Cutting Chai Stories: Write copy that feels good - PinQueue (2024)

Welcome to the final episode of Season 4! Have some writing prompts to tide you over till Season 5,

--including one for Halloween

--another one for Diwali (or whatever other festival speaks to you)

--plus the writing prompt that keeps on giving

You'll want to grab a pen and paper before you dive in!

If you liked these prompts but want more guidance and accountability to turn them into marketing content, sign up for my storytelling and marketing workshop on Oct 28th, where you'll actually do some writing during the session and leave with solid drafts to use right away: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself-2/

(Seats are limited, because it'll be an intimate session, so don't wait on this)

And while I look forward to seeing you back here for Season 5, in the meantime, you can keep in touch for more writing goodness like this on my email list, subscription to which is totally free, and which doesn't take a seasonal hiatus like this show.

Sign up to get my twice-weekly email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox, here: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

In today's episode, listen in on a clip of a coaching call with Judy Pavone, who came to me with this question:

"I have a really hard time talking about myself, and explaining what I do, and figuring out how much to share of myself that doesn't overwhelm people, and make them think -- 'What? Why do I need to know this?''"

She wasn't happy with her About Me page on her website, so we worked on it in real time.

Listen in for the original, and what we did to transform it.

And if you're not happy with your About Me page, here are a few things to keep in mind from this episode that might help:

1) Start with a story. Stories captivate our attention. When we listen to an engaging story, we stop daydreaming and thinking about our grocery list, and instead we are transported to that moment in time that the story is happening. So start with a story.

2) Set the scene. Imagine you're an illustrator for a children's book. Or the videographer of a film. What are you pointing your camera at? What do you draw on the page? Tell us.

3) Try to show, not tell. Telling is important too, but from what I see, most people do too much of telling and not enough telling. Give us an example.

4) Edit edit edit. What you wrote down is just the first draft. Now it's time to make it better.

5) Try to play with the order of your sentences, or words. Or the order in which you're presenting information. What would happen if you started at the end?

----

Before you go -- I wanted to tell you about Un-Bore Yourself 2. It's a workshop I'm holding on Friday, October 28th, and it's going to be AWESOME.

It's all about storytelling and how to use in your marketing.

We're going to first have a masterclass in how to tell a story, all the elements you need for an engaging story, how to turn a boring story interesting, AND, most importantly, how to use it in your marketing.

Stories are the best way to supercharge your marketing -- you JUST saw it in action on Judy's About page.

But most of us aren't using stories in our marketing, or we're using stories that aren't relevant, or our stories are simply boring.

So in Un-Bore Yourself 2, we're going to cover 3 strategies to link UNRELATED stories to your marketing, and best of all, just like in the call with Judy, we're going to do some actual WRITING during the workshop so you'll leave with some content you can start to put out there.

It's 3 hours, it's on Zoom, and it's from 10 am to 1 p.m. Eastern Time on October 28th. Sign up here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself-2/

----

More about Judy:

Judy Pavone spent many years serving as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist. Her greatest passion is bringing children’s literature to life, joyfully engaging kids and their families while creating life-long learners.

Follow her on Instagram @creatingajoyfulreader.

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

You may not know it, but there's a story gremlin sitting inside us, choking us when we try to turn a story into the dreaded "M" word: MARKETING.

We are all perfectly adequate, even competent or dare I say thrilling storytellers when it comes to talking about what just happened to us in swim class.

But when we need to WRITE, as opposed to TALK; or when our stories need to have a PURPOSE that's linked to our business, well, that's when the story gremlin strikes and our riveting anecdotes turn dry like charred toast.

Then what comes out the other end are—

>> Stories that are irrelevant to your marketing purpose and therefore unconvincing or unsuccessful

>> Stories that don’t really go anywhere

>> Stories that don’t really FEEL like stories at all

In today's episode of Cutting Chai Stories, I take you through the three elements of storytelling that'll help you dissolve the gremlin choking your stories, and show you some practical examples of how to use those elements to tell a compelling story.

PLUS how to turn a boring, everyday occurrence into an interesting story for marketing purposes.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Season 4 Episode 3: But Jayati, what do I write ABOUT?? -- for a storytelling based email that turns a boring anecdote into a relevant, interesting missive to the list.

AND the Friday 28th workshop,

Un-Bore Yourself: A 3-hour workshop on storytelling and generating endless marketing

Sign up here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

In this clip of a coaching call with Erica, she talks about the lingering effects of someone at a long-ago job telling her that she wasn't a good writer.

What do you do when you can't get negative feedback like that out of your head?

I offer her two practical suggestions for how to deal with this kind of comment.

PLUS, this Saturday, Oct 1, I'm holding a Zoom workshop called Un-Bore Yourself. It’s all about finding new joy in your existing marketing, finding new and fresh and FUN ways to talk about your core message.

If you’re a yoga coach that works with the senior crowd, maybe YOUR core message that you need your audience to understand is that yoga isn’t just for the young and fit and that they can sign up for yoga with you and they won’t sustain injuries or be made to feel bad for all the asanas they can’t do.

If you’re a vegan caterer, maybe your core message is that vegan food doesn’t mean bad-tasting food. (As a temporary vegan I can attest to that, by the way!).

And when you have a core message you’re gonna need to repeat it again and again so that your audience absorbs what you have to say. But when you’re saying the same thing on repeat it can get boring, and that’s where Un-Bore Yourself comes in.

In the workshop, we’ll fall back in love with our own core message and discover new ways of talking about it that feel fresh and fun to us—and to our audience!

It’s at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, it’s on Zoom, and it costs $25.

Sign up for Un-Bore Yourself here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

Do you ever feel like you create so much content but you still struggle to populate all the platforms you’re on?

Like you have ideas pouring out of your brain like water but somehow you still run short?

Like when you sit down to write a social media post or an email to your list, it feels as dry as my skin in winter?

I sometimes feel like that, and when I do, I sit myself down and think: Am I using the Swiss Army Knife of content?

What can I borrow from over here and put in over there?

So if the Swiss Army Knife in my analogy is ALL of your content, then the different tools that come out of it are the different ways your content can be formatted and chopped up and expanded and shared.

In today's episode of Cutting Chai Stories, I take you through three real-life examples of how to repurpose your content like a pro.

In one, I start with a longform piece of content (an episode of this podcast, actually), and show you how to chop it up for use on social media and email.

In another I show how to start with a 60-second Reel and deepen it to a longer piece of content.

Once you start looking at your own content this way, you'll find it easier to be more consistent, to get your audience's attention, and will have a TON more ideas for content because nothing goes to waste.

Also, I want to make sure you know about my new workshop, Un-Bore Yourself, which is all about how to rediscover the magic and passion behind your core message.

You know when you get bored of saying the same thing over and over? Like you know you’ve said it so many times you yourself start yawning when you need to say it again? When you’re worried your subscribers will hit unsubscribe coz THEY’RE so bored of you saying the same thing over and over again?

Well, your core message is your core message for a reason. It’s important. It forms the backbone of what you do. Your potential customers NEED to understand this so they can take the next step. So you can’t stop saying it. But you CAN stop being bored by it. Because the way that it DOESN’T turn your audience off is when YOU are so irresistibly in LOVE with your message that your enthusiasm shines right through.

And this workshop I’m hosting is gonna do just that. It’s gonna help you re-discover the deliciousness of your OWN message.

It’s called Un-Bore Yourself, it’s on Saturday, October 1st, one and a half hours on Zoom and it’s just $25, which means you have NO excuse to not fall back in love with your own message.

SIGN UP HERE: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

In today's episode, I interview podcast marketer and Star Wars fan Jeremy Enns, whose email newsletter, Creative Wayfinding, is one of the few I read religiously every week.

We go in-depth into the particular format he landed on, an Easter Egg hidden in there, why he'd do it for no money at all, and what a newbie email marketer can do when they're just launching out.

Some quotes from the interview:

"I always welcome new subscribers to the newsletter every week. People want to be..they want to follow something that is popular."

"One of the things I remember hearing around audience growth and engagement is…reward the behavior you want more of, essentially."

"We don’t have to have such high bars for ideas, they don’t have to be some fully formed thing."

"Even when you don’t have an idea, or your idea is, I don’t have anything to write about, you sit down to write and suddenly something interesting can come from it."

“You *think* you don’t have anything to write about, you start writing anyway and you’ll land on something that comes out and you’re like, oh, that’s kind of an interesting thought. Your brain realizes sooner or later, oh, we’re doing this, I better come up with ideas."

“It’s way easier to stand out by being different than being better.”

"When you have something that is actually unique and original, the language doesn’t necessarily exist to describe it well."

More about Jeremy:

JeremyEnns is the founder of Podcast Marketing Academy, the only growth-focused podcast education platform for experienced creators, brands, andmarketers looking to build long-term, sustainable audience growth systems.

He loves any sport that involves a frisbee, used to co-host an explicit-rated icecream podcast, once bicycled across Europe, and will always look back on the dayhe finally saved up enough money to buy the Millennium Falcon Lego set as one ofhis proudest achievements.

Connect with Jeremy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamjeremyenns

Sign up for his Creative Wayfinding newsletter: http://jeremyenns.com/newsletter

Check out his podcast marketing course: http://podcastmarketingacademy.com/

ALSO, I'm THRILLED to announce the "Un-Bore Yourself" workshop, where you'll fall back in love with your core messaging and ditch the boring and blah language you've gotten used to, to describe what you do.

I know, I know. You've said it a million times before, no WONDER you're bored to tears by your own message! (Also no wonder then that your LISTENERS are ALSO bored to tears by what you say!)

Rediscover your own passion and conviction in your messaging at Un-Bore Yourself, where we'll recall what we love about it, why we chose that messaging to begin with, and all the different ways you can say the same thing and NOT bore yourself (or your audience) while doing it.

It's from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST on Zoom, on Saturday, Oct 1st, and it's $25.

Register for Un-Bore Yourself here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/un-bore-yourself/

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

We're doing something new today: going behind the scenes of a coaching call I did with my client Delphine to eliminate some of the common mistakes entrepreneurs make when they're naming their thing.

In this clip, you'll hear my top 2 questions for refining your language and punching it up so that your clients know from a mile away that you're speaking just to them, and all the flutters and jitters that come along with these edits.

If you liked this episode, do review it, write to me and tell me what you thought, so that I can bring you more like this in the future.

If you want to join my email list, where I share my best offers and giveaways (like this one), you can do that at cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

More about Delphine:

Delphine is a psychotherapist and intuitive guide.

She helps soulful women toalchemise fear and self-doubt into deeper self-trust, so they can share their inner wisdom and magic with the world, while enjoying flourishing lives, work and relationships.

Theone-to-one programmewe discuss in this episode:https://embodymytruth.com/services/private-sessions/

Join Delphine's'Inner Oracle Sanctuary' free FB Groupand keep updated on monthly women's circles:https://www.facebook.com/groups/InnerOracleSanctuary

Connect with Delphine onInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/embody_my_truth__delphine

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

When I speak, when I write, and I’m writing for MYSELF and for Cutting Chai Stories, I write how I speak, and how I speak is peppered with desi slang.

Just the word desi, for instance, which I just used. It means someone who comes from the des, or desh, which in this case means India. So I *could* have said Indian slang, but that’s not the way I speak, and it’s not the way I think.

Those of us who come from non-English speaking countries and cultures that are not the ones we live in, well, we have our own words and our own ways of saying things. I talked about this a little bit in the last episode, when we were talking about words that don’t have exact translations in English, coz they are closely connected to the CULTURE or lifestyle or worldview of the people who speak that language.

Personally, I do this unconsciously. I use the word “desi” in my speech a lot to talk about Indians and so that’s the word that comes to mind. But I also do this CONSCIOUSLY. Because I am not apologizing for who I am and the way I speak and if this means that you have to figure it out as you go along, that’s fine by me. Sometimes I’ll explain what I’m saying, and sometimes I won’t, and sometimes I know that you’ll understand from the context, but what I WON’T do is erase myself and my speech patterns, SHRINK my vocabulary, to fit your understanding. I’d rather EXPAND your language than shrink my own.

And now I’m speaking to all of you who live and work and communicate in a country and language and culture that’s not your own—your language, your customs, your knowledge, they are PART of you and they ENRICH the culture you currently inhabit.

And if you were ever told or admonished to use the PROPER English word—thank god I wasn’t, or if I was, it didn’t make an impression on me—and had to learn to use a word that didn’t feel RIGHT to you, well, this is my permission slip to you to let that go.

If YOU have a word or a phrase that comes from your culture or language that you don’t use when you’re speaking to English speakers, would you write me and tell me what it is and what it means? I’m collecting a list of them and if there are enough of them I might share them later. You can write to me at Jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com.

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

Finding new ways of describing things is ESSENTIAL, especially for a service provider or a coach or course creator who has absorbed years of learning, integrated that learning with her own experience and perspective, and condensed it to impart to her students.

