toilet" trip of 2010, I wanted to do it all again the next year. 2011's trip had been a write off though, as the potential for a road trip with a Cov crew and shredders Daryl Nobbs, Becky Jacques and Felix Parker had fallen through after some people got ill, and others had prior commitments they couldn't rearrange. The following year, in 2012, we finally managed to get some Cov heads who were keen to hit the road again for several days of camping, shredding and good times, so I got organised and readied myself for another camping trip.
Like last time, we planned to hit up a good chunk of the south west, starting near Bristol and making our way down south to Cornwall. We booked ourselves in at the same campsite in Cheddar that we had stayed at for the first road trip, and got a tight crew of 8 people in 2 cars, with a plan to meet Joxa and Slasher Sam down in Bristol (they were living down there at the time).
The roster driving down from Coventry was myself, my wife Emily, Ralph Cooper, Hannah Craig, Kyle "KB" Smith, Tom Illsley, Ryan "RB" Bradley and Alex "Moose" McGhie. Emily, Ralph, Hannah, KB and Joxa were returning members of the Sittin' On The Toilet gang, so I was pretty stoked for more awesome times with them, but also stoked on the people embarking on a trip with us for the first time.
The trip would run across a long weekend, starting on a Friday, and ending on a Monday. It was April, a time of year when weather is unpredictable, but can sometimes turn out really nice. April 2012 was not one of those times. On the Friday morning of the road trip's start, it was chucking it down. The crew turned up at my house and we all looked at the BBC Weather website, and thought it looked like it might improve. Determined and overly optimistic, we got in our cars and hit the road, making a quick stop at the local Sainsbury's.
Now, I've had some shit cars in my time. I once had a lowered Audi that would cut out whilst you were driving, and would only start again if you turned the ignition with the accelerator down (I had to do this whilst rolling, which was terrifying). I once had a Toyota Auris Sport that needed an entire clutch rebuild 3 months after I bought it. But the car I had on this road trip was a Toyota Corolla: the choice of grandads and Taxi Drivers everywhere. This car was reliable enough, but it was far too big for the engine size (it was a 1.4 litre) so was sluggish as fuck. It's one redeeming quality was it was very spacious, especially compared to the Peugeot 106 I took on "Sittin' On The Toilet", which had to have a roof box attached just to carry all of our camping gear.
The Toyota Corolla didn't give me a whole lot of problems in the 2 and a half years I owned it, but on this particular occasion, embarking on a skate road trip with high expectations, it decided to conk out. After we had been to Sainsbury's, I got back in the car and turned the key. It turned over, and didn't start. I tried again. No start. I tried a few more times. The car turned over and refused to start. With no idea what to do I gave my Dad a ring and explained what was going on. I had flooded the engine. When I asked how we could fix it, my Dad simply said "You're just gonna have to wait". "How long???". "A couple of hours maybe?". My heart sank.
After half an hour of sitting in the car watching skate videos and talking about how shit things had gone so far, I tried the ignition again. IT WAS ALIVE. The Toyota spluttered to life, and the engine was running. With not a second to spare, I gave Hannah the signal that we were hitting the road, and both cars rolled out of the Sainsbury's car park we had become far too acquainted with.
As we barreled down the M5, the rain clouds began to shift, and suddenly: Blue skies! Things were looking up. The excitement was palpable and we all started to get hyped. As we rolled up to our first stop, Keynsham in Bristol, we were ready to shred.
The session hit the ground running - after being stuck in our cars and thinking the day was a washout, everyone was so excited and shredding. Everyone landed a trick at the park: RB got the sickest Backside Heelflip over the hip, Tom shot a sick photo of me doing a Sweeper (lost to the sands of the internet), Emily monster trucked down some steps into a bank, and Ralph had his trademark fancy footwork on display. As the session was really getting into the swing of things… The heavens opened, and the rain came down. It was a washout.
We sat in the cars and thought the rain might pass, but after 10 minutes it became obvious we were probably done here for now. Time was getting on a bit, so we decided to head on to the campsite, get set up, and chill out for the evening, with a fresh start the next day. Once we got to the campsite, we had a warm welcome, and the weather was looking fine once again. The evening camping antics were great, and everyone had a drink and a laugh. A few of the guys hotboxed a tent, so everyone was pretty mellow compared to the scrumpy based insanity of 2010's trip. We all settled in for the night in hopes of a good day's skate on Saturday.
And then came the night. I don't think we get any hurricanes in the UK, but that night must have been the closest we've got to one. The wind was intense, and at times I thought our tent was coming down. Tom Illsley was in a pop up festival tent, and the evening before RB had made jokes that Tom would be sleeping in a tree by the time the morning came around. The more the night went on, the more I was convinced this would be the case.
The morning came, and the sky was grey. Very grey. It was freezing, it was wet, it was not the ideal weather for skateboarding. I remember waking up a good hour before anyone else, and I went and sat in my car, put the heating on, and listened to the radio whilst I waited for some activity from the rest of the camp. As people stirred, the realisation of how shit the weather was settled in. We had planned to hit up Cheddar skatepark, but it looked less likely as the morning went on.
We realised an indoor skatepark was probably going to be the only option. Bristol had the indoor Campus Skatepark, and was only a 30 minute drive away. We piled into our cars after some breakfast and headed to Bristol to meet Joxa and Sam. After an obligatory tea break at Joxa's , we made our way to the park. This was before the Campus Pool existed, and at the time Campus consisted of a room with a mini ramp, and a former school gym (before the current skatepark there existed) with some portable ramps and ledges dotted around. It wasn't perfect, but it was dry, and it was a skatepark.
This session was pretty rad. Joe Habgood was there and was flying out of banks to wall ride everywhere. We all filmed some stuff, and generally just hung out and drank tea and skated. After a couple of hours, we stepped outside and realised it had dried up. We floated the idea of going to a skatepark, but Joxa had a better idea, and suggested a DIY spot called Daveside (which is still standing today, and is a super sick DIY skatepark). Back in 2012, it was just a quarter and a ledge. However, it was more than enough for us to get a session going.
The skate was going well, and Emily had spotted a quirky little lump at the end of the quarter (built by Swampy) which she was determined to rock fakie. This thing wasn't a quarter or a bank, it was a weird lump with a little curb at the top to get your trucks onto. It was a challenge to skate, but it was super fun. Emily had a few goes at it, and was getting really close. Tom got the camera out to film Emily's trick on it, and first go, she went up and took a super gnarly slam, landing straight on her hip. It was one of the most horrible slams I've seen her take, but she just got straight back up - the next go she got it.
After about 45 minutes of skating, the rain began again. Grateful to have got some time outside skating, we got back in the cars and said goodbye to Joxa and Sam, and headed back to the campsite.
When we returned, it was like a bombsite. The horrendous storm-like weather had persisted through Saturday. Tom's tent was practically up in a tree. RB and Moose's tent had completely fallen down, soaking some of their bags. The big tent that Ralph, Hannah, Emily and myself were sharing was wavering, threatening to collapse. The only tent not on the verge of collapse was KB's pro fishing tent.
The field we were camping in was boggy, and areas were becoming flooded. We made a decision to pack up, and head back to Coventry. If we could get a good night's sleep in a warm bed inside a dry house, we might be able to regroup and make new plans to head to an indoor park if this weather continued on Sunday.
On the way out of the campsite, Hannah's Ford Fiesta got stuck in the boggy grass. She couldn't shift it, and no amount of pushing from others could free it. The Toyota had surprisingly gotten out of the field, so we tied a rope to the Fiesta and had to tow it out to rescue it. So far we had spent more time battling the elements than actually skateboarding! By the time we hit the road, the night time was drawing in. We stopped at a service station, where we skated some flat ground in wellies. Spirits were still high, somehow!
To keep a sense of us being on a "camping" road trip, Tom, RB, KB and Moose stayed at mine and Emily's. Our house wasn't massive, so it was a bit like sardines in a tin. In the morning I woke everyone up with my Covpark Combat megaphone, which was tradition for anyone who slept at my house.
The weather was still absolutely shit, so we thought about hitting an indoor park. Consensus landed on us going to The House in Sheffield, where we arranged to meet Alex Burrell. But when we checked social media we got a surprise. The House's Facebook page said the park was closed, but would open ASAP, due to an emergency. Ralph phoned up for more details, and found out the building next door had caught fire. We all felt like this trip was fucking cursed.
The guys at The House encouraged us to drive up, saying by the time we arrived from Cov the fire engines would have gone. Ralph asked how busy the park would be, and we were told it wouldn't be too bad. With the session on, we headed up to Sheffield. When we arrived, we were gutted to find the place absolutely rammed with scooter kids.
Dodging the scooter kids for this afternoon was an exercise in patience. Literally every time one of us would set up for a trick, there was a scooter kid there. For some of us it felt like we were never going to get a chance to even attempt the tricks we wanted. For a short stint we took over the micro room and got some footage there. We managed to get onto the street course a little bit, but the sheer congestion of the park, and the self entitled parents of the kids, just made it worse.
By this point I was flagging. I was genuinely so tired I couldn't think straight. When we were leaving, KB was trying a trick, and wanted to get it down before we hit the road. I was so tired, and I just didn't have the energy to wait around, so I got pissed off with it. In the car I ran my mouth and basically said some shit about Kyle that was unfair and moreso a reaction to me being so tired and bummed out about the trip than it was about Kyle wanting to land a trick. KB was understandably vexed with me, and everyone in the car was bummed out.
At the services I tried to mend the bridges and was honest that I was just completely wiped out. I was at the end of my rope and reacted like a twat. It was honestly one of the most embarrassing moments I've had skating and I felt so shit for being an arsehole and bringing the vibe down. We all tried to enjoy some KFC and put it behind us.
The next day, the weather was looking great. Things were finally turning around. Knowing that this was the last chance for this trip to turn out good, we plotted a course for Clifton Skatepark in Nottingham. I don't know what happened on this day, but we never got any footage from the park. It was the day with easily the best weather, and I'm pretty sure Tom filmed some stuff here, but the footage got corrupted or something.
I barely remember anything else about this day apart from Emily taking the actual worst slam she has ever taken, and landing on her already bruised hip so hard she thought she had dislocated it. The session at Clifton ended with us making a trip to A&E to get an X-ray for Emily. KB and Tom were trapped in Nottingham waiting for us to be done, and late in the evening we rolled on back to Coventry kinda glad the whole weekend was over.
I've titled this "The Worst Road Trip", but I am fully aware many of you might have far worse experiences. So why am I detailing this? I saw a video of Craig Questions from about 5 years ago where he talks about skateboarders, and how we might have a terrible time on a skate trip like sleeping in a cold garage with 10 other people, and how we all just accept it, like it's no big deal.
