Anti-Case:
Radical Honesty
We try so hard to be shiny and chic, it’s slightly comical. But the real connection is where we stumble a bit, and accidentally reveal our lovely little weirdnesses.
In the AI synthetic noise, we should fiercely protect our humanness. So, I want to share this with you: I wrote the wrong novel (see below). But, thank God: iterating works with everything, also wrong stories, but right characters.
Tim Chang, one of Silicon Valley’s top VCs has said: “Vulnerability is the next super power.”
I agree. Our true connection – humanness – is where we dare to be real.
So here we go.
(This only slightly hurts.)
The Plot Twist (the bad kind)
Between 2015–2019 (yes, over four years) I wrote a whole novel script (yes, over 400 pages) about – yes, a global pandemic.
Then, obviously, 2020 happened.
Absolutely no one wants to read fiction about a global pandemic after a global pandemic. (I wouldn’t.)
But I’ll keep the humans
The story is gone, but I still love the characters. To my joy, so does my publisher. They are grumpy old Northern Finnish men. (I seem to have an un-curable weakness towards grumpy old men.)
Old men are the same everywhere. (I’ve watched them watching asphalt being laid, or a construction site, or in car repair shop — giving advice no one asked for, arguing fiercely over it, and then going fishing like nothing happened.)
Edit, some more edit (editing = iterating)
So, of course, the whole fiction needs to be taken apart like an old engine and rebuilt piece by piece (where are the old men when their advice is actually needed?).
A pain, yes. But also a privilege: I get to spend more
“Vulnerability is the next Super Power.”
Also in team building. (There is neuroscience behind it.)
time with the grumpy gang.
(And in case you wondered: yes, I do have some published novels, too.)
Lessons learned
Always publish a novel about a pandemic before a pandemic. (Timing. Is. Everything.)
Or, don’t write about global pandemics.
Reality always outwrites fiction. (My editor keeps reminding me: fiction has to be believable — reality isn’t.)
In design, the same applies: if your story doesn’t feel real, it probably isn’t. People feel it. (Again, science behind this.)
Editing & iterating can save everything. Keep the good parts, throw out the rest.
How my stumbling might be useful to you
To me, editing a novel script is the same as any iteration in any project. Keep the functioning parts, throw out the rest. Repeat, until it all works.
Radical Honesty Kick-off: There is neuroscience behind building a true team connection (yes, through vulnerability). Curious? Just ask.
Story Architecture Sprint: I have taken so many stories into pieces, I can help you do that with your brand or strategy — ideally without repeating my mistakes.
There are some other things too, if you want to collaborate. Bring your curiosity, I’ll bring mine.
Or, if you are a geek like me, the architecture of a disgustingly well-written story (say Friends-episode) might tickle you – once you see the beauty of its structure, you can’t unsee it. It’s the kind of pattern-whispering you can carry into anything you build.