Back in my early 20s, I would not have understood the need to name a particular framework or methodology. I can’t say for sure, but I might have thought it was unnecessary or EXTRA.

But now I understand that without the words to REFER to what you’re talking about, you can create confusion and a LOT more.

For example, if you’re Inuit, and you need a way to explain to your friend the conditions of the snow outside the village, if you simply do NOT have a word for it that BOTH you AND your friend understand, your friend might go out and be unprepared for what she might find, and that really MIGHT be a matter of life and death.

For the rest of us, maybe it’s not DANGEROUS to not have the words, but it hampers our ability to communicate.

Here’s another example of this. If you speak multiple languages, sometimes don’t you find that you have a word for something in one language that simply doesn’t exist in another?

As feminist theorist and coach Kelly Diels says, naming something is SUPER POWERFUL. Diels explained this really well in an email to her list. She wrote, and I’m quoting that email here,

“In transformative traditions -- movements, feminism, academia -- wenamethings.

We use language and even invent words and portmanteaus to make what was invisible, visible.”

Learn more about Kelly Diels here: https://www.kellydiels.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, if you learned something from it or even had a good chuckle, won’t you leave the podcast a review? It helps other listeners like you discover Cutting Chai Stories and it helps ME to know what you found helpful, what you enjoyed, and what you’d like more of.

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

In real life, it’s considered kinda sh*tty to ghost someone.

But on social media, there are some times when it's ok to ghost people who comment on your stuff.

When? Why? And some examples of actual comments I have ignored, and who I look to for examples of responding to people on the internet with hateful opinions.

In this episode, I mention:

Alok V Menon on Instagram @alokvmenon

My 30-minute Zoom coaching sessions aka chai play dates, where I coach you on anything copy or marketing-related (for free). I have two spots left; to apply, email me at jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com.

If you're not on my email list, you probably missed the email on Monday about musical jam sessions and how they relate to running your business (it was a good one). Don't miss the next one! Sign up at cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe, and I'll send you a free mini course on getting your audience to see you the relatable human behind the business.

See you in your inbox!

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

Here's the link to the Thomas Moore poem, Spring and Autumn, that I read out in the beginning of this episode: https://internetpoem.com/thomas-moore/spring-and-autumn-poem/

What if we took this idea of seasons and applied it to our content, our creativity?

There are times when ideas flow like crazy, like the monsoon deluge of rain in my hometown of Mumbai. And there are other times when everything dries up, like in winter, and what the *heck* are you going to post or write then? The tap of inspiration has been firmly turned off, but your business still has to run.

In this episode, I give you five things to try when you're in the winter season of YOUR creativity, plus one thing you can do to PREPARE for winter.

And if you enjoy this episode, would it be impossible for you to leave a review for Cutting Chai Stories on the app of your choice? It tells me what you like about the show and helps new listeners to find it. Thank you so much for your time!

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

If you've heard of Gary Chapman's concept of five love languages -- the way we express and receive love -- then you know that frequently two people in a relationship clash because they speak DIFFERENT love languages.

Well, what if we took that concept and applied it to copy?

Imagine the way you communicate most easily, totally naturally, no stress involved.

Is that actually the way you express yourself in your marketing and your copy? What would happen if you doubled down on your copy love language?

In this episode, how to find your copy love language, lean into it, and what to do when your audience speaks a different copy love language than you.

Also, I have a FABULOUS offer going on right now. I have 9 spots for FREE coaching sessions via Zoom, 30 minutes each, to give away. You can ask me anything about copy and I'll do my best to help -- no strings, no agenda. If you want one of those spots, email me at jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com; it's first-come, first-served.

And if you want ME speaking MY primary copy love language, where I'm most at ease, subscribe to my email list, Chai in my Inbox, at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

Ever filled out a Mad Libs template? Those are FUN-NY.

Put an adjective here, a common noun there, and when you read it back to the group, everything's all jumbled up in the most hilarious way.

That's pretty much the only place I think templates are a good thing. (Ok, that, and Wordpress blog themes.)

When it comes to marketing and your copy, they fall FIRMLY in the buzzkill category.

That's because words are oh-so-important at conveying your meaning and building a relationship with your audience.

And borrowing someone else's words, no matter how pretty, never works in the long run.

Kinda like jamming your feet into the wrong shoes and only realizing *after* hobbling away that they're a half size too small.

A step up from templates are guides and frameworks. They offer you more wiggle room to experiment, to inject some personality into the words, and make them your own.

The other big plus? They offer you a solid foundation to get started, so you don't have to start from scratch every time.

Personally, I love writing prompts too (so much so that I give you two of them in the episode, just for fun!) -- they spark new ideas in me directly from the prompt, but also giving me tangential ideas to turn into new stories.

And if you're truly confident, you can be a juggler of words, putting them together in any order. (This is rare though, so don't worry if you're not at this point.)

Finally, a promotion I'm running:

If you have a website or landing page that you'd like MY expert eyes on, I'm doing FOUR reviews of 4 webpages for FREE. How it works is, you email me at jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com with the URL you'd like me to review, and any comments you have on what you're wanting feedback on in particular, if anything. I'll take a look, and review four entries and make videos of my suggestions. You get to keep the videos for life, and I get to use them on my podcast and other places.

That's it! No strings, no payment, no obligations.

And if you DO use templates, email me and let me know what you use them for and what you think about them -- I love hearing from my listeners!

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

In today's episode, I speak with Catherine Stagg-Macey, an executive coach andmojowingwomanfor mid-career professionals ready to reclaim their spark in their career. She’s spent 20 years in a corporate career wondering if there was a more fulfilling chapter. Her own journey to find work that was meaningful has formed the basis for the work she now does with others.

Here are a few choice quotes from our conversation:

I have a principle of never outsourcing stuff I don’t know. And this goes back to my consulting—we would tell our clients the same thing. Don’t outsource a problem, don’t outsource something that you don’t understand how it works. Because then you’re never gonna know, whether what you get back, is of any good, or have any value, right?

I’m still learning how I think when I write. I’m still finding my own voice, and I find, having to write the weekly email letter, having to write the sales page, forces me, in a good way, to kind of go, well, what ARE the pain points I’m trying to address, who IS the person I’m trying to talk to, who IS the ideal client that I have in mind.

You know, you’ve asked me some great questions that I couldn’t answer, around my ideal client. But it’s only through copy, I think you can create content and create a program without being that clear, but I think doing your own copy helps you, forces you to be VERY clear on that, which I think is GREAT.

Whatever kind of copywriting support you get, I think you need someone else to look at the copy. Because there is so much, and after a while you’re like, I can’t think of another email to write, I can’t think of another story. Do I have to say the benefits again, or the outcomes AGAIN. And your copywriter or freelancing buddy is going to say YES, or NO.

If you’re going to embrace your copywriter side, as an entrepreneur or a small business owner, I think you have to face your stories and assumptions you have about yourself as a storyteller. Like…who’s going to be interested in my story? Does it matter? How do I make a story about learning to do pottery link to my career rut course? How do I make that bridge? And not sound totally naf.

Copywriting is not about being “correct,” it’s an invitation into a relationship, it’s an invitation into connecting through a story, to be human with each other.

Connect with Catherine:

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staggmacey/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staggmacey/

Visit her website: https://www.conversationsattheedge.co.uk

Find out your leadership style: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/6011b3a9b2b16d001691e67d

Read her blog post about writing Out of Office emails: https://www.conversationsattheedge.co.uk/blog/out-of-office

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

You believe in what you sell with a PASSION. But you can't see why your prospective clients don't seem convinced.

That's because there's a difference between telling them about something and taking them along for the ride so they can see for themselves.

And in today's episode of Cutting Chai Stories, I show you how writing with your 5 senses can immerse your readers in the moment with you -- for creative writing, for pulling together an ideal client avatar, and for writing a product description.

For each scenario, I show you how regular writing, the kind of writing you're used to seeing everywhere (and used to IGNORING, too, just like your clients ignore YOUR marketing) compares with writing that invokes the 5 senses. (And, bonus, does that whole show, not tell, bit.)

And yes, I give you a bit of homework that involves taking off your clothes to write better, more compelling copy (not sleazy at ALL, get your mind out of the gutter!).

Best of all, I put together a Google Doc for you with all that lovely text for those three examples so you can compare them side-by-side AND get a behind-the-scenes look at WHY I chose those words, those phrases, and what effect they can have on the reader (aka you). Make a copy of this free resource now so that you can put this technique into action and start putting better marketing and copy into the world (which sorely needs it).

Get your copy of this resource here so you can start writing the most convincing copy of your life: https://cuttingchaistories.com/5senses/

If you're unfamiliar with the "show, don't tell" dictum, I cover it in greater detail in Season 2 Episode 17 of Cutting Chai Stories, so back and listen to that.

And finally, if you weren't totally bored by this, if you didn't find it a waste of your time, would you consider leaving a review for the show? It helps others like you to find Cutting Chai Stories, and it would personally mean a great deal to me. Thank you!

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

Welcome to the third and final installation of the mini series on what to prep before you write a SINGLE word of copy. This series is ESPECIALLY important for sales pages, so if you’re planning to launch a course or group program or a new product, listen up.

Over the past two episodes, we covered two other elements to prep before you start to write your copy, and those were Voice of Customer and Core Transformation.

Today we’re going to talk about benefits versus features.

Chances are that if you’ve been in the online business space for more than a minute, you’ve heard people say, talk about the benefits of your product, not the features.

But what does that MEAN?????

Well I like to think of features as the NOUNS.

So, if you’re selling an online course with live coaching calls and a 300-page workbook, the FEATURES might include:

--8 weeks of prerecorded calls that can be consumed in video, audio or transcript format

--Starts September 1, new videos released every week

--You have lifetime access, so you can watch at your own pace

--Live calls every Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern in our private Facebook group

--Each participant will be mailed a 300-page workbook in physical and e-book format, which contains all the exercises and resources you’ll need to follow along

--Price, refund policy, size of cohort if that’s relevant, length of videos, length of coaching calls, etc

So that’s all the important information that you’ll need to know. Coz if you’re never available on Sundays at 2 p.m. and the live coaching is crucial to the success of the course, maybe you won’t purchase it this round. Or if you’re in a different time zone and want to know if they’ll be recorded so you can watch them at a time that’s more convenient to you, this list of features will be important to answer your questions.

So they’re pretty vital to know, right? The list of features?

So why is everyone pooh-poohing them all the time?

What’s WRONG with listing all the features?

The short answer is—nothing.

We want and NEED to know the nitty-gritties to help us make a decision.

But whether the calls are held at 2 p.m. Eastern or 2 p.m. Pacific is not the make-or-break factor when you’re just encountering this program.

First you wanna know if this can help you with the particular problem you’re having. And the timing and length of the calls isn’t going to tell you that. For that, you need the benefits.

Listen to the episode to understand the difference between benefits and features, with real-life and made-up examples for services and products.

PLUS how to supercharge your benefits so that potential clients can see that your offer is exactly right for them.

Also mentioned in the show are Cathy Heller and her podcast, Don't Keep Your Day Job, as well as Harry Dry's website marketingexamples.com. Both are invaluable sources of information for me, I highly recommend you check them out.

Finally, the content of this mini series on what to prep before writing a single word of copy (ESPECIALLY your sales or landing page) came about as a result of a question by an email subscriber.

I take conversations with my subscribers seriously and respond to each one. Want input into subsequent episodes? Have a question you haven't seen answered anywhere else or that you want my take on? Sign up for Chai in my Inbox at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe and then hit reply to any of my emails to say hello!

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

If you're just joining in, this is the second episode in a three-part mini series answering the question: What do I need to prep BEFORE I write a single word of copy?

Last week's episode on Voice of Customer was the first; if you missed it, you can catch up here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s4-ep-5-what-to-prep-before-writing-a-single-word-hint-voc/id1504011822?i=1000565705402

Today we're talking about nailing our core transformations. Your product or service may have several benefits and even more features, but what's the ONE change that your customers will experience when they buy it?

Listen for two examples of a product and a service, plus three exercises that'll take you through crafting a brand transformation of your own.

There's one more episode to go in this mini series; subscribe so you don't miss it!

And if you liked it, if you found it useful, come hang out with me in my email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox. I send it out twice a week, with copy inspiration, writing tips, and funny stories from my life. You can sign up through this link to get a free checklist of the 12 things to do before you send your next email: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/12emailcomponents

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

There are a BUNCH of ducks you need to have in a row before you can start writing your copy (if you want it to be successful, that is). The list is too long to cover in its entirety in one episode, so this is the first of a short series about what to prep before writing your very first word.

Today's episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora focuses on "Voice of Customer."

What is it? Why is it important? And how do you as a fledgling marketer figure out what the voice of YOUR customer (even before you have a single one).

Thank you Yana, Angela, and The Cupcake Carriage for asking me this question and sparking the idea for this episode!