For anyone else, this kind of experience might be their idea of hell. The trip I described would be enough to put most normal people off going camping or even interacting with the people involved ever again. But for skateboarders, this kind of shit is part and parcel. It's who we are. Everyone has a road trip story like my one, where seemingly everything goes wrong. But the one thing that always, ALWAYS, makes it worth it? Riding your skateboard, with some good friends, and getting each other stoked on riding something new and different.
Questions made a good point that a bunch of "Lads" on holiday in Ibiza would take sleeping in a garage on a cold concrete floor as a failure. They would take camping in a literal storm as a failure. They would call the trip completely over the minute someone's tent ended up in a tree.
Skateboarders adapt. Skateboarders think about how they can still proceed, and still get to do this thing we all enjoy so much, even if the universe is repeatedly telling you to give up and sit at home doing nothing. This road trip didn't go to plan, but we stuck with the idea of 4 non stop days of skateboarding as a crew, and didn't give up on it.
We made lemonade out of lemons. And that's what skateboarding is about, right? If you are expecting perfect weather, perfect terrain, and no hiccups, and not making the most of what you have, then that's not what skateboarders do - you get straight back out there and you figure out a way to get the session on!
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The curious case of Nicki Minaj: Female emcees, respect, & marketing in the streaming era
Missy Elliot’s Miss E…So Addictive was the first album by a female rapper that I bought. Or rather, that my dad bought for me the summer of 2001. Before a generation lost their innocence when those planes crashed through the World Trade Center. Before the streaming era took over and put the entire music industry’s discography on our iPhones. And when ripping the annoying plastic covering off that CD case would gave you a singular rush of anticipation. The late Purple God Prince gave us a gentle rebuke about albums at the 2016 Grammy Awards, before his untimely death: “Albums still matter. Like books and Black lives, albums still matter.”
But with time comes change, so we’ll spare the excess nostalgia for another time. And given the amount of music I consume daily, buying albums today would likely leave me homeless and penniless, with nothing but my Kate Spade bags, wigs & CDs as declared assets. So there’s that.
Female emcees have always had a tricky relationship with hip-hop, especially along the lines of visibility. Today, Missy’s ….So Addictive and Ms. Lauryn’s Miseducation records rest in an old black case, along with countless others by male colleagues (i.e., Jay, Mobb Deep, Outcast, Wu Tang Klan, etc.). Those two CDs are token items, like the one Black guy that always get killed first in horror movies — there to confirm that female emcees exist, but still not enough to suggest real interest in their stories. Thankfully, I’ve remedied that oversight in my adult years.
Fast forward to 2008, when an up-and-coming Queens emcee named Nicki Minaj captivated the hip-hop world with her Sucka Free mixtape and 2009 Beam Me Up Scotty follow-up.
A Lil’ Kim clone through and through down to the lingerie picture, Beam Me Up Scotty put me on notice to Nicki’s talent as a rapper — something she would later confirm when she washed two hip-hop heavyweights (Kanye West and Hov) on the same song, Monster. Nicki the Ninja would later carry the success of that mixtape, her Pink Friday album, and an eccentric and a playfully sexual Barbie aesthetic to become the highest-selling female rapper of all time. She would run unopposed with this status for years to come.
Looking at Nicki’s recent controversies and chart performance — Joe Coscarelli of The New York Times noted: “Of her [Nicki’s] two songs as a lead artist currently on the Billboard Hot 100, none is higher than number 81”— you get the sense this unopposed run has inspired complacency, if not outright arrogance on her part. Sure, we can chalk this complacency up to hip-hop’s fucked up expectation that only one woman rapper can sit on the throne. That would be a valid argument, as talented female emcees like Rapsody have not enjoyed mainstream success, despite being a Grammy-nominated artist and rapping better than the rainbow-haired, lean-drinking weirdos currently dominating the new school.
That being said, it is my observation that Nicki is currently hanging by the same rope she gladly hung Lil’ Kim with years before. That same standard that helped Nicki during her rise — and relegated Kim’s legacy to an afterthought — is slowly painting her as a “has-been” now.
Where are the receipts? Let’s look at Nicki’s 2018 so far (in chronological order):
April 3, 2018: Coming out of social media hiatus
Nicki was spotted at LAX Airport after being on a social-media hiatus since December 2017. With an all-black ensemble and over-sized shades in tow, Nicki’s airport walk-through signaled a return to the public — and created anticipation for more. Is she coming out with a new song, after all these months? A new interview? We would get this answer a little over a week later.
April 12, 2018: Zane Lowe interview, new singles, and those Cardi B/Tokyo Stylez comments
In the midst of releasing Barbie Tingz and Chun Li, Nicki gave a deep-dive on a variety of topics including her current artistic process, social media, Meek Mill’s legal troubles, and Cardi B. Given that Cardi’s Invasion of Privacy album was released the prior Friday (April 6th), her comments on Cardi grabbed the most headlines.
On Cardi B, Nicki said:
“The only thing with Cardi that really, really, really hurt my feelings was the first interview she did after ‘MotorSport’ came out… With ‘MotorSport,’ I kinda felt ambushed. Up until this recent interview she did, I had never seen her show me genuine love in an interview. And I can just imagine how many girls wished they could be on a song with Nicki Minaj.”
When asked why she didn’t appear on camera with Cardi in the MotorSportmusic video, Nicki effectively threw celebrity hair-stylist Tokyo Stylez under the bus for a scheduling conflict:
“Even with the scheduling conflict, she’s using my hairdresser now so even he can attest to the fact, Tokyo [Stylez]…He knows there really was a scheduling conflict and it was because of him. He’s the one that couldn’t show up. I texted him, ‘You know, if I don’t show up the day she’s shooting, they’re gonna act like I’m doing it to be mean with the current Nicki hate train.’ He wasn’t able to come, and that’s fine.”
I side-eyed these comments for a couple of reasons. For one, Nicki’s assertion that “many girls” wish for a Nicki collab tells me that she expected Cardi to bow down and kiss the ring. Given Nicki’s prior beefs with female rap legends (see: Lil’ Kim’s 2012 Breakfast Club interview) who believed she didn’t pay respect during her rise, it’s strange that she would take Cardi to task in this way. Also, publically blaming the lack of on-camera appearance on a celebrity hairstylist was a messy and unnecessary move. Why throw another professional under the bus for your lack of joint on-screen appearance?
May 24, 2018: Queen is pushed from June 15 to August 10
In an Instagram live-stream, Nicki announced that Queen would be released on August 10th, as opposed to the originally announced June 15 date she teased during a Vogue interview on the Met Gala red carpet. Granted, album push backs are perfectly normal. In many cases, the extra time can help an artist perfect their record and it also gives management more leeway to execute the roll-out. On the other side, album push backs can signal doubts on either:
1.) The quality of the project
2.) How much said project will sell/connect with audiences
3.) Clarity with the album roll-out strategy
In Nicki’s case, to return from hiatus in April with two singles (Barbie Tingz and Chun Li) only to push the album release from June to August points to some internal doubts about the ability of the project to compete in a summer of high-profile releases (i.e., Kanye Kardashian, Drizzy, Nas, etc.). Also, this might be a small detail, but there’s a lack of a cohesive aesthetic between Nicki’s recent singles that is hard to ignore.
Shout out to @bluekeyblade for pointing out this lack of cohesion on this Twitter thread.
The varying aesthetics here contrast with other mainstream artists. Here are some examples Twitter users pointed out under that thread:
You can argue that the increasing emphasis on singles during the streaming era has reduced the need for cohesive projects and aesthetics. However, the marketing professional in me believes these varied aesthetics points to a record label and management team that are testing different aesthetics to see what consumers will connect with. Streaming era aside, it is evident a clear aesthetic is key to a successful brand strategy. Between Mariah’s album fonts, Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman bunny ears, and RiRi’s red hair during the Loud era — all of these artists had a cohesive look that was synonymous with their projects. That Nicki doesn’t appear to have a cohesive aesthetic going into an album roll-out is a worrying sign for how she is being marketed in this new streaming era.
June 13, 2018: ELLE magazine interview, and those sex-work comments
With the tagline “The Queen Returns,” it’s clear this cover-story was meant to promote her new album and assert her return back to the top. You might have missed this though, as controversial comments around sex-work dominated headlines.
“Maybe I was naive, but I didn’t realize how many girls were modern-day prostitutes,” she said. “Whether you’re a stripper, or whether you’re an Instagram girl — these girls are so beautiful and they have so much to offer. But I started finding out that you give them a couple thousand dollars, and you can have sex with them.”
So I’ll start with this reaction gif of Kurt from Glee:
Upon reading these comments, I’m struck by the lack of empathy from a woman who has earned millions by selling her body and sex appeal. Maybe Nicki was simply unaware that performing sex work is often a literal means of survival for poor and disenfranchised women. Contrary to popular belief, sex work doesn’t just occur among the impossibly beautiful Instagram models who fuck rich men for Birkin bags and a trip to the Maldives. On the other side of this jet-set living are poor, LGBT women of color who perform sex work to feed and provide for their families. New York Times best-selling author and trans activist Janet Mock spoke on this very reality in a 2018 AM Tonight interview with Alicia Menendez.
Also, to have these comments come out around the same time she released Rich Sex, a song with these poetic lyrics just boggles the mind.
If you know your pussy worth a Benz truck
(Rich sex)
Don’t let homie fuck unless his bands up
(Rich sex)
Go to DR, get that fat transfer
(Rich sex)
It ain’t such a thing as broke and handsome
(Rich sex)
If you let that broke nigga fuck, we tellin’
(Rich sex)
If you let that broke nigga fuck, we tellin’
(Rich sex)
If you let that broke nigga fuck, we tellin’
(Rich sex)
If you let that broke nigga fuck, we tellin’
(Rich sex)
July 7, 2018: Wanna Thompson, Karen Civil, and those DMs
This brings us to the most recent “controversy” surrounding Onika and those Twitter DMs with Wanna Thompson, a freelance writer from Toronto. I won’t add more to this story, as much has been recently discussed related to Wanna’s original tweet, Nicki’s DM, and Wanna’s subsequent firing from Karen Civil’s website. Check out the New York Times profile on Ms.Thompson for the whole story. Needless to say, the experience has done little to promote Ms. Minaj in a positive light ahead of her album release. Also, it’s interesting that Wanna identified the need for Nicki’s artistry to evolve — a complaint other critics have noted. I mean, how many “bitches are my sons” bars can we take?
