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How To Write About Self-Help Without Selling Your Soul
And Just About Any Other Topic Too
We’ve all seen the diabolical, unrealistic, and pie-in-the-sky self-help articles with titles such as this.
7 Things To Do Before 7 AM That Guarantee You 7 Million Dollars By 7 PM
Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean.
There’s plenty of backlash against these stories, much of it well deserved; detractors target anything remotely pegged under self-improvement. The truth is a little different than what the self-help haters claim. There is no topic beyond the reach of exaggerated promises and unrealistic expectations. I’ve seen the ridiculousness in entrepreneurship, sexuality, dating, personal finance, writing, business, health and a myriad of other topics.
We clamor for self-help stories
Why can’t we resist these stories, even the ludicrous ones? Because we all want to improve our lives. We crave total transformation in some areas of our lives. In other areas, we look for that slight edge, for whatever reason. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself.
The problem with the topic of “self” is one of authority. It’s easy to laugh at an article that claims to hold the secret to making ten…