If you want to see real-life examples of marketing in the wild, hear zany stories from my life and the business and copy lessons I draw from them, and generally be in touch more often, sign up for my twice-a-week email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox. No spam, easy unsubscribe, and a shot of my signature masala every Monday and Thursday.

Subscribe here: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subcribe

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

In the very first guest interview of this season, I speak to pre- and post-partum fitness coach Reena Parekh, who is killing it on Instagram. She doesn't think of herself as a writer, she doesn't use templates, and she abandoned the "rules" ages ago. How does she do it?

Key takeaways of this episode:

Best aha moments:

• “I had this pivotal moment when I was going through my feed, and I realized everybody I followed was a young fitness professional who was white, thin, able-bodied…they all had that kind of similar lifestyle—it looked nothing like mine.”

• “That was when I realized I had to diversify my feed. I had to find more people that looked like me, that kind of lived a life that I lived, aligned with my values and my beliefs – that’s when I started talking about why representation matters.”

• “When we start sounding like everybody else, and talking about the same things as everybody else, you just become part of the noise.”

• “The more that I started to share what felt right to me, that aligned with who I am and my values and my beliefs, the easier the words flow. And the more I find that resonates with others.”

• “We have to know what we’re putting out there, WHY are we doing it, what is the purpose, what is the impact that you wanna make, how do you wanna use your voice on social media? We have been given platforms to use our voices—that is a gift.”

About Reena:

Reena Parekhis a business owner, pre- and postpartum fitness specialist, speaker and mental health advocate. She is a proponent of change in this space, encouraging her clients and community to embrace their bodies and pushback against postpartum bounce back culture.

Connect with Reena:

Instagram:www.instagram.com/itsreenaparekh

Baby2Barbell™️ Core+ Pelvic Floor Basics:https://www.reenaparekh.com/b2blevel1

Free Resources:https://www.reenaparekh.com/free-resources

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

If you're stumped at the thought of using stories in your marketing, and what's holding you back is the thought that you have nothing exciting enough, nothing worthy enough of sharing, well, I'm about to banish that thought by reading you an email about the most boring thing I could imagine, to the most boring outcome.

Listen to this episode for a demonstration of how to use stories in your marketing -- and, this is key -- make them RELEVANT and INTERESTING to your audience.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

And if you listen to this and think, I need more of this in my life, I am taking 1:1 clients for copy coaching, and storytelling is a HUGE part of the work. To see if we're a good fit, email me at jayati AT cuttingchaistories DOT com.

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

You CANNOT write great copy without this one ingredient.

If you try, you’ll sound indistinguishable from the crowds of your competitors.

What is it and how do you inject it into your marketing to elevate your copy?

Listen to Season 4 Episode 2 of Cutting Chai Stories: Write Copy that Feels Good for the answer.

Subscribe so you never miss another episode. If you already subscribe, thank you!

Sign up at www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe to get my email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox, so you can

—learn how to use storytelling to sell your products and services

—know when a new episode of Cutting Chai Stories comes out &

—be delighted by weird stories from my real life and thebusiness lessons I learned from them

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

So let’s talk about it. What do you think the word “COPY” means?

Because it’s hard to write copy when we’re unclear about where we’re standing.

Copywriting ≠ copyrighting

Copywriting ≠ journalism

Copywriting ≠ content

Coz we can't begin to start writing copy (let alone kickass, make-you-sit-up-and-pee-your-pants copy) if we don't know what the heck it is -- and what it isn't.

In the kickoff episode of Season 4, a primer for you on what copy is, what it isn't, and examples of where to find it. Think of it as Step Zero on your journey to better copy.

If you liked this episode, subscribe so you don't miss another episode.

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

Season 4 trailer:

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories!

I’m your host Jayati Vora, and I’m a recovering journalist turned copy coach.

I got my writing and editing chops during my decade and a half of being an editor in two different countries.

And built on that foundation with a WHOLE lot of ethical marketing and copywriting techniques.

So that YOU, the online business owner, can get the benefit of all those skills in this concrete, practical, bite-sized podcast,

Now renamed Cutting Chai Stories: Write Copy That Feels Good.

Who’s this podcast for?

It’s for business owners who are looking to upgrade their copy—their website copy, their email marketing, their social media presence, heck, even the way they’re introduced in podcast interviews!

Cutting Chai Stories: Write Copy that Feels Good is conversational, comes with a shot of masala, and is as much about creativity and bringing that energy and personality that is yours alone, as it is about frameworks and case studies.

There are no fill-in-the-blanks templates here.

There ARE, however, interviews with business owners who have learned to harness the power of copy for themselves—business owners just like you, course providers, coaches, service-based businesses run by entrepreneurs who didn’t graduate with a degree in writing but EARNED their writing stripes over the years.

If YOU are a business owner like that and want to be featured on Cutting Chai Stories, send me a DM on Instagram.

New episodes drop on Thursdays.

The next season is about to launch next week, but if you can’t wait that long, you can visit www.cuttingchaistories.com/podcast to binge on the last season, OR subscribe to my email list at www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe, and I’ll send you my mini course on how to get more engagement from your audience using your copy.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast wherever you listen, so you don’t miss an episode, and I’ll see you back here next Thursday!

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

Welcome back to the fourth and final episode of this fiction mini-series by Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, which features two fractured fairytales. A fractured fairytale is a retelling of a story with some important parts changed, like the setting, or the reversal of the hero and villain.

In today's episode, authors and voice actors Kimaya Desai and Anika Gursahani integrated real historical characters into their fractured fairytales of Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel.

This mini series is the result of a six-week writing and podcasting course taught by Jayati Vora in November and December 2021. The children collectively decided on a theme, wrote their stories, with some editing help, and performed them. If you enjoy it, please do share it with the children in your life.

We'll get back to the copywriting tips in Season 4, coming SOOOONNN!

https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Kids-Make-a-Podcast-Secret-Life-of-Objects-e1egar5

Welcome back to the second episode of this fiction mini-series by Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, all about children who discover magical portals inside their closets and go on an adventure in fictional and real story books!

This series is written and performed mostly by children, who also star in their own stories. Our heroes are Amay Maller, Aanya Somani, Sejal Bansal, and Samyra Chaudhary.

Additional voice talents include Jack Berengarten, Agastya Patel, and Suraj Andra. All the children, including Aadhya Guruprasad, helped make several of the sound effects.

This mini series is the result of a six-week writing and podcasting course taught by Jayati Vora in November and December 2021. The children collectively decided on a theme, wrote their stories, with some editing help, and performed them. If you enjoy it, please do share it with the children in your life.

We'll get back to the copywriting tips in Season 4!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Kids-Make-a-Podcast-Storybook-Portal-e1ctli5

Yes, this is Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, but this, the very first of a four-part fiction mini series written and performed mostly by children, is not about copywriting. In this episode, a meteor lands on earth and a cave full of mythical creatures is revealed.

Our heroes, Agastya Patel, Jack Berengarten, Aadhya Guruprasad, and Suraj Andra, each star in their own episodes.

Additional voice talents include: Aanya Somani, Sejal Bansal, and Amay Maller.

This episode is the result of a six-week writing and podcasting course taught by Jayati Vora in November and December 2021. The children collectively decided on a theme, wrote their stories, with some editing help, and performed them, including some of the sound effects.

If you enjoyed it, please do share it with other children.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Kids-Make-a-Podcast-Mythical-Creatures-Come-to-Life-e1csvk8

In this break between seasons, stay tuned for a mini-series by my students, ages 7-12, of fictional narratives written and voiced by them.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Bonus-Episode-5-Teaser-for-new-fiction-mini-series-e1ci9nj

For all those times you have to send an email to your list or post on social media, but you don't know what to say... you'll want to take notes for this one.

In it, I cover 3 prompts each for if you're planning a launch; if you're announcing a sale (hello, holidays!); if you're writing a welcome email; or if nothing much is going on and you're fresh out of ideas.

Also, this is the last episode of Season 3, but not to worry, I have some bonus episodes coming your way to tide you over. They're performed by the little humans taking my creative writing + podcasting class, and are fictional narratives that feature storybook portals, mythical creatures, objects coming to life, and fractured fairy tales. So if you like the Wright Brothers and want to see an alternate ending to Cinderella, stay tuned!

Finally, you may have noticed I've been playing with the description to this show every now and then in Season 3, and I came up with something new again. Here it is, and if you like it, or hate it, would you drop me a line and let me know? I'd love to know why you keep tuning in to Cutting Chai Stories, what has you coming back, and what you find here that you don't find anywhere else.

Here's the reworked intro: Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the delicious and bite-sized copywriting podcast full of writing tips for business owners who want to elevate their copy and attract more customers.

I’m your host Jayati Vora, and I’m here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and attract your dream customers using ethical marketing tactics and getting your masala on.

------

In the meantime, if you want to stay in touch and get more writing goodness like this, subscribe to my email newsletter at cuttingchaistories.com SLASH subscribe. I send out emails twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, and bring more writing prompts, writing tips, and funny stories from my life and the business lessons I draw from them. Come hang out!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-21-12-Writing-Prompts-for-Email-and-Social-Media-e1bpbf3

Let's talk about mediocrity. What do you do when creativity takes a hiatus, when every single word you write seems trite, when your music is lame, when your art is uninspired? How do you coax your creativity out of hiding?

Creativity ebbs and flows. And as creators, we feel the need to share our creations with the world. How do you live with creations that aren't your best work, and ship your work anyway?

Listen to this episode for my top tips on how to trigger your creativity and how to keep up with it when it's uncorked.

And if you liked this, and want more writing tips like this, plus a free four-video mini tutorial on how to uplevel your writing right away, subscribe to my email newsletter at: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-20-How-to-capture-creative-lightning-e1beli8

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives solopreneurs concrete and practical copywriting tips in just 15 minutes or less -- most of the time. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I'm in the hotseat, because this episode contains an interview with me by Lizzy Tanguay of the talk.write.done. podcast.

Listen here for our conversation, which covers

>> the stylistic elements of emails

>> candy versus broccoli in your email marketing

>> your next step when you make mistakes

>> juicy stories for your emails and how to find them

>> the perfect length for your emails (1,872 words)

>> the Netflix show we both binged recently

If you'd like that free download on the 12 elements every robust email should have, you can grab it here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/12emailcomponents/

More about Lizzy Tanguay and how you can connect with her:

Dr Lizzy Tanguay brings her 20 years of writing, language and applied linguistics experience to help coaches, consultants and academics get writing done and share their expertise with the world. Her approach combines mindset, message and craft to motivate and inspire tomorrow's thought leaders to their next level of achievement.

As well as running her own writing consultancy, Lizzy is Coordinator for Postgraduate Research Provision at Swansea University’s Centre for Academic Success, and she's taught and researched at universities in the UK and Europe.

Lizzy currently works with writers both privately and in group sessions.

You can find out about her latest offers at www.lizzytanguay.com.

Listen to Lizzy’s writing podcast for coaches here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2bVtmTYKz88tjlcDXNbX4d

Download Lizzy’s free pdf on blog post titles to engage here: https://mailchi.mp/ddabfcb89bc2/blogposts

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-19-Emails-as-a-genre----Jayati-interviewed-on-the-talk-write-done--podcast-e1b3dqa

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora and this isn't a true episode. It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S., which is a pretty major holiday, and I'm taking advantage of the four-day weekend to travel, BUUUUUUT I didn't want to leave you hanging.

So here's a writing prompt for you. Take either the word "Thanksgiving" or "November," and make a poem out of all the words you can think of from rearranging the letters.

Here's what I wrote from the word "November":

Never more. Never ever.
No bone nor robe
Nor mob or ember
Bore reve or roe
In November.

*reve is a French word meaning "dream"
**And ok, fine, I cheated by using the word "in" so you get a pass of one word, too.

Now it's YOUR turn!

And a PSA: Next week, on Nov 30, Dec 1 & 2, I'm teaching a LIVE workshop over Zoom called Masala Sales Emails.

In it, I teach business owners who have an email list they haven't been ignoring how to write a sales email sequence for their next launch, whether it's for a product, a course or a program.

You'll learn what goes into an effective sales email sequence, what to write, how to write it, and in what order to write it.

You'll actually get all 5 emails written, in the workshops themselves as well as in an additional 2-3 hours at home.

And, best of all, you'll get MY EYES on YOUR DRAFTS on Day 3.

Three days, ~6 hours, and you leave with 5 solid sales emails in your pocket. Pretty neat, huh?

For more information and to sign up, please visit: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/masala-sales-emails/

And if this doesn't seem right for you, but you have a friend who's an entrepreneur who might benefit from it, won't you share this with them?

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/A-Thanksgiving-mini-sode-A-poetry-prompt-and-a-PSA-e1am5t3

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where we are continuing with this theme of preparing for a successful launch of a product, a course, a program.

I'm your host Jayati Vora and last week we talked about a free and fun strategy to suss our market interest in an idea before you invest time and resources in putting something together that your audience doesn't want.