Missy Misdemeanor commented on the current state of music and female emcees during a 2012 Breakfast Club interview. When asked about Nicki Minaj — understandable given Nicki’s presence as the top-selling female rapper — Missy curiously wrapped her praise for Nicki’s hustle with the need for unity, respect for music’s predecessors, and new talent development. Judging by Nicki’s history of feuds with older female rappers (Lil’ Kim being the most prominent ) and rumors of behind-the-scenes sabotage antics against her peers, Missy seems to be alluding to some funny-style actions on Nicki’s part. When you think about Missy’s call to nurture new hip-hop talent (lest your own legacy becomes discredited by the new school) and Nicki’s current inability to produce a hit single with lasting power, her words sound that much more prophetic right now. That may soon change though, as Bed, a Ariana Grande collab and a rumored collab with Tekashi 69 are sure to capture attention ahead of the album release. And controversy aside, all press is good press, right?
Looking at Missy’s 20+ year career and the goodwill she still wields in the industry, I’m reminded of how important it is to treat people with respect. That stars are not immune to a fickle consumer base that loves them one second and discards them the next. That complacency is the killer of growth. And when all else fails — it’s alright to sit down, mind your business, and eat your food. We don’t see Beyonce giving controversy-laden interviews and clapping back at music writers on Twitter for a reason. Just saying.
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2018 NASCAR Xfinity Sequence at Daytona outcomes: Tyler Reddick wins loopy PowerShares QQQ 300 in fifth extra time
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla — Tyler Reddick held off Elliott Sadler in quintuple-overtime to win the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence race at Daytona Worldwide Speedway. Sadler appeared to have the sting coming to the checkered flag, however Reddick simply edged him out for a photograph end.
The win is the second of Reddick’s profession at NASCAR’s second-highest degree and ensures his spot within the Xfinity Sequence playoffs. Reddick’s margin of victory was Zero.000 seconds, the closest in NASCAR Nationwide Sequence historical past.
The race was principally dominated by Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott who mixed to steer 99 of the 120 scheduled laps. Nevertheless, the three had been concerned in a large 18-car pileup within the first extra time, which bumped Larson and Logano from rivalry. Elliott solely suffered minor injury however was later black flagged for a proper aspect window violation forward of the fourth extra time
NASCAR Xfinity Sequence PowerShares QQQ 300 outcomes
Tyler Reddick
Elliott Sadler
Ryan Reed
Kaz Grala
Garrett Smithley
Spencer Gallagher
Ryan Truex
Daniel Suarez
Ross Chastain
Brandon Jones
Jeff Inexperienced
Chase Elliott
Caesar Bacarella
Cole Custer
Stephen Licht
Jeremy Clements
David Starr
JJ Yeley
Matt Tifft
Vinnie Miller
Ryan Sieg
Josh Williams
Joe Nemechek
Alex Labbe
Spencer Boyd
Daniel Hemric
Dylan Lupton
Chad Finchum
Kyle Larson
Ryan Ellis
Justin Allgaier
Austin Dillon
Joey Gase
Joey Logano
Aric Almirola
Brandon Brown
Michael Annett
Grey Gaulding
Christopher Bell
Austin Cindric
Here is the way it all went down (together with what prompted all 5 overtimes):
Stage 1: Kyle Larson dominates as Logano prices from again of the pack
Kyle Larson dominated Stage 1 within the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence race at Daytona, holding off Joey Logano to take the primary inexperienced and white checkered.
Pole starter Daniel Hemric and Cup Sequence driver Kyle Larson led the sector to inexperienced. Along with Larson, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Aric Almirola, Daniel Suarez and Austin Dillon represented NASCAR’s prime tier on Saturday. Logano started the race from the rear to due unapproved changes however simply cracked the highest 5 inside 10 laps. As Logano cracked third place, Larson took the lead away from Hemric.
Austin Cindric bought into Suarez and completely misplaced it on Lap 11. Eight vehicles had been concerned within the wreck, together with 2017 Truck Sequence champion Christopher Bell who needed to take his automobile to the storage.
Hemric regained the lead on the restart however shortly forfeited it to Larson, who continued to carry off a charging Logano and Elliott Sadler via the tip of the stage.
Stage 1 outcomes
Kyle Larson (no factors)
Joey Logano (no factors)
Justin Allgaier (eight factors)
Tyler Reddick (7 factors)
Elliott Salder (6 factors)
Daniel Hemric (5 factors)
Michael Annett (four factors)
Daniel Suarez (no factors)
Spencer Gallagher (2 factors)
Cole Custer (1 level)
*Cup Sequence drivers should not eligible for Xfinity Sequence factors
Stage 2: Chase Elliott’s aggressive strikes repay
Chase Elliott aggressively took the lead and blocked the sector to win Stage 2 at Daytona. The No. 9 Cup Sequence driver did it within the No. 88 driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Saturday’s Xfinity Sequence race.
Sadler gained the race off pit street and started Stage 2 because the chief; nevertheless, he was simply handed by Larson earlier than he could lead on a lap. It did not take very lengthy for the battle between Logano and Larson to re-engage.
Can-Am Duel winner Chase Elliott started to make his strikes with 77 to go within the race and almost took the lead on an aggressive transfer however was swiftly blocked by Larson. It wasn’t for lengthy although as Elliott took the lead simply 4 laps later.
Larson fell again as little as fourth however made his manner again to second through the ultimate laps. Logano adopted in pursuit but it surely was no good as Elliott was capable of block the 2 Cup Sequence veterans and slew of different drivers en path to the inexperienced and white checkered.
Stage 2 outcomes
Chase Elliott (no factors)
Aric Almirola (no factors)
Kyle Larson (no factors)
Daniel Suarez (no factors)
Spencer Gallagher (6 factors)
Ryan Truex (5 factors)
Austin Dillon (no factors)
Tyler Reddick (Three factors)
Daniel Hemric (2 factors)
Justin Allgaier (1 level)
Remaining Stage: QUINTUPLE-OVERTIME!!!!
Aric Almirola led the primary lap after taking two tires and profitable the race off pit street through the mid-stage warning. Logano led the second lap, though Larson did take the lead on the backstretch after an aggressive transfer. Logano held the lead shortly however started shuffling it with Larson and Sadler as the sector started to go three-wide.
The No. 22 of Logano retook the lead and paced the sector earlier than the warning got here out for experiences of potential fluid coming from Grey Gaulding’s automobile on the monitor. Gaulding then introduced his automobile into the storage earlier than pit stops started.
Logano simply gained the race off pit street beating Sadler and Elliott in a fuel-only cease. Hemric, the pole starter, was penalized on the cease for rushing. The three continued in that order via the primary couple laps with Elliott making the go on Sadler shortly after for second. As you may think about, the battle continued as Larson re-engaged and the 4 went at it for the highest spot.
Elliott and Sadler had been penalized with 24 to go for locking bumpers within the entrance of the sector. The 2 had been compelled to return down pit street for a go via and went a couple of half-lap down earlier than getting again on the monitor. They caught an enormous break nevertheless when Ryan Reed blocked Ryan Truex, forcing him beneath the yellow line and inflicting a serious wreck involving Hemric, Custer and others.
Larson took the lead on the restart with 16 laps to go as Logano, Suarez and Almirola trailed. Simply two laps later, Michael Annett went spinning via the grass Daytona logos, taking Garrett Smithley together with him to convey out the sixth warning of the day.
Daytona brand nonetheless seems to be OK.. The Monster Vitality NASCAR Cup Sequence brand nevertheless is RUINED. Someplace within the clubhouse, the turf crew is weeping at an extended evening forward.
— Matthew Mayer (@MatthewMayerCBS) February 17, 2018
The No. 42 and No. 22 had been on the brink of duke it out with 10 laps to go; nevertheless, Vinnie Miller went spinning on the restart, bringing the warning flag again out.
Larson led the sector again to inexperienced with 5 laps to go as the sector started going three-wide on the start-finish line. The No. 42 blocked nearly everybody when Sadler went spinning with 4 to go, seemingly ending his hopes for an Xfinity Sequence playoff-clinching win (till three overtimes despatched him into the highest 5) and sending the race into extra time. The No. 1 was capable of get contemporary tires and a minimum of end.
Simply if you thought it was over, “the large one” struck on the primary lap over extra time, and we imply huge. Larson, Logano, Elliott and 15 others had been all concerned within the huge wreck. Have a look for your self:
After an enormous monitor cleanup and reshuffling of positions, Suarez was set to steer the sector again to inexperienced however ran out of gasoline beneath warning and needed to be towed off. Reed was then granted the highest spot for the restart.
Could not get sufficient extra time? Effectively fortunate for you, Spencer Gallagher could not both. Midway via the third extra time lap, Spencer Gallagher bought caught between Truex and Ross Chastain and was despatched spinning to convey out the yellow flag.
Tyler Reddick had a powerful lead coming to the white flag — too dangerous there was one other huge crash 100 toes earlier than he hit the start-finish line, that means a fourth extra time needed to be held.
We’re not finished, people. Thank Dylan Lupton for stalling on the backstretch and bringing out the warning but once more as Reddick was resulting in drive a fifth extra time. So as to add insult to harm, the crimson flag was introduced out, stopping motion in favor of monitor cleanup.
Reddick wouldn’t be denied in quintuple-overtime regardless of Sadler’s greatest makes an attempt to return again and take the checkered flag. Reddick almost surrendered to the No. 1, however crossed the end line in a end that wanted a slow-motion replay to find out.
Now that the warm-up has completed, we invite you to prepare for the 60th working of the Daytona 500 with our in-depth preview. Plus, every thing you must know on how you can watch on TV, reside streams and extra.
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Future News — Dateline February 14th, 2030
Future News — Dateline February 14th, 2030
By Zachary Shahan
… With anchor Jane Curtain III. Tonight’s top story… The last automobile powered by an internal combustion engine was sent to the salvage yard today. We will have film at 11:00pm showing a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible being towed into Monster Joe’s Auto & Trucks Dismantlers in Los Angeles, California. The car had been hidden in the bunker of a decommissioned Air Force…
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#alternative energy#cars#diesel#emit#energy#full#gases#gaspetrol#greenhouse#lifecycle#renewable energy#study
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The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content
You’ve seen Pulp Fiction, right? It’s the classic 1994 black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The film is highly stylized, presented out of chronological order, and filled with eclectic dialogue that reveals each character’s perspectives on various subjects. And yes, it’s profane and violent.
Pulp Fiction was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Tarantino and his co-writer Roger Avary won for Best Original Screenplay, which is truly the foundation of an exceptional film.