This week we're talking about three things you need to do BEFORE you start writing your sales email sequence.

The beauty of selling over email is that you don't need fancy tech skills or a website, even. All you need is an email list that's been hearing from you consistently, and a series of well thought-out emails that prime the pump for you to sell your thing.

In this episode, I cover three things you'll need to know before you start writing those emails, but if you want more help, I'm holding a 3-day workshop at the end of the month over Zoom, in which I will:

1. Go over the contents of a 5-email sales sequence

2. Have everyone write the damn emails, so you have concrete drafts

3. Give you feedback on your drafts on day 3 so you're hitting send with confidence

To learn more about the workshop, called Masala Sales Emails, visit: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/masala-sales-emails/

And if you have a bestie who's a business owner who might benefit from this, would you do me a solid and send this to them? Thanks in advance!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-18-How-to-prep-for-a-successful-sales-email-sequence-e1aek9c

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the ONLY podcast that gives business owners PRACTICAL, hands-on writing advice, with examples, in only 15 minutes or less. If you’re paralyzed by fear that you won’t sound professional, if you don’t know what to say and how to say it, if you have an email list you don’t use enough or a social media account that isn’t getting the engagement you want, you’re in the right place, because I can help you with that.

I’m your host Jayati Vora and today I want to talk about how to build success into your new launch or offer.

Which means, I’m gonna be talking about what you do BEFORE you craft your offer or program, before you devise emails to sell it, before you create a landing page on your website.

I got this idea from Miles Hanson, who did something similar on his Instagram feed, he’s @milestones_co. And I think *HE* got the idea from @thelizwilcox.

You’ll want to take notes for this one, it’s SUPER practical.

So what it was, was a series of 11 Instagram story slides that was designed to do in seconds what it usually takes market research calls or surveys MUCH longer—AND it had a better response rate, because it was EASY, and it was FUN.

So it’s FREE, it gives you AWESOME engagement, and it helps you shape your current offer PLUS gives you ideas for what you want to offer next.

Listen to the episode for a detailed walk-through of the strategy, plus pitfalls to watch out for.

ANNNNNDDDD if you want the actual slides I used that produced all this engagement, it's available to email subscribers as a PDF guide, with my notes coaching you on how to replicate this strategy for yourself. (Note: You do not *need* the PDF guide, but if you're a visual learner like I am, they'll be super helpful.)

To get the slides for yourself, just subscribe to my mailing list at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe and check the entrepreneur box. Then hit reply to the welcome email and ask me for them! That's it!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-17-A-high-engagement-strategy-for-market-research-on-social-media-e1a1m62

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast to give business owners without copywriting experience practical, hands-on writing advice, with examples, to uplevel your copy right away.

I'm your host Jayati Vora and today we're talking about how to inject more fun into your marketing.

Because someone having fun is the most attractive thing, ever.

Listen for five ideas to kickstart your fun marketing plan!

And if you found this episode useful, I have an email newsletter you might enjoy. It's called Chai in your Inbox, and I send emails twice a week with copywriting advice, writing prompts for your business, and new podcast episodes. Plus, strange stories from my life and the business lessons I learned from them! Sign up here: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

And if you check the "entrepreneur" box, you'll ALSO get a free mini course on how to connect with your customer in your business.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-16-How-to-have-fun-with-your-marketing-e19npq3

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the ONLY podcast that gives you PRACTICAL, HANDS-ON advice, WITH examples, to elevate your copy so that it reflects your brand, reflects YOU, and feels like a natural extension of your personality.

I'm your host Jayati Vora, and today we are talking about the second subject line you may not know about.

But first, a note about my November-December creative writing classes for kids, that begin Nov 2. I'll be teaching how to write for podcasts, and at the end of this special, 6-week session, we'll be recording the kids' stories to be PUBLISHED as a special episode of Cutting Chai Stories. If you have kids or have friends with kids who might be interested, please go to www.cuttingchaistories.com/shop and pick the appropriate age group to sign up.

Back to our topic: email subject lines. In today's episode, I cover preview text, which is the line that shows up in your inbox AFTER the subject line. If you don't set it, your email service provider will pull it for you from the first sentence of your email, which is such a waste.

In today's episode, I show you examples of preview lines, good ones, bad ones, and different kinds of ones.

And if you want the email I sent out last week—the free gift that was ONLY for subscribers—sign up to my email list and ask me to send it to you. You can subscribe at cuttingchaistories DOT com SLASH subscribe. Don’t forget to check the “entrepreneur” box when you sign up!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-15-The-other-subject-line-that-could-boost-your-open-rate-e19egob

I'm re-releasing this 2020 episode featuring an awesomely spooky story by my student Hansika Shankar because

1) I'm trying to plan a session of creative writing for kids that's centered around writing for podcasts that will -- get this -- actually involve the kids narrating their stories themselves, to be recorded by them and edited and published by me, IF there's enough interest.

If you're a parent with a child between the ages of 7 and 11 who might be interested in this, please fill out my 2-minute survey now.

2) I had no brilliant ideas for this week and I didn't want to disappoint you by not publishing anything and I didn't want to publish something bad

So, please enjoy this bite-sized replay all about sound words, or, if you want to sound fancy: onomatopoeias.

Listen to the spooky story my 9-year-old student from Texas, Hansika Shankar, wrote, and learn how she used sound words to chilling effect.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/REPLAY-Up-the-Spooky-Factor-featuring-a-students-story-e1933pt

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives grossed out business owners concrete and ETHICAL copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing RIGHT AWAY. In episodes of just 15 minutes or less.

Today I want to talk to you about ethics in marketing, because let's face it, the online business world is FULL of sleazy marketing tactics. But it doesn't have to be. You can learn the triggers that marketers use to make you buy their product, and follow other ethical marketers so you see a different way of running your business.

Here are the ethical marketers I follow:

1. Cathy Heller (Instagram @cathy.heller)

2. Tarzan Kay (Instagram @tarzan_kay)

3. Maggie Patterson's podcast, “The B.S.-Free Service Business”

And I make a pledge to you to be ethical in my marketing.

Link to study about supermarkets' use of soothing music and its connection with how much shoppers spend in their store: http://freakonomics.com/media/Using%20Background%20Music%20to%20Affect%20the%20Behavior%20of%20Supermarket%20Shoppers.pdf

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-13-Are-you-ethical-in-your-marketing--Are-you-suuuuurrrre-e18og91

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives overwhelmed business owners concrete copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing right away, in just 15 minutes.

I’m your host Jayati Vora, and I’m here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and put your heart and soul into telling the world who you are and what you’re about and attracting your dream customers in your unique, authentic voice.

We’re at roughly the halfway mark of Season 3 and so far it’s been JAM packed with practical writing exercises and prompts and tips, and I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling like I already have too much information being thrown at me, and at some point I have to take a step back and absorb what I’ve learned, and budget in some time to put it into action and apply it to my business, otherwise it’s just run-off.

It’s time wasted.

So I thought, instead of peppering you with more learning, and therefore more homework to USE that learning, I’m going to share with you the things I use to keep my business going.

For my podcast:

1. The Samson Q2U mic, purchased for less than $100
2. The free software Audacity to record and edit my shows
3. Zencastr, also free, to record interviews
4. Anchor, a free podcast distribution platform
5. Quicktime Player, free for Mac users, to edit clips for social media
6. The free tier of Headliner, to create audiograms for social media

For my email marketing:

1. The paid tier of MailChimp (roughly $15/month), though until a few months ago I used the free version.
2. The services of a virtual assistant to help with email sends

For my social media:

1. The free version of Canva to create my Instagram posts
2. The free version of Taplink to create a landing page of links for my Instagram bio

For my website:

1. Paid for my domain name, cuttingchaistories.com
2. Paid for website hosting
3. Pay for a few Wordpress plugins
4. Paid for a Wordpress developer
5. Paid for a logo

There you have it! I hope the list was useful. Notice how many of the resources I use are free or have free versions.

Before I go —

This podcast is run on grit and passion, and I show up every week during the season to give you practical ways to uplevel your content and improve your marketing. It would mean SO much to me if you check out the newsletter that goes with it at cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe. I email you twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, with more marketing advice, writing prompts for your business, and storytelling emails that show you how to sell with story. It would mean the world to me if you signed up. If you check the “entrepreneur” box at sign-up , I’ll also send you a FREE mini course on how connect with your customers through your copy.

Thank you for tuning in, and until I see you next Thursday, tell me: Is there an app or a service that you can’t live without in your business that I DIDN’T mention? DM me on Instagram @jayativora and tell me!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-12-All-the-tools-I-use-for-my-business-e18eqr7

In marketing they call it a hook.

In school I called it “in medias res.”

In journalism they call it a lede.

It’s all the same thing and in today’s episode I wanna talk about why using it can significantly increase your readership.

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives overwhelmed business owners concrete copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing right away, in just 15 minutes.

I’m your host Jayati Vora, and I’m here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and put your heart and soul into telling the world who you are and what you’re about and attracting your dream customers in your unique, authentic voice.

In this episode I show you WHY you need to write a hook, and what it is, exactly, with examples.

Stay tuned till the end for a guided writing prompt of how to write a compelling hook for YOUR content.

This podcast is run on grit and passion, and I show up every week during the season to give you practical ways to uplevel your content and improve your marketing. It would mean SO much to me if you check out the newsletter that goes with it at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe.

I email you twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, with more marketing advice, writing prompts for your business, and storytelling emails that show you how to sell with story. It would mean the world to me if you signed up. If you check the “entrepreneur” box at sign-up , I’ll also send you a FREE mini course on how to write better copy.

See you next Thursday!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-11-This-is-how-you-write-a-compelling-hook-e1837op

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives overwhelmed business owners concrete copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing right away, in just 15 minutes.

I’m your host Jayati Vora, and I’m here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and put your heart and soul into telling the world who you are and what you’re about and attracting your dream customers in your unique, authentic voice.

Today I want to talk to you about how to let your personality shine through in your emails—the antidote to sounding like a robot.

Sometimes we have had the personality beaten out of our writing in our jobs. Maybe we pepper our sentences with jargon and buzzwords without even realizing it. Maybe we were trained in writing in college, where passive tense ruled and sentences were unnecessarily complex. Neither of those help you sound like yourself, help you sound conversational, help you connect with your readers.

Listen to the episode for 5 ways to NOT sound like a robot when you write.

Thanks to Vibha for the question that spurred this episode!

Resources:

If you want help on how to *format* your copy for maximum effectiveness, check out my guide on formatting tips here: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/formattingtips

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-10-You-are-not-a-robot--dont-write-like-one-e17op33

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the podcast that shows entrepreneurs how to uplevel their email marketing, social media, and website copy with practical tips and concrete examples from your host, Jayati Vora.

This episode is dedicated to Laura and Oswald, who told me they missed the creative writing focus of the earlier seasons, and especially to the idea that sometimes, to be creative in business, you have to step AWAY from business.

So thank you, Laura, for inspiring this episode, and here are three big ways you can recharge your creative batteries -- and bring all that creative energy back to your business!

Stay tuned to the end for my announcement of the winner of the giveaway challenge, and thanks to all of you who responded to my request for feedback about the show.

If you haven't responded yet and would like to, please DM me on IG @jayativora to let me know:

1. Why you listen to Cutting Chai Stories and what you get here that you don't get anywhere else

2. What you want to see more of in coming episodes

3. Anything you'd like to see less of

This is your chance to have a voice in what I cover in the upcoming season, so don't hesitate to reach out, I *love* hearing from you!

Here are my favorite three songs without lyrics to dance to when I need to move my body:

1. Por Una Cabeza, by The Tango Project

2. Tango to Evora by Loreena McKennitt

3. Tango, Que Misterio by Tango Jointz, Ricardo Ricardito Reveira

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-9-Three-Ways-to-Recharge-Your-Creative-Batteries-e17bt6l

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I’m your host Jayati Vora, and before we get into our topic for today, I wanted to ask you a question.

Why do you listen to Cutting Chai Stories?

I’m really asking you. What do you get out of this show that you don’t get anywhere else?

What do you like about it?

This information is really going to help me plan out the rest of this season, so if you like what I’ve been doing, please write to me and tell me. If you DON’T like what I’ve been doing and you want something different, please write to me and tell me.

This is your chance to have some input in the content, to make this more of a conversation than a lecture, and I want to make sure you want what I’m serving up every week.

So please please write to me, I’m at jayati@cuttingchaistories.com

And if you write me back by Sunday, September 12th, you'll be entered to win a little something in a giveaway I have planned. (If you're reading this after the 12th, please still write me back, I will be immensely grateful.)

Back to our show topic today -- does size really matter? And the answer is, when it comes to email marketing, it absolutely can.

Our audience has different kinds of readers: ones who like storytelling (like me), ones who want your email to get straight to the point, and ones who just want to be wooed.

And different kinds of emails appeal to different kinds of readers.

Listen to the full episode for a guide to writing for your entire audience, not just the ones most like you.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-8-Does-size-really-matter-e173vlp

Obligatory warning, folks, today's episode has a little more, ahem, masala than usual. So if the kiddos are listening, you might want to save this one for later.

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short and full of spice, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I'd like to deconstruct an email for you--the first of a series of emails inviting readers to a webinar about having mindblowing org*sms and pleasure. It's by the trauma-informed holistic sex coach Roshni, who has kindly shared her email with us so that I can break it down and show you the different pieces and how they go together.

The next time you're writing a sales email, see if you touch on the points mentioned here--but most of all, make sure that you have the right *energy* when you sit down to write.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-7-How-to-write-org*smic-emails-NSFW-e16q009

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short, and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I want to talk to you about flipping the writing process backwards when you are writing an email (or social media post, or blog post, or maybe even podcast script) to your list.

Most of the time, we start with the CTA or call-to-action, which is the action we want our readers to take after reading our email. But when you don't have a major launch or announcement, when you're out of ideas for what to write, you can start writing backwards. Instead of starting from the reason you're writing the email, and then ending with a subject line, you can start with the subject line, and let the CTA come organically.

In this episode, I take you through how to do it, step-by-step, and show you an example of how I did it, with the email and CTA that resulted. Be sure to listen to the whole episode for ideas for where to get inspiration for your subject lines.

Hopefully this has helped you come up with email content ideas. But if you're tired of all the things you have to do and just want someone else to take care of the heavy lifting for you, I can help.

You can sign up for Million-Dollar Emails: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/milliondollaremails

Where I'll send you

*5 gold writing prompts a month

*with questions designed to elicit a personalized story from your life or biz

*that lead to a variety of CTAS

*PLUS the icing on the cake, 2 LIVE editing calls with me each month where you'll get my eyes on YOUR copy.

It's a steal, it's like having an editor in your pocket. And it's $75/month, cancel anytime, or $750 for the year (that's TWO whole months free), with no refunds.

PLUS if you subscribe now, you get one month free. What are you waiting for? Subscribe here: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/milliondollaremails

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-6-Write-emails-backwards-e16dle1

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I’m your host Jayati Vora and this is the second part of a two-part episode on how to write so your audience will read.

In part 1, which came out two weeks ago, I covered four ways to *write* to ensure your readers get the important information you’re dishing up. If you haven’t listened to that one yet, hit pause and go listen to part 1 first.

This week, I’m covering a whole laundry list of ways to *format* your writing so you snag your readers’ attention and they don’t tune out when you want them to tune in.

I used to think that formatting wasn’t very important — and it’s true, a pretty-looking post can’t compensate for crappy copy.

But ignoring the formatting and presentation does your copy, and your reader, a giant disservice. It’s like writing a fiery speech and mumbling it to yourself in a corner.

Formatting your online copy so that readers find it easy and attractive to read will GREATLY increase the number of people who stick around to read it.

Listen to the episode for all the tips.

I also made a checklist of these tips for you that you can grab at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/formattingtips/

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-5-Is-your-writing-scannable-Part-2-e162ds4

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host, Jayati Vora, and today I want to show you how to write so that people who don’t like to read will be enticed to read what YOU write.

This is part one of a two-part episode on this subject, so make sure you tune in next week for the second half.

There’s no trickery involved in getting people to read what you write, just 4 simple writing tips that ensure that readers won’t miss the crucial bits of information you want to convey—and that *everyone* absorbs the information more readily.

1. Put the important bits up top and down low.

2. Vary the lengths of your sentences

3. Use ellipses in different ways, but intentionally.

4. Make your paragraphs short.

For more detail on each of these, including examples to see them in action, listen to the full episode.

If you liked this episode, would you leave a review for Cutting Chai Stories on Apple Podcasts? And have you subscribed to the show yet? It’s free of cost, and will make sure you never miss an episode.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-4-Is-your-writing-scannable--Part-1-e15ff30

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and today I want to talk to you about writing better headlines. Here's what we cover in this episode:

Brainstorm 30 headlines. Sometimes quality comes from quantity.

7 things NOT to do:

1. Don’t be boring.

2. Don’t be overly clever.

3. Don’t use too much jargon.

4. Don’t use headlines that give away everything.

5. Don’t pull a bait and switch.

6. Don’t use cliches.

7. And don’t overpromise and underdeliver.

8 things to do to write better headlines:

1. Use verbs.

2. Use questions.

3. Open a curiosity loop with statements.

4. Use quotes.

5. Be descriptive.

6. Use lists and numbers.

7. Be controversial.

8. And finally, answer the question—what’s in it for the reader?

If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend and tag me on IG @jayativora and I'll repost. Let's grow the community!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-3-How-to-write-better-headlines-e153h9o

What is the rule of one and why is it so important for writing effective content that converts?

What are all the ways in which it apply to your copy? (Hint: There's more than one.)

These questions and more, answered on this episode of Cutting Chai Stories.

Here's the revamped page where you can sign up for my email newsletter: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

As promised, here's the final email I sent out to my list, after I followed the rule of one.

Subject line: What are you WAITING for, Jayati?

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-2-The-all-important-rule-of-one-e14dkil

Welcome back to the very first episode of Season 3 of Cutting Chai Stories, where the writing is short and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India.

Today's episode, dedicated to my husband, is all about gratitude.

We cover two techniques that are best used sparingly -- repetition and alliteration -- and a third that almost always takes your writing to the next level.

For the month of July, Cutting Chai Stories is also a featured podcast on Spotify India's Amplifiher, where you can discover content produced by and for women.

If you like this episode, please subscribe to the podcast, and please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-Episode-1-Gratitude-with-an-Attitude-e143oou

Season 3 launches verrrry soon!

Listen here for a Cutting Chai Stories win (discover new content here) and for what I have in store for you with the next season.

Thanks for listening!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-3-trailer-e143huv

Hello and welcome to the last episode of Season 2 of Cutting Chai Stories! I'm your host Jayati Vora and on today's show, I speak to playwright and director Shivani Tibrewala, of No License Yet productions, who explains the peculiar tension between dialogue and subtext in theater, and how to create it. She reads an excerpt of her monologue, Avoid the Void. And she recalls her part in the nascent slam poetry scene in Mumbai.

To contact Shivani, you can email nolicenseyet@gmail.com

About Shivani:

Shivani Tibrewala is a poet, playwright, and screenwriter from Mumbai, India and an empaneled artist with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. She is the founder-director of No License Yet, a theatre company known for producing socially relevant pieces of theatre such as Retellings (a feminist interpretation of the Ramayana), and has herself written, directed and produced 10 plays since 2002 starring some of the biggest names in the Indian performing arts such as Tom Alter, Mrinalini Sarabhai, Mallika Sarabhai, Preeta Mathur, Utkarsh Mazumdar, Meenal Patel, Mona Ambegaonkar, Denzil Smith, Quasar Thakore Padamsee, Avantika Akerkar etc. Her plays has been published by Writers Workshop India, on Muse India and in a Croatian anthology featuring works by Women Writers from India. She has been commissioned to write plays by Theatre Royal Plymouth (UK), Flinntheater (Germany), The Moving Image Factory (Canary), etc. and her plays have traveled far and wide both in India and abroad and have completed over 500 shows. She has written for various television series including the kids daily "Hello Dolly" based on The Princess Diaries, and a few feature films, including a comic musical for kids called "Music School" (based on The Sound of Music) the music for which is currently being composed by the maestro Ilaiyaraaja, a biopic on the life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw currently being produced by Ronnie Screwvala, a medical thriller based on her critically acclaimed play "The Laboratory" which was shortlisted by Sundance, a horror film called "Sex on the Beach" that was one of the ten stories in the feature "Dus Kahaniyaan" produced by Whitefeather Films, and numerous other screenplays she is currently pitching to producers.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-22-Playwright--director-and-slam-poet-Shivani-Tibrewala-on-how-to-create-subtext-in-theater-ete3l3

This week I was stuck when it came to what to talk about on this episode, and I thought: Might YOU be stuck too? So I made a list of the things I do to get inspired when I'm feeling anything but, how to actually DO the writing -- in other words, stop daydreaming and start day-doing -- and my top tips for rewriting or editing your work.

The writing prompt, too, is inspired by this list of tips.

So listen, follow along, and then tell me: Which tip resonated the most for you? Which one landed and got you off your butt and into your chair? Did you finish that writing project you were procrastinating on doing?

The folks in my paid writing challenge, 25 Days to Done, are getting these tips and more, my personal attention and feedback on their work for the duration. If you're interested in signing up the next time I hold it, ping me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-21-9-and-a-half-tips-to-get-the-words-out-of-your-head-and-onto-the-paper-es86kn

Hello hello and welcome back to this slightly silly and mostly fun episode of Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and today on the show I speak to Creative Commute podcast host and creator Jennifer Liss, who talks about how letting out your inner weirdo (my words, not hers) can inspire others to let their silly selves shine through. Being silly leads to having fun, which leads to more creativity in your work life.

Plus, a truly hilarious writing prompt (that can also be drawn or acted out).

About Jen and where to find her on the interwebs:

About Jennifer Liss

Jennifer Liss is marketing copywriter and founder of The Creative Commute, a podcast and community focused on fueling joy through creativity. The effort began as a way to stay optimistic during the spread of the global pandemic and has grown into a thriving virtual community.

The Creative Commute Community

The Creative Commute Podcast

CreativeCommute.com

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-20-Jennifer-Liss-on-why-exercising-your-silly-muscle-is-good-for-business-ere3nh

Why do I like mango but not watermelon? Why do you read sci-fi but not magic realism? Why this and not that? AND--why are we spending an entire episode talking about something as obvious as our likes and dislikes? Everyone has them. SO WHAT?

I'll tell you so what. We can lean into our inner freaks, embrace the little weird quirks and mannerisms that we might otherwise try to hide, and use them as our own personal Bat signals to call out to the other freaks who are our perfect audience. Instead being bland, beige, and blending in, why not get our freak on so we can attract our ideal clients? It's WAY less exhausting than attracting a huge audience and having to cull them.

In this episode, I look at two examples of copy on the websites of two successful online businesswomen. One is freaky, the other is not. Both work. But I'm more attracted to the freaky one.

What about you?

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-19-Get-your-freak-on-er12in

My interview with Kenn Nesbitt, who is an American children’s poet and humorist, and author of more than 20 books for kids. In 2013, he was named Children’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. His website, poetry4kids.com is the most visited children’s poetry site on the internet.

Kenn talks about how he loves to twist children's brains with impossible ideas, how he rewrites each line in his head 10 times, yet sometimes the best idea is the first idea, where he gets the inspiration from for his funny poems, why he thinks poems are a delivery vehicle for jokes, and why, though he doesn't tackle the difficult subjects of life, his aim is to turn children into readers, and ultimately writers.

Listen in for the current favorite poem on his website today, the list of poets and poems who influenced him, and how he only started writing poetry in his 30s (which means there's hope for all us late bloomers yet!).

Kenn's influences

Mother Goose
Dr. Seuss
Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven
Robert Service' poems, The Cremation of Sam McGee, The Shooting of Dan McGrew
Rudyard Kipling's poems
The nonsense poems of Lewis Caroll (Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass)
Mad Magazine's song parodies
Shel Silverstein's Sara Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/How-Kenn-Nesbitts-poems-for-kids-are-the-gateway-drug-to-everything-eqifno

All of us have probably heard that adage of good writing from an English teacher in our childhood: Show, don't tell.

But what does it mean? Is "telling" the enemy? (No, it isn't.)

HOW does one show and not tell?

Can you give me examples?

All these questions answered in today's episode, and more, plus a writing prompt that will give you the opportunity to show off your newly acquired "showing" skills.

Passages quoted are from Rabih Alameddine's "The Angel of History;" and two restaurant reviews by the then New York Times food critic, Frank Bruni, here (https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/19/dining/reviews/the-steady-center-of-an-expanding-universe.html) and here (https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/dining/reviews/07rest.html).

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-17-How-to-Show--Not-Tell----and-Why-eq8940

First, my apologies for the delay in releasing this episode. I had prepped it and then belatedly realized that I should probably ask permission of the two poets whose work I recited here first. It took a day to do that and hear back from them -- thankfully, it was a yes or else this episode would have had to be rerecorded and that would have taken even longer! -- but now I can hit publish on this without any niggling feelings that I hadn't covered all my bases.

Today we talk about poetry. It can feel mysterious and inaccessible (and let's face it, some poetry is just that), but here's an easy introduction to a particular kind of poem that is as accessible as a grocery list -- namely, the list poem.

In this episode, I read "Happy" by Jerry Pinto, who I interviewed on this podcast back in Season 1 (Part 1:https://open.spotify.com/episode/76a1iQ8ab3qJOwPRA3ifkB?si=Rpphv0lhSYStnWUEOYTF8Q and Part 2:https://open.spotify.com/episode/700xAf3T4jzDYkppVLVvyL?si=monkzRc1SwS92cIvyygKCQ here).