Despite the groundbreaking inventiveness, Pulp Fiction also expertly uses a common writing technique that grabs attention right from the beginning, and magnetically holds that attention through a form of psychological tension generated by our short-term memories.
This simple strategy is something you can use in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations. You’ll not only increase engagement, but also add enhanced credibility to the persuasive point you’re trying to make.
Opening the loop
Back during the aftermath of the tragic effects of Hurricane Katrina, I came across an interesting article about some less-than-inspiring aspects of the devastating storm. It began with this:
“An Illinois woman mourns her two young daughters, swept to their deaths in Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters. It’s a tragic and terrifying story. It’s also a lie.”
Now, any article that details accounts of fraud in the aftermath of Katrina would contain compelling information. But that opening had me riveted, and it got me reading what ended up being a detailed and lengthy piece that I might have otherwise skipped.
The article went on for 1,136 words before explaining that opening statement. It finally came as the initial bullet point in a list of false claims for relief after Katrina.
This type of opening with a delayed resolution is called an open loop, and it works for just about any type of content or copy. No matter the medium, you always want to grab attention quickly and hold it while you provide the surrounding facts, lessons, or supporting evidence.
The information is the same, but the level of attention and even fascination on the reader’s part is greatly heightened by the structure, leading to better retention and potential for persuasion.
Bond … James Bond
Open loops are used all the time in the movies. Think about James Bond, dangling over a vat of sharks.
While the villain monologues, Bond saves himself by cutting away the ropes with the buzzsaw hidden in his Rolex Submariner watch. Why do we accept, much less embrace, this ridiculous resolution?
It’s because the buzzsaw feature of the watch was introduced to us earlier thanks to the new technology presentation from Q that happens in every Bond movie. The implausible becomes credible thanks to the setup earlier in the film.
These setups create open loops that will keep your audience itching to find out what happens in the end — a need-to-know phenomenon called the Zeigarnik Effect by psychologists.
In a nutshell, the Zeigarnik Effect means that we hold things in our short-term memories that lack closure. For example, waiters can easily remember the orders of each of the tables they’re serving — until the food comes out that is, at which point retention and recall diminishes greatly.
So, when you use the setup and payoff structure of the open loop, your audience is driven to keep going with you. And that’s what you want, right?
Think about cliffhanger endings, where a loop is opened without being closed. Not only do you want to know what happens, you remember to tune in next time.
The setup and subsequent payoff of an open loop is incredibly satisfying. And that’s why open loops are also powerful persuasion vehicles, because we embrace the payoff in a way we wouldn’t without the setup and time-lapse in between.
Think back to the James Bond example; the open loop made an implausible escape perfectly acceptable. As we’ll see in the next example, it can also make a commercial claim more credible, and even prompt the holy grail of direct response copywriting — action.
Loops that move people to act
So, how can you use an open loop in your copy to not only persuade, but also prompt action? Take a look at the copy for this radio ad written by Roy Williams for a diamond merchant called Justice Jewelers:
“Antwerp, Belgium, is no longer the diamond capital of the world.
Thirty-four hours on an airplane. One way. Thirty. Four. Hours. That’s how long it took me to get to where 80 percent of the world’s diamonds are now being cut. After 34 hours, I looked bad. I smelled bad. I wanted to go to sleep. But then I saw the diamonds.
Unbelievable. They told me I was the first retailer from North America ever to be in that office.
Only the biggest wholesalers are allowed through those doors. Fortunately, I had one of ’em with me, a lifelong friend who was doing me a favor.
Now pay attention, because what I’m about to say is really important: As of this moment, Justice Jewelers has the lowest diamond prices in America, and I’m including all the online diamond sellers in that statement.
Now you and I both know that talk is cheap. So put it to the test. Go online. Find your best deal. Not only will Justice Jewelers give you a better diamond, we’ll give you a better price, as well.
I’m Woody Justice, and I’m working really, really hard to be your jeweler. Thirty-four hours of hard travel, one way. I think you’ll be glad I did it.”
Okay, so the ad starts off by setting up an open loop. If Antwerp is no longer the diamond cutting capital of the world, which city is the new one?
But here’s the thing … we’re never told the city, or even exactly how low the prices are. To do that, you need to take action by heading over to the Justice Jewelers website, combined with a challenge to find lower prices anywhere else online.
Less artful ads would lead with the claim of the lowest prices thanks to an exclusive source of diamonds. Skepticism would naturally abound.
Here, the storytelling setup is incredibly engaging, even if you’re not in the market for diamonds. If you are in the market, the lingering open loop means the listener is more likely to retain, recall, and act on the information.
Can you see how this might work on a landing page aimed at getting an email opt-in? You open the loop, and the only way the visitor can close it is to sign up for the lead magnet.
That’s just one example of the many uses of open loops. As I mentioned earlier, you can incorporate open loops in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations, all making you inherently more engaging and persuasive.
And speaking of earlier, what about Pulp Fiction?
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny
So I saw Pulp Fiction on opening night back in 1994, and oh man … that first scene. I’ve never before or since experienced a theater full of people bursting into applause after the opening of a film.
As a refresher, Pulp Fiction begins with a man and a woman sitting together in a diner. The two are known only by the pet names they call each other — Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.
They’re discussing the relative dangers of robbing various places, revealing that the two are criminals. They’ve been holding up liquor stores, which Pumpkin thinks is too dangerous and will eventually result in them or someone else getting killed.
After sharing a story about a man who robs a bank with a telephone, Pumpkin proposes that they start robbing diners. In fact, he suggests that they rob the diner they’re in, right now.
Up to this point, Honey Bunny has been nothing but sweetness and light. She suddenly jumps up with a gun and shouts some particularly shocking threats to the patrons. Cut to Dick Dale’s iconic rendition of “Misirlou” and the opening credits.
Now, the rest of the film proceeds. Some of what follows actually occurs before the opening scene, and some occurs after, but don’t worry about that right now.
The point is, much of the rest of the film plays out without returning to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Even though the film is riveting, in the back of your mind you’re thinking … what the hell was that about?
What happened to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny?
Finally, we arrive at the last scene of the film. It’s the same diner from the opening.
Turns out, this is where gangsters Jules and Vincent have decided to have breakfast after escaping The Bonnie Situation and disposing of a headless guy at Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow.
Cut to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, just as Honey Bunny leaps up with the gun and makes her threat. Ironically, in their bid for safer crime options, these two fools have picked the exact wrong diner to rob.
The scene plays out and the film ends, which closes the open loop. Incredibly satisfying.
So, in case there was any doubt, you can also use open loops when crafting tutorial content as well — because I just demonstrated one for you. The headline and opening of this article promise you an example from Pulp Fiction, but I didn’t actually close that loop until the very end.
Maybe you were wondering when I would get to it.
Maybe you knew I was demonstrating an open loop in my usual meta way.
Maybe (hopefully!) you got so caught up in the article that it was only nagging you somewhere in the back of your mind.
Anyway, do you use open loops in your content and copy? Let me know in the comments.
The post The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content appeared first on Copyblogger.
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The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content
You’ve seen Pulp Fiction, right? It’s the classic 1994 black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The film is highly stylized, presented out of chronological order, and filled with eclectic dialogue that reveals each character’s perspectives on various subjects. And yes, it’s profane and violent.
Pulp Fiction was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Tarantino and his co-writer Roger Avary won for Best Original Screenplay, which is truly the foundation of an exceptional film.
Despite the groundbreaking inventiveness, Pulp Fiction also expertly uses a common writing technique that grabs attention right from the beginning, and magnetically holds that attention through a form of psychological tension generated by our short-term memories.
This simple strategy is something you can use in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations. You’ll not only increase engagement, but also add enhanced credibility to the persuasive point you’re trying to make.
Opening the loop
Back during the aftermath of the tragic effects of Hurricane Katrina, I came across an interesting article about some less-than-inspiring aspects of the devastating storm. It began with this:
“An Illinois woman mourns her two young daughters, swept to their deaths in Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters. It’s a tragic and terrifying story. It’s also a lie.”
Now, any article that details accounts of fraud in the aftermath of Katrina would contain compelling information. But that opening had me riveted, and it got me reading what ended up being a detailed and lengthy piece that I might have otherwise skipped.
The article went on for 1,136 words before explaining that opening statement. It finally came as the initial bullet point in a list of false claims for relief after Katrina.
This type of opening with a delayed resolution is called an open loop, and it works for just about any type of content or copy. No matter the medium, you always want to grab attention quickly and hold it while you provide the surrounding facts, lessons, or supporting evidence.
The information is the same, but the level of attention and even fascination on the reader’s part is greatly heightened by the structure, leading to better retention and potential for persuasion.
Bond … James Bond
Open loops are used all the time in the movies. Think about James Bond, dangling over a vat of sharks.
While the villain monologues, Bond saves himself by cutting away the ropes with the buzzsaw hidden in his Rolex Submariner watch. Why do we accept, much less embrace, this ridiculous resolution?
It’s because the buzzsaw feature of the watch was introduced to us earlier thanks to the new technology presentation from Q that happens in every Bond movie. The implausible becomes credible thanks to the setup earlier in the film.
These setups create open loops that will keep your audience itching to find out what happens in the end — a need-to-know phenomenon called the Zeigarnik Effect by psychologists.
In a nutshell, the Zeigarnik Effect means that we hold things in our short-term memories that lack closure. For example, waiters can easily remember the orders of each of the tables they’re serving — until the food comes out that is, at which point retention and recall diminishes greatly.
So, when you use the setup and payoff structure of the open loop, your audience is driven to keep going with you. And that’s what you want, right?
Think about cliffhanger endings, where a loop is opened without being closed. Not only do you want to know what happens, you remember to tune in next time.
The setup and subsequent payoff of an open loop is incredibly satisfying. And that’s why open loops are also powerful persuasion vehicles, because we embrace the payoff in a way we wouldn’t without the setup and time-lapse in between.
Think back to the James Bond example; the open loop made an implausible escape perfectly acceptable. As we’ll see in the next example, it can also make a commercial claim more credible, and even prompt the holy grail of direct response copywriting — action.
Loops that move people to act
So, how can you use an open loop in your copy to not only persuade, but also prompt action? Take a look at the copy for this radio ad written by Roy Williams for a diamond merchant called Justice Jewelers:
“Antwerp, Belgium, is no longer the diamond capital of the world.
Thirty-four hours on an airplane. One way. Thirty. Four. Hours. That’s how long it took me to get to where 80 percent of the world’s diamonds are now being cut. After 34 hours, I looked bad. I smelled bad. I wanted to go to sleep. But then I saw the diamonds.