The poem is featured in his book "Tickle Me, Don't Tickle Me," which you can check out here: https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/shop/childrens/tickle-me-dont-tickle-me/

I also read "That Explains It!" by U.S. Children's Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt, whose work can be found on his website, which I highly encourage you to check out: https://www.poetry4kids.com/

And if you write your own poem in response to the prompt--do share it with me!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-16-Can-a-list-be-a-poem--Demystifying-poetry-eq0bnn

This is a different kind of episode. In it, I talk with my business coach, Rayna Jhaveri, about how, as entrepreneurs, as course creators, as teachers, what we teach or what we sell is just the gift wrapping for who we are. She talks about the power of energy and how that affects the way your audience will perceive your creation. And she talks about finding another way to reach customers than pain points. Listen in for her unashamedly non-mainstream approach, her wisdom in all things business and human, and her special Rayna magik.

You can follow her on Instagram @the.punkmonk or check out her culinary talents on the TV show Milk Street.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-15-Business-coach-Rayna-Jhaveri-on-energetic-exchange--being-unapologetically-yourself--and-abandoning-pain-points-epip27

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories!

First off -- you are invited. I'm hosting a DRESS UP YOUR WRITING party. It's going to be loads of fun, nerding out on words, and not needing to mingle. We'll meet on Zoom -- all you need is a fancy dress from your closet to channel your inner badass, a drink in your hand, AND an email to your list that you want to workshop. I'll bring the funfetti and best of all, will do hot seat coaching on how to bring your badass self into your writing!

Email me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com to RSVP and for the deets.

For today, we talk about the use of contrast. Why use it, what we can do with it, and examples of effective contrast in writing fiction and ad copy!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-14-Use-contrast-to-punch-up-your-copy-ep8c4k

In today's episode, the chai is made with a different recipe. I'm working with a coach and doing a lot of internal work, and I wanted to share an insight with you today. We all have our own internal narratives of ourselves as people, as entrepreneurs, for our businesses. These are words that others have called us, or that we at some point in our lives have called ourselves. These words can define us, knowingly or unknowingly, and can and likely do affect every aspect of our lives, personal and professional.

When our own stories are the most important that we'll ever get to tell, why are we letting others define our narratives by choosing our words? Today I offer my own example and give you a suggestion for how to tweak the story of your life by changing one small word.

And a note on The Words Will Come, the program for entrepreneurs I've been teasing for a few weeks now.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-13-Choosing-your-words--reclaiming-your-narrative-eoubc1

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. This is the first episode of 2021, and I want to start it off with a great big hug of a thank you to all of you, my listeners, who tuned in to nearly 250 minutes of episodes, stuck with me through the hiatus between Season 1 and 2, from 37 different countries! Plus, Cutting Chai Stories was #19 in Spotify's India charts for a whole month in 2020! I can't think of a better way to start the new year than with this validation that you all are liking what you're hearing. So thank you.

In today's episode, I want to give you back a sense of control over yourself in a time where things seem to be spinning OUT of control. We do a future pacing exercise -- a fun one, I promise! -- that's an origin of the YOU you will be in 2021, and it all starts with choosing a word of the year to set your intention for 2021, for how you want to show up these next 12 months, the energy you want to bring to the world.

I also share an excerpt of a powerful column by Bombay-based journalist Sameera Khan, who was inspired by a Season 1 writing prompt of mine; her story was published in The Indian Express. You can read the entire piece, and follow her, on Instagram @samjourno123.

As always, if you feel inspired to share what you wrote, or how it made you feel, I'm on Instagram @cuttingchaistories and on Facebook in the Cutting Chai Stories Facebook group -- come join us!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-12-Future-pacing-and-the-origin-of-you-stories-eol62p

It's the end of 2020 and it feels like a momentous occasion, given what a hellish year this has been. But all that pressure to produce something profound bottles up the words instead. Here's a short piece about another moment like that I had this past summer, when I had promised myself and all of you to write something original every single day for 31 days in a row.

What I'd like you to take from that is that sometimes, if you go with the flow, you might get something different than what you had originally planned, but it might still be good. If you have writer's block, try to talk it out, take a break, take a walk, or just release yourself from those expectations and go with the flow. (But if you have a deadline, please meet it -- that's the editor in me talking!)

And if this frustrated feeling sounds familiar to you; if you, too, have stared at a blank page in frustration because the words just won't come, and if you're an entrepreneur who wants to write better for their business, I might have something for you. I'm launching a new digital course on January 25, 2021, called "The Words Will Come." In it, I will help you channel your natural speaking voice in written form, and teach you the art of storytelling. You'll need both to stand out from the crowd and sound inimitably YOU.

Visit my new website, www.cuttingchaistories.com, for more information.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-11-Dont-force-the-words-the-words-will-come-eoam89

Hello from Jayati, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories! Today I talk about how to speak directly to customers in an authentic way, with plenty of examples of how other companies are doing it, and a path for you to figure out what your own natural voice sounds like.

Think about unexpected places you can stand out with your copy
Write from a place of genuine feeling and you won't sound fake
Write down the bones (and this exercise will help you whether you're trying to tell your entrepreneur's or brand's story, or whether you just want the words to talk about why you do what you do, whatever that is)

Head to my brand-new website for more information on how else I can help you with your writing struggles: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com

And if you want to get in on my limited-time, small-group founding member discount, sign up for the waitlist to The Words Will Come, my new digital course for entrepreneurs who want to learn to write better for their business, and email me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com for more information.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-10-How-to-speak-to-your-customers-eo60p8

Welcome back to Episode 9 of Season 2 of Cutting Chai Stories! It felt like it had been a while since I had stuck to my original structure of story, writing technique, and writing prompts, so I made this for all of you who were missing it. In this episode, I share a short story about jumping puddles in the rain in New York, and how that evoked memories of splashing about during the monsoon in my hometown of Mumbai. I try to recreate the feeling of monsoon -- the sounds, the smells, even the tastes it brings back -- while also carefully choosing my words to make them pleasing to the ear.

Writing from a place of strong emotion, as I did, can often unblock your creativity. But using these writing techniques will help elevate that writing and give it more of a punch. A dhishoom, even, you could say!

Connect with me on Instagram @jayativora and @cuttingchaistories

And if you like this podcast, would you consider leaving me a review at Apple Podcasts?

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-9-Immersive-Description-and-Writing-from-Memory-enou44

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and today's episode is short, sweet, and oh so necessary! I talk about five kinds of words or phrases that we need to CUT from our writing. There are unnecessary introductions, ungrammatical phrases, long-winded ways of writing that we need to rewrite, adverbs that should be on the chopping block, and excessive description.

Listen in for explanations of each point, along with examples of what I mean. Then look back at your OWN copy and do this exercise — what did YOU cut out of your copy?

ANNNNND, I have an actual website. We're still working out the kinks, but I have some freebies up, and an exciting announcement to make in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out the site at www.cuttingchaistories.com.

If you like this podcast, if anything I've ever said has helped you become a better writer, or a prompt has inspired you to write something, would you please take a minute and rate and review Cutting Chai Stories on Apple Podcasts? It helps to grow our community, and I would be ever so grateful.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-8-Words-to-Edit-Out-of-Your-Copy-enjm5f

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora. If you haven't already listened to last week's episode, my interview with Zahir Janmohamed chock-full of tips and strategies on how to do personal storytelling better, you're missing out. Stop right now and go listen to that one first. If you did already, wonderful. I thought Zahir's tips were so useful that I adapted them for entrepreneurs.

Click here to download your FREE guide for an entrepreneur's storytelling cheatsheet: https://cuttingchaistories.com/storytelling-cheatsheet/

I found them so valuable that I wanted to share three of those tips in this episode: namely, it's a snapshot, not an autobiography; the self is a stand-in for something larger; and anchor your story in specifics.

In this episode, I take you why these pointers are important, and how to incorporate them into your business content (*cough* About Me page *cough*).

If you'd like my eyes on your About Me page, you can book your About Me Page (AMP) Audit here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/product/about-me-page-audit/

As always, if you like this show, if you find it valuable, will you consider rating the show on Apple Podcasts and leaving me a review? It helps other people find Cutting Chai Stories, and maybe they'll like it just as much as you do. :)

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-7-Storytelling-Tips-for-Entrepreneurs-en9oop

On this extra-juicy, supersized episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, I interview Zahir Janmohamed about the art of the personal essay. (If his name sounds familiar, it's because I mentioned him on last week's episode.)

Zahir Janmohamed is a Zell Writing Fellow at the University of Michigan, where he has received awards in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and playwriting. He is currently the artist-in-residence at the Arab American National Museum.

Zahir and I go a ways back: I was his editor many moons ago when I was working at Al Jazeera America, and I knew he would have a ton of writing tips for you, and he didn't disappoint.

There are too many gems in this episode to list here, but if you want a handy PDF guide to all the tips he mentioned here, you can grab them here: https://mailchi.mp/e56685294c6b/personalessay

As a bonus, I also took some of his tips and created a cheatsheet for you on how to use his writing tips when writing your About Me page, or a social media post, or an email to your list. Grab those here: https://mailchi.mp/8296ca2d0bcb/storytelling-cheatsheet

You can connect with Zahir on Twitter @zahirj and on his website: www.zahirjanmohamed.com

And here are his recommendations for reading excellent personal essays:

James Baldwin essay: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1962/11/17/letter-from-a-region-in-my-mind

Kiese Laymon's Heavy: https://www.kieselaymon.com/heavy

Jesmyn Ward on her husband's death: https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/jesmyn-ward-on-husbands-death-and-grief-during-covid

Jen Choi on not loving Paris: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jenhchoi/i-wanted-to-love-paris-but-it-didnt-love-me

Viet Thanh Nguyen on didaticism: https://vietnguyen.info/2017/4232

Caroline Paul's "Fighting Fire": https://www.carolinepaul.com/fighting-fire

Charles D'Ambrosio on doubt: https://tinhouse.com/the-art-of-the-sentence-charles-dambrosio/

"There was and there was not" book: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/books/review/there-was-and-there-was-not-by-meline-toumani.html

Chris Abani TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_abani_on_humanity?language=en

Anelise Chen on being a clam: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2017/04/13/clam-down/

You'll need Annelise Chen's essay, above, to do the writing prompt.

And if you want to join the free reading at the Arab American National Museum on November 30th, register here: https://arabamericanmuseum.org/event/telling-our-2020-stories-a-live-reading-hosted-by-zahir-janmohamed/?event_date=2020-11-30

Happy reading! And as always, if you liked this show, if you found it useful, please do subscribe and leave me a review. We have over 15,000 listeners so far, and that's just on Spotify!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-6-Harness-the-power-of-storytelling-emvsgb

Welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora! Today I make good on something I've been talking about the last few episodes, which is to also give writing tips to entrepreneurs who are struggling with how to write copy for their business.

I also share not one but TWO stories, both produced during a class on writing the personal essay. The first one is by Sara Afshaar, a former immigration attorney and current MFA candidate at the University of Michigan. Sara's work has appeared or is forthcoming in Slice, McSweeney's, Sporklet, and has been installed in Boston City Hall.

You can find her on Twitter: @afsharknado.

The other story is by me, and both of us wrote about the uncertainty and anxiety and pressure we were all feeling the week after the U.S. presidential election.

What makes the stories different is their use of "you"; both of us talked about ourselves in the second-person perspective. That was the prompt by the teacher of that class, Zahir Janmohamed (interview with Zahir coming soon on the show--stay tuned!), but what felt so good was how liberating it felt to dissociate yourself from the "you" on the page. I was not me, I was an anonymous you. Try it yourself and see!

For entrepreneurs who are wondering how they can use this writing tip, I say, use it in your description of your ideal client--and be specific. It's how your target audience will know you're talking to them! If you're the kind of entrepreneur who is helping people who have the same problem you used to have, you can even use this technique to write about yourself, back when you were struggling with this problem, and capture even more effectively the challenge that your ideal client is facing right now.

Meanwhile, if one of the things that you, dear listener, are struggling with is even getting started, if you're thinking, How can I write? I didn't go to school for this!, well, I have something for you. Here are my top 5 myths of good writing that need to be busted, and I'm giving it away just for you: https://mailchi.mp/c800156aa787/busted-5-myths-of-good-writing

Finally, if you liked this episode, if you learned something from it, would you please subscribe and share it with a friend? If you tag me on IG @jayativora and @cuttingchaistories, I'll reshare your post.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/S2-Ep-5-The-liberating-use-of-you-for-business-and-pleasure-emmca2

Welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora. In this episode, I speak with multidisciplinary artist Racquel Keller, who participated in my monthlong writing #onestoryaday writing challenge in July in the Cutting Chai Stories Facebook group. Except, instead of responding to my writing prompts, she chose to write a poem a day that was inspired by a color. She also overlaid the words on a carefully chosen image, and helped us interpret the poem through her artist's eye. She reads one of her poems from that challenge, Rose Madder.

Racquel talks about her art being inspired by writing, and vice versa, and offers her top tip for seeing the world around you as an artist. PLUS, she has not one but TWO art-inspired writing prompts this week.

Speaking of which, I have my own word + image collaboration to announce this week -- a series called Backscatter that features the street photography of @hersh.img with my stories, all on Instagram. Check them out on my feed @jayativora. Did any of the pairings surprise you? Which one's your favorite? Write and let me know.

The artists Racquel mentioned on the show can be found here:

Gustave Moreau's abstract preparatory drawings: https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS809US809&sxsrf=ALeKk034r6si4fQjbgnJdVEPQ6bMgD1yNQ:1605038991679&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=gustave+moreau+art+abstrait&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjY5suX5PjsAhWhmOAKHZrcCjoQjJkEegQIBBAB&biw=1396&bih=656&dpr=2.75

For active backgrounds, look at the works of Walt Kuhn's "Plumes," Franz Kline, Clyfford Still and John Singer Sargent.

More about Racquel Keller:

Racquel Keller is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is found in many forms, including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and assemblage. She constructs imagery inspired by her collection of natural specimens and vintage objects. These seemingly disparate pieces are put together to tell a story that captures the feeling of nostalgia these objects evoke. She works as an Art Instructor at the Greenbelt Community Center, the College Park Arts Exchange, and for select workshops at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. She regularly offers classes and workshops in a variety of mediums and subjects. She actively exhibits her work in the DC Metropolitan area and is a current Artist in Residence at The Greenbelt Community Center (Maryland, USA).

Keep in touch with Racquel:

Podcast: Pure Fire Creatives
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racquelkellerart/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racquel.keller.7
Website: http://www.racquelkeller.com/shop.html
For the month of November, 30 percent of all of Racquel's art sales will go to Elimu Girls: https://elimugirls.com/

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-2-Episode-4-Finding-Inspiration-in-Art-embkts

In this episode of Cutting Chai Stories, Jayati speaks with Stephanie Bourbon, a veteran of the National Novel Writing Month challenge in November, also known as NaNoWriMo, who has done the challenge 16 times. Now she helps female writers write their own novels.

For the entire month, Stephanie is offering Letters for NaNoWriMo, absolutely free! Every day she will email writers with support, encouragement, writing tips, and prompts to help them complete their novel in a month with support. (You can still sign up!)

Stephanie talks about the problem most writers face, her philosophy of writing, and helpful tools for writers with dyslexia.

Sign up for her daily letters here: https://www.stephaniebourbon.com/nanowrimo-letters-from-me

She is also offering a free PDF workbook, How to Write a Novel in 30 Days, available here: https://www.stephaniebourbon.com/how-to-write-a-novel-in-30-days

Follow her on Instagram @stepholivieribourbon

Recentlyshe launched a mini-version of her course called, From Nothing to Novel, focusing on going from the blank page to the finished draft in just 30 days. The full version of this course will be available for enrollment on April 1, 2021.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-2-Episode-3-Stephanie-Bourbons-top-novel-writing-tips-em1mci

Welcome to Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora. In today's episode, I talk about the opposite of a cutting chai story -- that is, how to stretch a story like a rubber band. While most of my episodes feature short stories under a 100 words long, sometimes that word count can be limiting. So how do you take one small moment and expand on it, make it interesting to your listener or reader, and keep them hooked? Listen to the episode to find out.

My creative writing classes for children are open for registration for the November session; the topic of the month is Fairy Tales. Register your kids here: https://www.gumroad.com/cuttingchaistories

I tease a writing class for entrepreneurs in this episode; email me for more information and to be put on the founding members' list.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-2-Episode-2-Stretching-the-Story-Rubber-Band-elk2k9

Welcome back to Season 2 of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, a short-form podcast dedicated to breaking down the mysteries of writing. Every Thursday, I'll be bringing you a short story, teaching you some of the techniques used, and giving you a writing prompt to write a story of your own. This season, for the first time, I'll also be exploring how to use those writing techniques in writing for your business -- that is, copy you can use as an entrepreneur.

Episode 1 is all about the rule of threes: what it is, how to recognize it, and why you should make it an essential part of your writing repertoire. Thanks so much to Diane Stinnett for sharing her story with us! Diane is a graphic designer and social media manager from Louisville, Kentucky, who is rediscovering the passion for writing that she says got lost somewhere in her 20s. She was one of many writers who participated in my July 2020 #astoryaday writing challenge in my Cutting Chai Stories Facebook group. This story is from that period. I hope it inspires you to write your own.

If you liked this episode and want to continue the conversation elsewhere, join the party in my Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cuttingchaistories
Or sign up for my email list: http://eepurl.com/hb6oOP
Or follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayati-vora

My creative writing classes for children (7-10 years) begin again in November; the theme is fairy tales. Register here: https://www.gumroad.com/cuttingchaistories

Follow Diane on her Facebook page, Running Lessons, here: https://www.facebook.com/runninglessons

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-2-Episode-1-The-Rule-of-Threes-elcr7d

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Season-2-Trailer-el3of1

Helloooooo! I made you a bonus episode because I missed you so much and I wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about you. This one is all about sound words, or, if you want to sound fancy: onomatopoeias. Listen to the spooky story my 9-year-old student from Texas, Hansika Shankar, wrote, and learn how she used sound words to chilling effect.

Coming soon: Season 2! Stay tuned!

And if you can't wait till then, follow me on Instagram @jayativora (https://www.instagram.com/jayativora/) or join me and a growing group of writers in my Facebook group, Cutting Chai Stories (https://www.facebook.com/groups/cuttingchaistories), where I share writing prompts that don't get shared in my podcast!

Also, I'm doing some exciting new things in this hiatus between seasons that I can't wait to tell you about! More soon.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Bonus-Episode-3-Up-the-Spooky-Factor-ek669n

In this bonus episode of Cutting Chai Stories, I share with you two stories written by 11-year-old Yukta Thirumalai, a student in one of my creative writing classes for kids. The theme of the month was perspective, and for the last class of the month, I asked my students to write a story based on a prompt I gave them -- and then to flip the perspective and tell the same story from the point of view of another character. Yukta's stories were so good I just had to share them with you, so I made this bonus episode so you could listen to them.

In announcements, my creative writing classes for September are available now; the session starts next week and we'll be covering poetry. Register at my website: https://www.gumroad.com/cuttingchaistories

I am also planning something for adults, but it's not ready to be unveiled yet. In the meantime, I am, however, taking on clients FREE OF COST. I only have spots for a few, but if you're a baby entrepreneur -- that is, if you've launched your business within the last two or three years, and if you struggle with writing for work, ping me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com and let's see if we're a match to work together!

More about Yukta: Yukta is a 11-year-old who lives near Washington D.C. She loves art, writing, eating, anything soft and cuddly (pandas among them). She dislikes waking up early, hiking, and being told what to do! She blogs athttps://yarningforwords.wordpress.com/.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Bonus-Episode-2-Playing-with-Perspective-eijvhv

In this, the last episode of Season 1 of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, I speak again with Nadine Kenney Johnstone (if you missed it, check out her interview with me last week on episode 19). Nadine is the author of the memoir Of This Much I'm Sure, writing coach and writing professor, and on episode 20, she generously takes us through a thought exercise designed to have you visualizing what you want to write before you ever pick up your notebook, helping greatly with the common problem of writer's block. Grab a pen or a laptop before you listen, pause as and when you need to, and spin the mental exercise out for as long as you need--by the end of it, you'll have constructed a whole scene in your head, with setting, characters, dialogue, and more.

This is the last episode of Season 1, it's true, but I'll probably pop in here for a bonus episode or two before we get to Season 2. In the meantime, do keep in touch via Instagram (I'm at @jayativora) or in my Facebook group, also called Cutting Chai Stories.

Thank you to all of you who have been listening, all of you who wrote to me, all of you who came on my podcast to share your energy and wise words with my listeners!

To learn more about Nadine, you can visit her website: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com

Connect with her on Instagram:@nadinekenneyjohnstone
Sign up for her newsletter where you'll be the first to know about her workshops and get her free journaling guide: https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community
Read her memoir: Of This Much I'm Sure
She is also doing visualization and writing sessions every Monday at 12 p.m. CST; sign up for her Writer Workout Membership between Aug 18 and 24here: http://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/workshops/writer-workout-membership

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-20-How-to-Overcome-Writers-Block-ehmjro

1. Everything in your life is fair game.
2. Writing about your trauma can help you process it.
3. What captivates you is a good barometer for what might captivate your readers.

Join me on episode 19 of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora as I speak with Nadine Kenney Johnstone, author of the memoir Of This Much I'm Sure, writing coach and writing professor. She talks about how she turned her painful experience with IVF into a book; what is joy journaling; and introduces the story workshop method. (If you're intrigued by this method, stay tuned for next week's episode, which is also the last episode of Season 1 of Cutting Chai Stories, for a more in-depth exercise.) More on Nadine below!

My August session of creative writing classes for kids is now open. The theme is how to write description. Check out the classes at https://www.gumroad.com/cuttingchaistories

If you want Nadine's recommendations for good memoirists and examples of the story workshop method, check out:

Mary Karr
Cheryl Strayed
Morgan HarperNichols
Patty McNair
Joe Meno
Randy Albers

To learn more about Nadine, you can visit her website: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Connect with her on Instagram:@nadinekenneyjohnstone
Sign up for her newsletter where you'll be the first to know about her workshops and get her free journaling guide:
Read her memoir: Of This Much I'm Sure

She is also doing visualization and writing sessions every Monday at 12 p.m. CST; sign up for her Writer Workout Membership between Aug 18 and 24 here.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-19-How-to-Think-Like-a-Memoirist-ehb1oc

In episode 18 of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, we talk about how to create a mood with your writing. How do you create a different state of mind in your readers that wasn't there before? It's the kind of thing that I think is easier to do with more abstract forms of art, such as music, or dance, or the fine arts. Words can sometimes be more black and white.

It's easier to show than tell. Let's look at a mood piece around the prompt of homesickness by Laura Ambler, who used to work in retail but is now exploring her creative side from the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. I can break it down for you, but there's no recipe here--take five sentences, add a dash of alliteration and a sound word or two, and that's it, you have a mood piece. You have to figure it out for yourself. The best I can do is show you how she did it.

You can connect with Laura on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/creatingyourcommunity/ and on her podcast, also called Creating Community.

Also, my August creative writing classes for kids are now open; the theme is how to use description in your writing. More information here: https://www.gumroad.com/cuttingchaistories

Finally, if you like this podcast, if you find it useful, if you look forward to the writing prompts, do me a favor? Please rate and review it so that others can also discover it. I'd be so grateful and you'd be helping to expand the Cutting Chai Stories community!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-18-Writing-to-Evoke-a-Mood-eh17jm

NOTE: Apologies to my listeners who listened to the initial episode I uploaded, the two tracks were overlaid with a slight mismatch, resulting in some crosstalk. I fixed it, and uploaded a cleaner version here. Sorry again!

This episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora features part 2 of my interview with journalism mentor and prolific writer of books for adults and children, Jerry Pinto. Make sure to catch part one of our conversation in episode 16!

Jerry talks about writing colloquially, hitting up against the "wall of grammar" and how children can smell an agenda from a mile away. He dismantles the messages sometimes coded in children's books, and writing with simplicity while exploring a complexity of emotion. If all writers learned from children's books, he says, that would be a good thing for the state of literature.

The book he talks about (the fart story in the title) is Phiss Phuss Boom: https://www.amazon.in/Phiss-Phuss-Boom-Stories-Grandparents/dp/9383331089/ref=sr_1_48?dchild=1&qid=1593988241&refinements=p_27%3Ajerry+Pinto&s=books&sr=1-48

You can follow Jerry Pinto on Instagram @mahimkajerry: https://www.instagram.com/mahimkajerry/?hl=en

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-17-REVISED-Jerry-Pinto-on-Farts--Foxes--and-the-Savagery-of-Children-egquit

Surprise! I'm dropping this "bonus episode" today because it has been a week since I started my writing challenge, writing something original every day, posting it to social media, and sharing a writing prompt in my Facebook group, Cutting Chai Stories -- EVERY DAY for four weeks, you guys. And I'm not alone! There are a bunch of folks also sharing their work in our group, and I'd love nothing more than for you to come join us. This is Day 8, and you can go back and do the first seven, or just start from whenever you feel comfortable. Just use the hashtags #cuttingchaistories and #astoryaday.

To give you a little bit of inspiration, here's the story I wrote to kick off the writing challenge last week, which stems from one of my biggest sources of inspiration. What's yours?

The writing prompt comes courtesy the artist Racquel Keller, who put her own colorful spin on the writing challenge.