Unbelievable. They told me I was the first retailer from North America ever to be in that office.
Only the biggest wholesalers are allowed through those doors. Fortunately, I had one of ’em with me, a lifelong friend who was doing me a favor.
Now pay attention, because what I’m about to say is really important: As of this moment, Justice Jewelers has the lowest diamond prices in America, and I’m including all the online diamond sellers in that statement.
Now you and I both know that talk is cheap. So put it to the test. Go online. Find your best deal. Not only will Justice Jewelers give you a better diamond, we’ll give you a better price, as well.
I’m Woody Justice, and I’m working really, really hard to be your jeweler. Thirty-four hours of hard travel, one way. I think you’ll be glad I did it.”
Okay, so the ad starts off by setting up an open loop. If Antwerp is no longer the diamond cutting capital of the world, which city is the new one?
But here’s the thing … we’re never told the city, or even exactly how low the prices are. To do that, you need to take action by heading over to the Justice Jewelers website, combined with a challenge to find lower prices anywhere else online.
Less artful ads would lead with the claim of the lowest prices thanks to an exclusive source of diamonds. Skepticism would naturally abound.
Here, the storytelling setup is incredibly engaging, even if you’re not in the market for diamonds. If you are in the market, the lingering open loop means the listener is more likely to retain, recall, and act on the information.
Can you see how this might work on a landing page aimed at getting an email opt-in? You open the loop, and the only way the visitor can close it is to sign up for the lead magnet.
That’s just one example of the many uses of open loops. As I mentioned earlier, you can incorporate open loops in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations, all making you inherently more engaging and persuasive.
And speaking of earlier, what about Pulp Fiction?
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny
So I saw Pulp Fiction on opening night back in 1994, and oh man … that first scene. I’ve never before or since experienced a theater full of people bursting into applause after the opening of a film.
As a refresher, Pulp Fiction begins with a man and a woman sitting together in a diner. The two are known only by the pet names they call each other — Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.
They’re discussing the relative dangers of robbing various places, revealing that the two are criminals. They’ve been holding up liquor stores, which Pumpkin thinks is too dangerous and will eventually result in them or someone else getting killed.
After sharing a story about a man who robs a bank with a telephone, Pumpkin proposes that they start robbing diners. In fact, he suggests that they rob the diner they’re in, right now.
Up to this point, Honey Bunny has been nothing but sweetness and light. She suddenly jumps up with a gun and shouts some particularly shocking threats to the patrons. Cut to Dick Dale’s iconic rendition of “Misirlou” and the opening credits.
Now, the rest of the film proceeds. Some of what follows actually occurs before the opening scene, and some occurs after, but don’t worry about that right now.
The point is, much of the rest of the film plays out without returning to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Even though the film is riveting, in the back of your mind you’re thinking … what the hell was that about?
What happened to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny?
Finally, we arrive at the last scene of the film. It’s the same diner from the opening.
Turns out, this is where gangsters Jules and Vincent have decided to have breakfast after escaping The Bonnie Situation and disposing of a headless guy at Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow.
Cut to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, just as Honey Bunny leaps up with the gun and makes her threat. Ironically, in their bid for safer crime options, these two fools have picked the exact wrong diner to rob.
The scene plays out and the film ends, which closes the open loop. Incredibly satisfying.
So, in case there was any doubt, you can also use open loops when crafting tutorial content as well — because I just demonstrated one for you. The headline and opening of this article promise you an example from Pulp Fiction, but I didn’t actually close that loop until the very end.
Maybe you were wondering when I would get to it.
Maybe you knew I was demonstrating an open loop in my usual meta way.
Maybe (hopefully!) you got so caught up in the article that it was only nagging you somewhere in the back of your mind.
Anyway, do you use open loops in your content and copy? Let me know in the comments.
The post The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content appeared first on Copyblogger.
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Text
The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content
You’ve seen Pulp Fiction, right? It’s the classic 1994 black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The film is highly stylized, presented out of chronological order, and filled with eclectic dialogue that reveals each character’s perspectives on various subjects. And yes, it’s profane and violent.
Pulp Fiction was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Tarantino and his co-writer Roger Avary won for Best Original Screenplay, which is truly the foundation of an exceptional film.
Despite the groundbreaking inventiveness, Pulp Fiction also expertly uses a common writing technique that grabs attention right from the beginning, and magnetically holds that attention through a form of psychological tension generated by our short-term memories.
This simple strategy is something you can use in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations. You’ll not only increase engagement, but also add enhanced credibility to the persuasive point you’re trying to make.
Opening the loop
Back during the aftermath of the tragic effects of Hurricane Katrina, I came across an interesting article about some less-than-inspiring aspects of the devastating storm. It began with this:
“An Illinois woman mourns her two young daughters, swept to their deaths in Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters. It’s a tragic and terrifying story. It’s also a lie.”
Now, any article that details accounts of fraud in the aftermath of Katrina would contain compelling information. But that opening had me riveted, and it got me reading what ended up being a detailed and lengthy piece that I might have otherwise skipped.
The article went on for 1,136 words before explaining that opening statement. It finally came as the initial bullet point in a list of false claims for relief after Katrina.
This type of opening with a delayed resolution is called an open loop, and it works for just about any type of content or copy. No matter the medium, you always want to grab attention quickly and hold it while you provide the surrounding facts, lessons, or supporting evidence.
The information is the same, but the level of attention and even fascination on the reader’s part is greatly heightened by the structure, leading to better retention and potential for persuasion.
Bond … James Bond
Open loops are used all the time in the movies. Think about James Bond, dangling over a vat of sharks.
While the villain monologues, Bond saves himself by cutting away the ropes with the buzzsaw hidden in his Rolex Submariner watch. Why do we accept, much less embrace, this ridiculous resolution?
It’s because the buzzsaw feature of the watch was introduced to us earlier thanks to the new technology presentation from Q that happens in every Bond movie. The implausible becomes credible thanks to the setup earlier in the film.
These setups create open loops that will keep your audience itching to find out what happens in the end — a need-to-know phenomenon called the Zeigarnik Effect by psychologists.
In a nutshell, the Zeigarnik Effect means that we hold things in our short-term memories that lack closure. For example, waiters can easily remember the orders of each of the tables they’re serving — until the food comes out that is, at which point retention and recall diminishes greatly.
So, when you use the setup and payoff structure of the open loop, your audience is driven to keep going with you. And that’s what you want, right?
Think about cliffhanger endings, where a loop is opened without being closed. Not only do you want to know what happens, you remember to tune in next time.
The setup and subsequent payoff of an open loop is incredibly satisfying. And that’s why open loops are also powerful persuasion vehicles, because we embrace the payoff in a way we wouldn’t without the setup and time-lapse in between.
Think back to the James Bond example; the open loop made an implausible escape perfectly acceptable. As we’ll see in the next example, it can also make a commercial claim more credible, and even prompt the holy grail of direct response copywriting — action.
Loops that move people to act
So, how can you use an open loop in your copy to not only persuade, but also prompt action? Take a look at the copy for this radio ad written by Roy Williams for a diamond merchant called Justice Jewelers:
“Antwerp, Belgium, is no longer the diamond capital of the world.
Thirty-four hours on an airplane. One way. Thirty. Four. Hours. That’s how long it took me to get to where 80 percent of the world’s diamonds are now being cut. After 34 hours, I looked bad. I smelled bad. I wanted to go to sleep. But then I saw the diamonds.
Unbelievable. They told me I was the first retailer from North America ever to be in that office.
Only the biggest wholesalers are allowed through those doors. Fortunately, I had one of ’em with me, a lifelong friend who was doing me a favor.
Now pay attention, because what I’m about to say is really important: As of this moment, Justice Jewelers has the lowest diamond prices in America, and I’m including all the online diamond sellers in that statement.
Now you and I both know that talk is cheap. So put it to the test. Go online. Find your best deal. Not only will Justice Jewelers give you a better diamond, we’ll give you a better price, as well.
I’m Woody Justice, and I’m working really, really hard to be your jeweler. Thirty-four hours of hard travel, one way. I think you’ll be glad I did it.”
Okay, so the ad starts off by setting up an open loop. If Antwerp is no longer the diamond cutting capital of the world, which city is the new one?
But here’s the thing … we’re never told the city, or even exactly how low the prices are. To do that, you need to take action by heading over to the Justice Jewelers website, combined with a challenge to find lower prices anywhere else online.
Less artful ads would lead with the claim of the lowest prices thanks to an exclusive source of diamonds. Skepticism would naturally abound.
Here, the storytelling setup is incredibly engaging, even if you’re not in the market for diamonds. If you are in the market, the lingering open loop means the listener is more likely to retain, recall, and act on the information.
Can you see how this might work on a landing page aimed at getting an email opt-in? You open the loop, and the only way the visitor can close it is to sign up for the lead magnet.
That’s just one example of the many uses of open loops. As I mentioned earlier, you can incorporate open loops in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations, all making you inherently more engaging and persuasive.
And speaking of earlier, what about Pulp Fiction?
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny
So I saw Pulp Fiction on opening night back in 1994, and oh man … that first scene. I’ve never before or since experienced a theater full of people bursting into applause after the opening of a film.
As a refresher, Pulp Fiction begins with a man and a woman sitting together in a diner. The two are known only by the pet names they call each other — Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.
They’re discussing the relative dangers of robbing various places, revealing that the two are criminals. They’ve been holding up liquor stores, which Pumpkin thinks is too dangerous and will eventually result in them or someone else getting killed.
After sharing a story about a man who robs a bank with a telephone, Pumpkin proposes that they start robbing diners. In fact, he suggests that they rob the diner they’re in, right now.
Up to this point, Honey Bunny has been nothing but sweetness and light. She suddenly jumps up with a gun and shouts some particularly shocking threats to the patrons. Cut to Dick Dale’s iconic rendition of “Misirlou” and the opening credits.
Now, the rest of the film proceeds. Some of what follows actually occurs before the opening scene, and some occurs after, but don’t worry about that right now.
The point is, much of the rest of the film plays out without returning to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Even though the film is riveting, in the back of your mind you’re thinking … what the hell was that about?
What happened to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny?
Finally, we arrive at the last scene of the film. It’s the same diner from the opening.
Turns out, this is where gangsters Jules and Vincent have decided to have breakfast after escaping The Bonnie Situation and disposing of a headless guy at Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow.
Cut to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, just as Honey Bunny leaps up with the gun and makes her threat. Ironically, in their bid for safer crime options, these two fools have picked the exact wrong diner to rob.
The scene plays out and the film ends, which closes the open loop. Incredibly satisfying.