And finally, if you like this show, or have learned something from one of my episodes, won't you drop me a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts? Or share with a friend and tag me on Instagram (I'm @jayativora) and I'll reshare your post.

Ok, that's it for me. Back to your regular programming on Thursday -- that's episode 17, part 2 of my interview with the inimitable Jerry Pinto. You don't want to miss it!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Bonus-Episode-1-Chasing-Sources-of-Inspiration-eglco3

Welcome to this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, where I interview the journalism teacher, editor and prolific writer who set me on my path of becoming a journalist and an editor: Jerry Pinto. He is an editor, an author of fiction and nonfiction books, the writer of poetry and prose for children and adults, and a translator to boot. In a first for Cutting Chai Stories, I divided our conversation into two parts, of which this is the first. Here, Jerry talks about how to exorcise our fears, discovering children's books as an adult, and his favorite children's writers. He also reads for us snippets of poetry, not all his own, and explains why we need to loosen up when we read poetry.

Here's his list of favorite children's stories:
E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web
Elizabeth Enright’s The Saturdays
Dodie Smith’s The Hundred and One Dalmatians

The poems he reads for us are Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42916/jabberwocky) and his own Tickle Me, Don't Tickle Me (https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/shop/childrens/tickle-me-dont-tickle-me/).

The other book he talks about is A Bear for Felicia (https://www.amazon.in/Bear-Felicia-Jerry-Pinto/dp/0143330659/ref=sr_1_28?dchild=1&qid=1593988211&refinements=p_27%3Ajerry+Pinto&s=books&sr=1-28)

You can follow Jerry on Instagram @mahimkajerry: https://www.instagram.com/mahimkajerry/

Tune in next week for part 2 of our conversation, where we talk about techniques to use when writing for kids, what people writing for adults can learn from children’s books, and the utter savagery of children--don't miss it!

Also, I'm a guest on this week's episode of Lizzie Brayton's podcast, Living Your Best Vibe, where I talk about my creative journey, where I am now, and where I find my inspiration. Check it out here: https://www.livingyourbestvibe.com/

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-16-Jerry-Pinto-and-the-World-of-Childrens-Books-egbojj

In Episode 15 of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, I interview my old friend and Amherst College associate professor Krupa Shandilya, whose co-translation of Mīrajī, a mid-twentieth century Urdu poet, was just published in The Paris Review. Mīrajī was the pen name of Sanā’ullah Dār, one of the founders of modern Urdu poetry. When he died in 1949 at the age of 37, he left behind more than a thousand poems in various genres that have yet to be translated into English -- a chunk of which Krupa and her co-translators are taking on.

Krupa is Associate Professor of Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies at Amherst College, and the author of the monograph "Intimate Relations: Social Reform and the Late Nineteenth Century South Asian Novel." She talks about what fascinated her about Mīrajī's poetry, the particular challenges of translating poetry, and the creativity to be found in working with partners. She also has a poetry-based writing prompt for listeners. If you feel inspired to write a poem based on her prompt, do send it to me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com. I love hearing from you!

In other news, the cart is open for my July session of creative writing classes for kids. In addition to classes for 7- to 8-year-olds and 9- to 10-year-olds, I have just added new classes for 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds. The theme for July is shifting your perspective. Register here: https://www.gumroad.com/cuttingchaistories

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-15-Krupa-Shandilya-Talks-Poetry-in-Translation-eg6h57

In this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, we dip a toe into writing poetry. I share three poems written in the workshop I led last week, all juxtaposing imagery and abstraction. We play with line breaks, different kinds of rhyme, and creating new relationships between the tangible and intangible.This is the Gwendolyn Brooks' poem I mentioned; I mistakenly called it The Pool Players, the title is actually "We Real Cool." It is really cool, check it out here: https://poets.org/poem/we-real-cool

About the poets:

Oswald Perez writes to share the world through his eyes using words, photos and prose. As words are a work of ART. His works can be found on Instagram at @oswaldperez85, on his blog at perezoswald.wordpress.com and at oswald.substack.com.

Hetal Sheth was running her family’s business plant until recently, manufacturing industrial steel drums, and is now rediscovering her creative spirit and dreams of becoming an artist and writer. Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hetal_sheth_artist/

Meera Patwardhan says she’s sometimes described as an oxymoron, because she’s a creative MBA. She likes to think of herself as a whole-brained person who manages life, work and leisure and makes light of it.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-14-A-Foray-into-Poetry-efsbhc

Welcome to Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, a podcast about the craft of writing in the format of short stories, like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. This week I was struggling with the subject of my podcast. What should I talk about? What do you want to know?

So I asked you, and the answer that resonated with me was this: I struggle with inspiration, with getting started on my writing.

Thank you universe! Here you go -- 25 whole writing prompts to get you thinking, to get you moving, to get you feeling, and hopefully, to get you WRITING.

Also, two announcements:

On Friday, June 19th, at 4 p.m. EST, I'm teaching a creative writing class for 7- to 8-year-olds about how to use your senses in your writing. It's for new students only. Register here: https://gumroad.com/cuttingchaistories?sort=page_layout#kJXHY

On Saturday, June 20th, starting at 8 p.m. EST, I am hosting a short workshop on writing short stories, as part of the virtual event Art House, along with five other artists. It's pay what you wish, and all proceeds will be donated to Black Art Futures Fund and to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-house-a-virtual-and-interactive-open-studios-tickets-108845758594

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-13-Twenty-five-Writing-Prompts-to-Inspire-You-efipss

In this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, listener Mareena Francis was inspired by last week's prompt to turn in a story she wrote. It came from a wellspring of deep emotion, and revealed with great honesty (and bravery) a moment of vulnerability in her life. She wrote it with skill -- and a metaphor that anchors the entire story. What's a metaphor, you ask? How does it differ from a simile? Find out on episode 12. I also share a story I wrote that uses several different metaphors, contrasting but building towards a single concept.

Tell me what you think by emailing me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com.

I'm also doing a few different things that might be of interest:

1) This weekend, June 14th, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EST, I will be teaching a workshop on writing and editing your own micro fiction in partnership with the organization Vacation With an Artist. Check it out here: https://vawaa.com/online/how-to-write-and-edit-your-micro-fiction

2) Next weekend, June 20th, starting at 7:45 p.m. EST, I and a host of other artists will be presenting a virtual "open studio" evening. Just as neighborhood artists open up their studios to the public to showcase their work and connect with their community, a group of us will be hosting talks, demonstrations, and activities in our virtual studios in a digital exploration of art. All proceeds go to Black Art Futures Fund and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, in a statement of our support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Check out "Art House" here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-house-a-virtual-open-studios-utilizing-zoom-breakout-rooms-tickets-108845758594

3) Last, but in no way least, is today's episode of Don't Keep Your Day Job, with Cathy Heller, an amazingly warm and inspirational entrepreneurship coach whose program, Made to Do This, I credit with rediscovering my love of creative writing. She interviewed me and a handful of other talented people on her podcast. Listen to that episode, but stick around and check out her other episodes too. The first time I heard her podcast, I stopped washing dishes, took out my computer, and started taking notes! If you want to hear more of my story, you can do it here: https://www.dontkeepyourdayjob.com/episodes/mtdt-students

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-12-Using-Metaphors-ef7cbu

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-11-Write-From-Your-Heart-eevd1f

In Episode 10 of Cutting Chai Stories, Jayati Vora goes back to her roots: editing. It almost never happens that your first draft is perfect. Sure, sometimes the inspiration flows and you're in the zone, but after you sleep on it and look at your words with fresh eyes, inevitably, you'll see flab you can trim, words that stand out but not in a good way, or it just doesn't read as well as it could. Embrace it! This is your opportunity to polish your writing and make it better. In episode 10, I read you the unedited and edited drafts of a short story I wrote, and take you behind the scenes to show you what I changed--and why.

I also tell you about creative writing workshops I'm hosting: for adults, for children (sign up for the June series on using your imagination now), and for a special date night for significant others or relatives or friends. For more information and to sign up, visit https://www.gumroad.com/cuttingchaistories.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-10-All-Writing-is-Rewriting-eelo3d

In this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, I speak with my friend Amadou Diallo, a journalist and fiction writer whose work has appeared in media outlets such as the NewYork Times and thePBSNewshour. In another life, he has also had careers as both a musician and a fine art photographer. A few months ago, a short story he wrote, "The Countdown," was published by the Times' Sunday Review (read it here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/03/opinion/amadou-diallo-the-countdown.html). He shares a great tip for how to write sci-fi without getting overwhelmed; he explains why he loves Raymond Carver; and his writing prompt is so delicious I'm dying to share it here. But I won't, because Amadou says so many other things I want you to listen to!

Here's his list of fave authors: Raymond Carver; James McBride; and Charles Johnson. Check them out!

And remember--if you feel inspired to write a short story based on our prompt, do send it to me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com. I love hearing from you!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-9-Amadou-Diallo-gives-writing-tips-from-the-world-of-sci-fi-eebl72

On this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, it's a twofer. You get my analysis, and a story by my sis, Rachita Vora, based on a prompt from Day 1 of my five-day free creative writing challenge. That day, we talked about the imagination and how to let it loose. Cultivate our inner child. I discuss the techniques Rachita uses in writing her story, including being specific, using repetition, metaphor, personification, and more. It's a lot to unpack, in a good way. This week for your weekly prompt, write about a moment of change or transition.

If you love the podcast, say good things! We'll be thrilled if you leave us a review, and pleased as punch if you tell a friend. If you do both, well, we'd be ecstatic!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-8-The-Day-A-Tennis-Ball-Came-Alive-edvl9o

On this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, we have a very special guest. Tammy Kim is a magazine reporter, a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, and a retired social justice lawyer. In our conversation, Tammy shares her top creative writing tips, where she looks for inspiration, and a writing prompt for you. As always, if you feel inspired to write a short story under 100 words, do send it to me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com.

Resources:

Tammy is co-host of the podcast Time to Say Goodbye, which talks about all things Asian-American, leftist, and internationalist. You can find it here: https://timetosaygoodbyepod.substack.com/

She mentions the magazine writer Ian Parker as a master of profiles, one of her favorite stories is here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/09/12/pete-wells-the-new-york-times-restaurant-critic

Tammy references the graphic novel Grass: https://www.drawnandquarterly.com/grass

Her website is here: https://etkwrites.tumblr.com/

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-7-Tammy-Kim-Shares-Her-Writing-Tips-edlt36

On this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, you get two stories based on last week's prompt: being grateful for something about the place you live, and writing a love letter to your town, city, neighborhood acknowledging your gratitude. Jayati writes about community, and Deeba Syed writes a love letter to her hometown (also Jayati's hometown) of Bombay aka Mumbai, India. Learn about stream-of-consciousness writing and how a flow of thought can impact pacing. The writing prompt for next week is to think of a song, any song, and write a story of under 100 words inspired by the song. If you write, and would like to share, you can email your story to cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com.

Also, this week is Jayati's 5-day LIVE creative writing challenge on her Facebook group, also called Cutting Chai Stories, and on her Instagram feed, at 12 p.m. EST April 27 through May 1.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-6-A-Love-Letter-To-The-Place-You-Live-edcn0f

On this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, everything you need to know about Jayati's FREE five-day live creative writing challenge on Facebook and Instagram. Join her at 12 p.m. EST every day for five days from Monday, April 27th, to Friday, May 1st, for about 45 minutes to an hour. On Facebook, she will live in her group, Cutting Chai Stories. On Instagram, you can follow her at her page Jayati Vora. You can catch replays later, but if you follow along live, you can get feedback on your stories and on Day 5, Jayati will give away an exciting prize. She will cover how to use your imagination in service to your writing; how to break rules (and get away with it); how to edit your own work, and more. You will finish each session with one or more pieces of creative writing--woo hoo!

Plus, thanks to Himandri Patel for sharing her story based on last week's prompt about recipes. And a new writing prompt!

If you do write your own cutting chai story, and want to share it, please send it to cuttingchaistories@gmail.com. Thank you for tuning in!

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-5-Recipes-and-Writing-What-You-Know-ed4fvl

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Episode-4-Looking-for-Treasure-ecr1p7

This week we talk about how to make an impact with the simplest of words, how to use contrast effectively, and the power of a twist at the end. Thanks to Trushna Jhaveri for sharing her story that imagines the first day out after being under lockdown for the rest of 2020. And here's a writing prompt to kick off your mini story: Write about a time that you discovered treasure. It could be something physical, or something abstract. What does treasure mean to you?

If you do write something and feel like sharing it, or even if you just want to drop me a line, you can reach me at cuttingchaistories@gmail.com.

And if you liked this podcast, share it with a friend! See you next Thursday.

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Cutting-Chai-Stories-with-Jayati-Vora-Episode-3-ecigup

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Cutting-Chai-Stories-with-Jayati-Vora-Episode-2-ec9864

https://anchor.fm/jayati-vora/episodes/Cutting-Chai-Stories-with-Jayati-VoraEpisode-1-ebq6d4