So, in case there was any doubt, you can also use open loops when crafting tutorial content as well — because I just demonstrated one for you. The headline and opening of this article promise you an example from Pulp Fiction, but I didn’t actually close that loop until the very end.
Maybe you were wondering when I would get to it.
Maybe you knew I was demonstrating an open loop in my usual meta way.
Maybe (hopefully!) you got so caught up in the article that it was only nagging you somewhere in the back of your mind.
Anyway, do you use open loops in your content and copy? Let me know in the comments.
The post The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content appeared first on Copyblogger.
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The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content
You’ve seen Pulp Fiction, right? It’s the classic 1994 black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The film is highly stylized, presented out of chronological order, and filled with eclectic dialogue that reveals each character’s perspectives on various subjects. And yes, it’s profane and violent.
Pulp Fiction was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Tarantino and his co-writer Roger Avary won for Best Original Screenplay, which is truly the foundation of an exceptional film.
Despite the groundbreaking inventiveness, Pulp Fiction also expertly uses a common writing technique that grabs attention right from the beginning, and magnetically holds that attention through a form of psychological tension generated by our short-term memories.
This simple strategy is something you can use in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations. You’ll not only increase engagement, but also add enhanced credibility to the persuasive point you’re trying to make.
Opening the loop
Back during the aftermath of the tragic effects of Hurricane Katrina, I came across an interesting article about some less-than-inspiring aspects of the devastating storm. It began with this:
“An Illinois woman mourns her two young daughters, swept to their deaths in Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters. It’s a tragic and terrifying story. It’s also a lie.”
Now, any article that details accounts of fraud in the aftermath of Katrina would contain compelling information. But that opening had me riveted, and it got me reading what ended up being a detailed and lengthy piece that I might have otherwise skipped.
The article went on for 1,136 words before explaining that opening statement. It finally came as the initial bullet point in a list of false claims for relief after Katrina.
This type of opening with a delayed resolution is called an open loop, and it works for just about any type of content or copy. No matter the medium, you always want to grab attention quickly and hold it while you provide the surrounding facts, lessons, or supporting evidence.
The information is the same, but the level of attention and even fascination on the reader’s part is greatly heightened by the structure, leading to better retention and potential for persuasion.
Bond … James Bond
Open loops are used all the time in the movies. Think about James Bond, dangling over a vat of sharks.
While the villain monologues, Bond saves himself by cutting away the ropes with the buzzsaw hidden in his Rolex Submariner watch. Why do we accept, much less embrace, this ridiculous resolution?
It’s because the buzzsaw feature of the watch was introduced to us earlier thanks to the new technology presentation from Q that happens in every Bond movie. The implausible becomes credible thanks to the setup earlier in the film.
These setups create open loops that will keep your audience itching to find out what happens in the end — a need-to-know phenomenon called the Zeigarnik Effect by psychologists.
In a nutshell, the Zeigarnik Effect means that we hold things in our short-term memories that lack closure. For example, waiters can easily remember the orders of each of the tables they’re serving — until the food comes out that is, at which point retention and recall diminishes greatly.
So, when you use the setup and payoff structure of the open loop, your audience is driven to keep going with you. And that’s what you want, right?
Think about cliffhanger endings, where a loop is opened without being closed. Not only do you want to know what happens, you remember to tune in next time.
The setup and subsequent payoff of an open loop is incredibly satisfying. And that’s why open loops are also powerful persuasion vehicles, because we embrace the payoff in a way we wouldn’t without the setup and time-lapse in between.
Think back to the James Bond example; the open loop made an implausible escape perfectly acceptable. As we’ll see in the next example, it can also make a commercial claim more credible, and even prompt the holy grail of direct response copywriting — action.
Loops that move people to act
So, how can you use an open loop in your copy to not only persuade, but also prompt action? Take a look at the copy for this radio ad written by Roy Williams for a diamond merchant called Justice Jewelers:
“Antwerp, Belgium, is no longer the diamond capital of the world.
Thirty-four hours on an airplane. One way. Thirty. Four. Hours. That’s how long it took me to get to where 80 percent of the world’s diamonds are now being cut. After 34 hours, I looked bad. I smelled bad. I wanted to go to sleep. But then I saw the diamonds.
Unbelievable. They told me I was the first retailer from North America ever to be in that office.
Only the biggest wholesalers are allowed through those doors. Fortunately, I had one of ’em with me, a lifelong friend who was doing me a favor.
Now pay attention, because what I’m about to say is really important: As of this moment, Justice Jewelers has the lowest diamond prices in America, and I’m including all the online diamond sellers in that statement.
Now you and I both know that talk is cheap. So put it to the test. Go online. Find your best deal. Not only will Justice Jewelers give you a better diamond, we’ll give you a better price, as well.
I’m Woody Justice, and I’m working really, really hard to be your jeweler. Thirty-four hours of hard travel, one way. I think you’ll be glad I did it.”
Okay, so the ad starts off by setting up an open loop. If Antwerp is no longer the diamond cutting capital of the world, which city is the new one?
But here’s the thing … we’re never told the city, or even exactly how low the prices are. To do that, you need to take action by heading over to the Justice Jewelers website, combined with a challenge to find lower prices anywhere else online.
Less artful ads would lead with the claim of the lowest prices thanks to an exclusive source of diamonds. Skepticism would naturally abound.
Here, the storytelling setup is incredibly engaging, even if you’re not in the market for diamonds. If you are in the market, the lingering open loop means the listener is more likely to retain, recall, and act on the information.
Can you see how this might work on a landing page aimed at getting an email opt-in? You open the loop, and the only way the visitor can close it is to sign up for the lead magnet.
That’s just one example of the many uses of open loops. As I mentioned earlier, you can incorporate open loops in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations, all making you inherently more engaging and persuasive.
And speaking of earlier, what about Pulp Fiction?
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny
So I saw Pulp Fiction on opening night back in 1994, and oh man … that first scene. I’ve never before or since experienced a theater full of people bursting into applause after the opening of a film.
As a refresher, Pulp Fiction begins with a man and a woman sitting together in a diner. The two are known only by the pet names they call each other — Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.
They’re discussing the relative dangers of robbing various places, revealing that the two are criminals. They’ve been holding up liquor stores, which Pumpkin thinks is too dangerous and will eventually result in them or someone else getting killed.
After sharing a story about a man who robs a bank with a telephone, Pumpkin proposes that they start robbing diners. In fact, he suggests that they rob the diner they’re in, right now.
Up to this point, Honey Bunny has been nothing but sweetness and light. She suddenly jumps up with a gun and shouts some particularly shocking threats to the patrons. Cut to Dick Dale’s iconic rendition of “Misirlou” and the opening credits.
Now, the rest of the film proceeds. Some of what follows actually occurs before the opening scene, and some occurs after, but don’t worry about that right now.
The point is, much of the rest of the film plays out without returning to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Even though the film is riveting, in the back of your mind you’re thinking … what the hell was that about?
What happened to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny?
Finally, we arrive at the last scene of the film. It’s the same diner from the opening.
Turns out, this is where gangsters Jules and Vincent have decided to have breakfast after escaping The Bonnie Situation and disposing of a headless guy at Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow.
Cut to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, just as Honey Bunny leaps up with the gun and makes her threat. Ironically, in their bid for safer crime options, these two fools have picked the exact wrong diner to rob.
The scene plays out and the film ends, which closes the open loop. Incredibly satisfying.
So, in case there was any doubt, you can also use open loops when crafting tutorial content as well — because I just demonstrated one for you. The headline and opening of this article promise you an example from Pulp Fiction, but I didn’t actually close that loop until the very end.
Maybe you were wondering when I would get to it.
Maybe you knew I was demonstrating an open loop in my usual meta way.
Maybe (hopefully!) you got so caught up in the article that it was only nagging you somewhere in the back of your mind.
Anyway, do you use open loops in your content and copy? Let me know in the comments.
The post The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content appeared first on Copyblogger.
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The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content
You’ve seen Pulp Fiction, right? It’s the classic 1994 black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The film is highly stylized, presented out of chronological order, and filled with eclectic dialogue that reveals each character’s perspectives on various subjects. And yes, it’s profane and violent.
Pulp Fiction was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Tarantino and his co-writer Roger Avary won for Best Original Screenplay, which is truly the foundation of an exceptional film.
Despite the groundbreaking inventiveness, Pulp Fiction also expertly uses a common writing technique that grabs attention right from the beginning, and magnetically holds that attention through a form of psychological tension generated by our short-term memories.
This simple strategy is something you can use in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations. You’ll not only increase engagement, but also add enhanced credibility to the persuasive point you’re trying to make.
Opening the loop
Back during the aftermath of the tragic effects of Hurricane Katrina, I came across an interesting article about some less-than-inspiring aspects of the devastating storm. It began with this:
“An Illinois woman mourns her two young daughters, swept to their deaths in Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters. It’s a tragic and terrifying story. It’s also a lie.”
Now, any article that details accounts of fraud in the aftermath of Katrina would contain compelling information. But that opening had me riveted, and it got me reading what ended up being a detailed and lengthy piece that I might have otherwise skipped.
The article went on for 1,136 words before explaining that opening statement. It finally came as the initial bullet point in a list of false claims for relief after Katrina.
This type of opening with a delayed resolution is called an open loop, and it works for just about any type of content or copy. No matter the medium, you always want to grab attention quickly and hold it while you provide the surrounding facts, lessons, or supporting evidence.
The information is the same, but the level of attention and even fascination on the reader’s part is greatly heightened by the structure, leading to better retention and potential for persuasion.
Bond … James Bond
Open loops are used all the time in the movies. Think about James Bond, dangling over a vat of sharks.
While the villain monologues, Bond saves himself by cutting away the ropes with the buzzsaw hidden in his Rolex Submariner watch. Why do we accept, much less embrace, this ridiculous resolution?
It’s because the buzzsaw feature of the watch was introduced to us earlier thanks to the new technology presentation from Q that happens in every Bond movie. The implausible becomes credible thanks to the setup earlier in the film.
These setups create open loops that will keep your audience itching to find out what happens in the end — a need-to-know phenomenon called the Zeigarnik Effect by psychologists.
In a nutshell, the Zeigarnik Effect means that we hold things in our short-term memories that lack closure. For example, waiters can easily remember the orders of each of the tables they’re serving — until the food comes out that is, at which point retention and recall diminishes greatly.
So, when you use the setup and payoff structure of the open loop, your audience is driven to keep going with you. And that’s what you want, right?
Think about cliffhanger endings, where a loop is opened without being closed. Not only do you want to know what happens, you remember to tune in next time.
The setup and subsequent payoff of an open loop is incredibly satisfying. And that’s why open loops are also powerful persuasion vehicles, because we embrace the payoff in a way we wouldn’t without the setup and time-lapse in between.
Think back to the James Bond example; the open loop made an implausible escape perfectly acceptable. As we’ll see in the next example, it can also make a commercial claim more credible, and even prompt the holy grail of direct response copywriting — action.
Loops that move people to act
So, how can you use an open loop in your copy to not only persuade, but also prompt action? Take a look at the copy for this radio ad written by Roy Williams for a diamond merchant called Justice Jewelers:
“Antwerp, Belgium, is no longer the diamond capital of the world.
Thirty-four hours on an airplane. One way. Thirty. Four. Hours. That’s how long it took me to get to where 80 percent of the world’s diamonds are now being cut. After 34 hours, I looked bad. I smelled bad. I wanted to go to sleep. But then I saw the diamonds.
Unbelievable. They told me I was the first retailer from North America ever to be in that office.
Only the biggest wholesalers are allowed through those doors. Fortunately, I had one of ’em with me, a lifelong friend who was doing me a favor.
Now pay attention, because what I’m about to say is really important: As of this moment, Justice Jewelers has the lowest diamond prices in America, and I’m including all the online diamond sellers in that statement.
Now you and I both know that talk is cheap. So put it to the test. Go online. Find your best deal. Not only will Justice Jewelers give you a better diamond, we’ll give you a better price, as well.
I’m Woody Justice, and I’m working really, really hard to be your jeweler. Thirty-four hours of hard travel, one way. I think you’ll be glad I did it.”
Okay, so the ad starts off by setting up an open loop. If Antwerp is no longer the diamond cutting capital of the world, which city is the new one?
But here’s the thing … we’re never told the city, or even exactly how low the prices are. To do that, you need to take action by heading over to the Justice Jewelers website, combined with a challenge to find lower prices anywhere else online.
Less artful ads would lead with the claim of the lowest prices thanks to an exclusive source of diamonds. Skepticism would naturally abound.
Here, the storytelling setup is incredibly engaging, even if you’re not in the market for diamonds. If you are in the market, the lingering open loop means the listener is more likely to retain, recall, and act on the information.
Can you see how this might work on a landing page aimed at getting an email opt-in? You open the loop, and the only way the visitor can close it is to sign up for the lead magnet.
That’s just one example of the many uses of open loops. As I mentioned earlier, you can incorporate open loops in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations, all making you inherently more engaging and persuasive.
And speaking of earlier, what about Pulp Fiction?
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny
So I saw Pulp Fiction on opening night back in 1994, and oh man … that first scene. I’ve never before or since experienced a theater full of people bursting into applause after the opening of a film.
As a refresher, Pulp Fiction begins with a man and a woman sitting together in a diner. The two are known only by the pet names they call each other — Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.
They’re discussing the relative dangers of robbing various places, revealing that the two are criminals. They’ve been holding up liquor stores, which Pumpkin thinks is too dangerous and will eventually result in them or someone else getting killed.
After sharing a story about a man who robs a bank with a telephone, Pumpkin proposes that they start robbing diners. In fact, he suggests that they rob the diner they’re in, right now.
Up to this point, Honey Bunny has been nothing but sweetness and light. She suddenly jumps up with a gun and shouts some particularly shocking threats to the patrons. Cut to Dick Dale’s iconic rendition of “Misirlou” and the opening credits.
Now, the rest of the film proceeds. Some of what follows actually occurs before the opening scene, and some occurs after, but don’t worry about that right now.
The point is, much of the rest of the film plays out without returning to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Even though the film is riveting, in the back of your mind you’re thinking … what the hell was that about?
What happened to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny?
Finally, we arrive at the last scene of the film. It’s the same diner from the opening.
Turns out, this is where gangsters Jules and Vincent have decided to have breakfast after escaping The Bonnie Situation and disposing of a headless guy at Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow.
Cut to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, just as Honey Bunny leaps up with the gun and makes her threat. Ironically, in their bid for safer crime options, these two fools have picked the exact wrong diner to rob.
The scene plays out and the film ends, which closes the open loop. Incredibly satisfying.
So, in case there was any doubt, you can also use open loops when crafting tutorial content as well — because I just demonstrated one for you. The headline and opening of this article promise you an example from Pulp Fiction, but I didn’t actually close that loop until the very end.
Maybe you were wondering when I would get to it.
Maybe you knew I was demonstrating an open loop in my usual meta way.
Maybe (hopefully!) you got so caught up in the article that it was only nagging you somewhere in the back of your mind.
Anyway, do you use open loops in your content and copy? Let me know in the comments.
The post The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content appeared first on Copyblogger.
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The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content
You’ve seen Pulp Fiction, right? It’s the classic 1994 black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The film is highly stylized, presented out of chronological order, and filled with eclectic dialogue that reveals each character’s perspectives on various subjects. And yes, it’s profane and violent.
Pulp Fiction was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Tarantino and his co-writer Roger Avary won for Best Original Screenplay, which is truly the foundation of an exceptional film.
Despite the groundbreaking inventiveness, Pulp Fiction also expertly uses a common writing technique that grabs attention right from the beginning, and magnetically holds that attention through a form of psychological tension generated by our short-term memories.
This simple strategy is something you can use in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations. You’ll not only increase engagement, but also add enhanced credibility to the persuasive point you’re trying to make.
Opening the loop
Back during the aftermath of the tragic effects of Hurricane Katrina, I came across an interesting article about some less-than-inspiring aspects of the devastating storm. It began with this:
“An Illinois woman mourns her two young daughters, swept to their deaths in Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters. It’s a tragic and terrifying story. It’s also a lie.”
Now, any article that details accounts of fraud in the aftermath of Katrina would contain compelling information. But that opening had me riveted, and it got me reading what ended up being a detailed and lengthy piece that I might have otherwise skipped.
The article went on for 1,136 words before explaining that opening statement. It finally came as the initial bullet point in a list of false claims for relief after Katrina.
This type of opening with a delayed resolution is called an open loop, and it works for just about any type of content or copy. No matter the medium, you always want to grab attention quickly and hold it while you provide the surrounding facts, lessons, or supporting evidence.
The information is the same, but the level of attention and even fascination on the reader’s part is greatly heightened by the structure, leading to better retention and potential for persuasion.
Bond … James Bond
Open loops are used all the time in the movies. Think about James Bond, dangling over a vat of sharks.
While the villain monologues, Bond saves himself by cutting away the ropes with the buzzsaw hidden in his Rolex Submariner watch. Why do we accept, much less embrace, this ridiculous resolution?
It’s because the buzzsaw feature of the watch was introduced to us earlier thanks to the new technology presentation from Q that happens in every Bond movie. The implausible becomes credible thanks to the setup earlier in the film.
These setups create open loops that will keep your audience itching to find out what happens in the end — a need-to-know phenomenon called the Zeigarnik Effect by psychologists.
In a nutshell, the Zeigarnik Effect means that we hold things in our short-term memories that lack closure. For example, waiters can easily remember the orders of each of the tables they’re serving — until the food comes out that is, at which point retention and recall diminishes greatly.
So, when you use the setup and payoff structure of the open loop, your audience is driven to keep going with you. And that’s what you want, right?
Think about cliffhanger endings, where a loop is opened without being closed. Not only do you want to know what happens, you remember to tune in next time.
The setup and subsequent payoff of an open loop is incredibly satisfying. And that’s why open loops are also powerful persuasion vehicles, because we embrace the payoff in a way we wouldn’t without the setup and time-lapse in between.
Think back to the James Bond example; the open loop made an implausible escape perfectly acceptable. As we’ll see in the next example, it can also make a commercial claim more credible, and even prompt the holy grail of direct response copywriting — action.
Loops that move people to act
So, how can you use an open loop in your copy to not only persuade, but also prompt action? Take a look at the copy for this radio ad written by Roy Williams for a diamond merchant called Justice Jewelers:
“Antwerp, Belgium, is no longer the diamond capital of the world.
Thirty-four hours on an airplane. One way. Thirty. Four. Hours. That’s how long it took me to get to where 80 percent of the world’s diamonds are now being cut. After 34 hours, I looked bad. I smelled bad. I wanted to go to sleep. But then I saw the diamonds.
Unbelievable. They told me I was the first retailer from North America ever to be in that office.
Only the biggest wholesalers are allowed through those doors. Fortunately, I had one of ’em with me, a lifelong friend who was doing me a favor.
Now pay attention, because what I’m about to say is really important: As of this moment, Justice Jewelers has the lowest diamond prices in America, and I’m including all the online diamond sellers in that statement.
Now you and I both know that talk is cheap. So put it to the test. Go online. Find your best deal. Not only will Justice Jewelers give you a better diamond, we’ll give you a better price, as well.
I’m Woody Justice, and I’m working really, really hard to be your jeweler. Thirty-four hours of hard travel, one way. I think you’ll be glad I did it.”
Okay, so the ad starts off by setting up an open loop. If Antwerp is no longer the diamond cutting capital of the world, which city is the new one?
But here’s the thing … we’re never told the city, or even exactly how low the prices are. To do that, you need to take action by heading over to the Justice Jewelers website, combined with a challenge to find lower prices anywhere else online.
Less artful ads would lead with the claim of the lowest prices thanks to an exclusive source of diamonds. Skepticism would naturally abound.
Here, the storytelling setup is incredibly engaging, even if you’re not in the market for diamonds. If you are in the market, the lingering open loop means the listener is more likely to retain, recall, and act on the information.
Can you see how this might work on a landing page aimed at getting an email opt-in? You open the loop, and the only way the visitor can close it is to sign up for the lead magnet.
That’s just one example of the many uses of open loops. As I mentioned earlier, you can incorporate open loops in your marketing content, your sales copy, and your live presentations, all making you inherently more engaging and persuasive.
And speaking of earlier, what about Pulp Fiction?
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny
So I saw Pulp Fiction on opening night back in 1994, and oh man … that first scene. I’ve never before or since experienced a theater full of people bursting into applause after the opening of a film.
As a refresher, Pulp Fiction begins with a man and a woman sitting together in a diner. The two are known only by the pet names they call each other — Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.
They’re discussing the relative dangers of robbing various places, revealing that the two are criminals. They’ve been holding up liquor stores, which Pumpkin thinks is too dangerous and will eventually result in them or someone else getting killed.
After sharing a story about a man who robs a bank with a telephone, Pumpkin proposes that they start robbing diners. In fact, he suggests that they rob the diner they’re in, right now.
Up to this point, Honey Bunny has been nothing but sweetness and light. She suddenly jumps up with a gun and shouts some particularly shocking threats to the patrons. Cut to Dick Dale’s iconic rendition of “Misirlou” and the opening credits.
Now, the rest of the film proceeds. Some of what follows actually occurs before the opening scene, and some occurs after, but don’t worry about that right now.
The point is, much of the rest of the film plays out without returning to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Even though the film is riveting, in the back of your mind you’re thinking … what the hell was that about?
What happened to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny?
Finally, we arrive at the last scene of the film. It’s the same diner from the opening.
Turns out, this is where gangsters Jules and Vincent have decided to have breakfast after escaping The Bonnie Situation and disposing of a headless guy at Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow.
Cut to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, just as Honey Bunny leaps up with the gun and makes her threat. Ironically, in their bid for safer crime options, these two fools have picked the exact wrong diner to rob.
The scene plays out and the film ends, which closes the open loop. Incredibly satisfying.
So, in case there was any doubt, you can also use open loops when crafting tutorial content as well — because I just demonstrated one for you. The headline and opening of this article promise you an example from Pulp Fiction, but I didn’t actually close that loop until the very end.
Maybe you were wondering when I would get to it.
Maybe you knew I was demonstrating an open loop in my usual meta way.
Maybe (hopefully!) you got so caught up in the article that it was only nagging you somewhere in the back of your mind.
Anyway, do you use open loops in your content and copy? Let me know in the comments.
The post The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Technique for Engaging and Persuasive Content appeared first on Copyblogger.
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Polished Sterling and plenty of Classic Elements for this 1956 Ford F-100 Pickup
A pickup truck comes to life once it rolls off an assembly line, not knowing where its fate might take it. Depending where it’s delivered it might serve commercial duty as a farm vehicle, tow truck, snow plow, or even as a fire-support vehicle. There are others however that might be a standard mode of transportation for a family, only serving light hauling duties on the weekends. While thousands of new ones are minted every year, there are fewer that survive on the landscape, eventually becoming decades old before finally disappearing. It’s passion that keeps vintage steel alive, rescuing them from an abusive crumbling past.
For Don and Peg Butler, of Cozad, Nebraska, bringing their deteriorated 1956 Ford F-100 back to life was a journey. As farmers living in a very small community, most of their vehicles live a commercial life functioning as workhorses to get a job done. Growing up Don fondly remembers always working on the farm since an early age where he eventually learned to drive on his dad’s 1951 Ford F-100 pickup. By the late ’60s he became enamored by the steady influx of muscle cars roaring through the streets of his town causing him to get involved in the local scene with his friends. Once getting his license it wasn’t long till he earned the keys to a 1969 Mercury Cyclone packed with a 428ci mill, making it one of the hottest cars around.
Having always admired the design elements of the 1956 Ford F-100 above all other models he decided to start the search for a suitable truck to act as a base to build a cool custom. It was the early ’90s and he finally located a good potential lead through the automotive ads in an Omaha newspaper. Without wasting any time he hooked up his trailer and ventured four hours to check it out firsthand. It’s always a surprise when you pull up to view an advertised vehicle in-person, revealing its actual state. In this case the truck had certainly seen better days as it was non-running, tattered beyond belief, and without a doubt in overall sad condition. Still there was something magical about the old hauler that grabbed Don’s attention, making it worth an offer to seal the deal. Once back at the farm he spent quite a few days working on it while eventually pushing it into one of the buildings where it would sit for the next 20 years.
Don never forgot about the truck and would often think about its fate knowing it would be a monumental task to bring it back to life. Frequenting a number of local car shows he began to notice a number of wicked ’50s-era Ford F-100s built by Randy Lofquist and his team at Dynamic Rides in nearby Kearney. It wasn’t long before the pair met to discuss the project while also sharing a number of ideas on the direction of style and performance. Soon after, the truck was exhumed and headed to Dynamic Rides for a full teardown.
To achieve a perfect slammed stance infused with razor-sharp handling, Randy and his team started by building a rock-solid spine. Seeing that the original frame was still in good overall condition it was blasted clean, boxed for added strength, and smoothed. The team then fabricated custom crossmembers as well as stretching the wheelbase forward 4 inches. Out back a Ford 9-inch rear spins Moser Engineering 31-spline axles linked to 3.55:1 gears. It’s suspended in place by a custom-fabricated triangulated four-link matched to RideTech billet coilover shocks to plant the power. For sports car–like handling up front a No Limit Engineering Wide Ride IFS packs their custom tubular upper and lower control arms along with exclusive 2-inch dropped Z.G. spindles, RideTech billet coilover shocks and antisway bar. Going fast is a must but when you need to slow the speed a Wilwood dual power master moves fluid through steel lines to matching 12.19-inch drilled and vented rotors with four-piston calipers out back and 11.75-inch drilled and vented rotors with four-piston calipers in front. To add plenty of sizzle a set of Budnik Muroc III wheels, 17-inch front and 18-inch rear respectively, wear rubber from BFGoodrich and Mickey Thompson.
It’s always a neat deal to keep a Ford in a Ford when deciding on just the right power for your ride. To add a serious injection of horsepower Don contacted BluePrint Engines of Kearney for one of their fire-breathing stroked 347ci Ford small-block V-8s. Starting with a seasoned block they packed it with a fresh cast steel crankshaft linked to Forged I-beam rods topped with hypereutectic pistons given a heavy thump from a hydraulic roller cam. A set of BluePrint high-performance aluminum heads make plenty of power, especially when matched to an Edelbrock Performer intake breathing through a FAST EZ-EFI 2.0 fuel injection sparked to life by an MSD Pro-Billet ignition. To move spent gases Patriot headers meet a custom 2 1/2-inch steel exhaust by Dynamic Rides linked to MagnaFlow mufflers for a deep mellow tone. Bitchin engine details include custom-fabbed aluminum valve covers and air cleaner by Randy as well as a Power Master alternator and Concept One pulley system. To move the power a Ford AODE trans massaged by Monster Transmission of Brooksville, Florida, meets accustom steel shaft from Denny’s Driveshafts. The final bit of engineering comes from the team at Dynamic Rides including Randy, Dustin Maxson, Aaron Pullman, and Joe Rayford who moved the driveline back 5 inches for better weight distribution and a lower center of gravity. They also added a custom 2 ½-inch recessed firewall to complete the look accented by custom inner wheelwells and a reverse-opening hood.
With sheetmetal that showed plenty of abuse from the past 60 years, it was time to make all necessary repairs before addressing any custom upgrades. The team got busy first by replacing the cab corners, rockers, floors, and door bottoms. Custom updates include a tucked front bumper, stretched front fender openings to accommodate the updated wheelbase, a mild body shave, rear wheeltubs, roll pan, and a narrowed rear bumper with built-in license plate area. The vintage steel was then gapped and metal finished to perfection. A fresh bed and tailgate from MAR-K was then added complete with a red oak floor to make it a standout. Wanting to add a plenty of allure to the truck Don and Peg selected PPG Envirobase Sterling Silver and had Randy load his paint gun to lay down the classic vibe accented by plenty of chrome from Advanced Plating.
Wanting to wrap up the business office with just as much style, the factory dash was smoothed and filled with Dakota Digital VHX dials to keep track of the vitals while a Budnik G10 steering wheel mounted to a CPP tilt column carves the course and a Lokar shifter clicks gears. There’s nothing like a cool breeze from Vintage Air, especially when matched to tunes from Kenwood and JBL to make the drive a dream. For the ultimate in comfort, the team at Recovery Room Hot Rod Interiors of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, stitched up a winning combination of gray leather to cover a Glide Engineering bench accented by their custom door and kick panels, headliner, and complimenting gray square-weave carpeting. An American Autowire Highway 22 wiring harness brings it all to life, completing the build. This is one memorable F-100 with plenty of style to match its newfound performance and handling. Don and Peg have been driving the wheels off it since completed, and to us that’s as good as it gets!
Facts & Figures
CHASSIS
Frame: Stock, boxed, and smoothed custom crossmembers; wheelbase stretched 4 inches forward; driveline set back 5 inches all by Dynamic Rides, Kearney, NE
Rearend / Ratio: Ford 9-inch / 3.55:1
Rear suspension: Custom triangulated four-link, RideTech billet coilover shocks
Rear brakes: 12.19-inch drilled and vented rotors with four-piston calipers
Front suspension: No Limit Wide Ride IFS and 2-inch dropped Z.G spindles, RideTech billet coilover shocks and antisway bar
Front brakes: 11.75-inch drilled and vented rotors with four-piston calipers
Steering box: Power rack-and-pinion
Front wheels: Budnik Muroc III, 17×8
Rear wheels: Budnik Muroc III, 18×10
Front tires: BFGoodrich P245/45R17
Rear tires: Mickey Thompson Sportsman 30x12R18LT
Gas tank: Custom 18-gallon aluminum by Dynamic Rides
DRIVETRAIN
Engine: Ford 347ci small-block by BluePrint Engines
Heads: Aluminum / BluePrint
Valve covers: Custom by Dynamic Rides
Manifold / Induction: Edelbrock Performer / FAST EZ-EFI 2.0
Ignition: MSD Pro-Billet
Headers: Patriot
Exhaust / Mufflers: 2 1/2-inch steel by Dynamic Rides / MagnaFlow
Transmission: Ford AODE
Shifter: Lokar
BODY
Style: Pickup truck
Modifications: Custom bumpers, nosed, reverse-open hood, 2 1/2-inch recessed firewall,
stretched front wheel openings, custom wheeltubs, rear roll pan, all by Dynamic Rides
Fenders front / rear: Stock with stretched openings / Stock
Hood: Stock
Grille: Stock / chrome
Bodywork and paint by: Dynamic Rides
Paint type / Color: PPG Envirobase / Sterling Silver
Headlights / Taillights: Halogen / LED
Outside mirrors: Stock-style
Bumpers: Custom by Dynamic Rides
INTERIOR
Dashboard: Stock, smoothed
Gauges : Dakota Digital VHX
Air conditioning: Vintage Air
Stereo: Kenwood
Steering wheel: Budnik
Steering column: CCP tilt
Seats: Glide Engineering
Upholstery by: Recovery Room, Plattsmouth, NE
Material / Color: Leather / Gray
Carpet: Square-weave
The post Polished Sterling and plenty of Classic Elements for this 1956 Ford F-100 Pickup appeared first on Hot Rod Network.
from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/polished-sterling-plenty-classic-elements-1956-ford-f-100-pickup/
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