Here is some writing advice from Thom Merrilin, a storytelling character from A Memory of Light, book 14 of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. I put it into a song. Source: https://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/writing-advice-from-the-wheel-of-time-series

Great Ballads lyrics

If you use the words people expectthey grow boredA great ballad needs to be unexpectedNever be expectedNever be expected

When people start to expect youwhen they start to anticipateYour flourishes and your bowsTo look for the ball you had hiddenThrough sleight of handOr to smile before you reachedThe twist line of your tale

When such are the expectationsit is time to pack up your cloakbow once for good measureand stroll awayAfter all, that was whatthey’d least expect you to dowhen all was going well

If you use the words people expectthey grow boredA great ballad needs to be unexpectedNever be expected

A great ballad needs to be unexpectedStroll awayStroll awayStroll awayA great ballad needs to be unexpectedGood-byeGood-bye

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I love how I can transform poetry, my own or someone else’s, into a song using Mureka. Check out this country gospel version of a portion of Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, where he talks about the origin of all poems (and which I, in turn, made into the origin of all songs.

You can create songs like this with your poetry, fiction, and even nonfiction!

Origin of All Songs Lyrics

Have you reckoned a thousand acres much? have you reckoned the earth much?Have you practiced so long to learn to read?Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?

Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems,You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions of suns left,)

You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books,You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.

Stop this day and night with meand you shall possess the origin of all songs,You shall possess the good of the earth and sun.

Stop this day and night with meand you shall possess the origin of all songs,You shall possess the good of the earth and sun.

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Celebrate Father’s Day with this song inspired by Ward Clark’s ode to his father (Real Men, Real Impact: The Essential Role of Fathers in Society — https://redstate.com/wardclark/2026/06/21/real-men-real-impact-the-essential-role-of-fathers-in-society-n2203567).

My Father, My Hero lyrics

Who is my biggest hero?That’s easy. My Dad

My Dad is a rocka good mana great mana man of iron integrityand enormous personal strengthMy Dad is a rock

I strive to live up to himAnd will do so for the rest of my life

As he keeps telling meWork comes firstYou never stop being a parentYou are the prime exampleYou are the one they followYou are the one they love

I strive to live up to my DadAnd will do so for the rest of my life

He is my prime exampleHe is the one I followHe is the one I loveHe is the one I value most

I strive to live up to my DadAnd will do so for the rest of my life

Happy Father’s Day!Happy Father’s Day!

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Listen to this country ballad when you need a little lift as you write, publish, market, and promote your books, products, and services.

I Got This lyrics

Sometimes the strength withinIsn’t a big fiery flame for all to seeSometimes it’s just a tiny grinThat whispers ever so softlyI’m in, I’m in, I’m in!Keep going, I got this

Rules that she wroteFirst, be patientDon’t rock the boatKeep your head downKeep the benefits you noteGo with the bird in the hand

Don’t get into the muckKeep your head up highNever stay stuckKeep on truckin’Don’t trust in luckGo with what you love.

Don’t get wrapped in vinesKeep your edges sharpLook for all the signsHone the skills you haveDraw outside the linesYou can reach on high

Sometimes the strength withinIsn’t a big fiery flame for all to seeSometimes it’s just a tiny grinThat whispers ever so softlyI’m in, I’m in, I’m in!Keep going, I got this

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Perhaps I should call my new program AI Storytelling because AI is the key selling point for almost all programs and courses in today’s world. But, alas, my course isn’t really about AI. It’s about the human touch, the stories we pass on to each other that make people respond.

Well, sadly, I didn’t make the case for the value of my Storyteller Secrets course. Obviously, that’s my problem.

The reality is that it’s not worth it to me to present a long, complex, and life-changing course if I’m not recompensed. I have many other things I can do. We all make choices.

I know the price of $497 is high for many of you in this world of high gas prices and high food costs.

So, I thought I’d at least give you the opportunity to buy the first lesson in the course for only $10. Check out here: https://shorturl.at/9LbiS

https://bookmarketing.mysamcart.com/checkout/storytelling-secrets-sample-lesson

Today we’re diving straight into a concept called the narrative edge, and we’re going to look at mastering the art of persuasive storytelling.

Do you want to change someone’s mind? Yeah, it sounds simple, right? But honestly, it is notoriously one of the toughest things to do in any human interaction. Think about it.

Read more: https://bookmarketing.mysamcart.com/telling-stories

You know the drill. You gather all your evidence, you organize your logic, you present this totally airtight case, and then what happens?

Well, they push back. They find that one tiny little hole in your argument, and they just anchor themselves right there.

This exact friction point offers a radically different way to overcome that stubborn skepticism.

In the professional world, our default setting is the data dump. We’ve all dreaded it, just completely drowning our audience in statistics, bullet points, charts, and figures.

We trick ourselves into thinking, hey, if I just provide enough data, the sheer weight of it is going to force them to agree with me. But we need to shift entirely over to emotional resonance. We’ve got to stop dumping data and start actually striking a chord.

If you take absolutely nothing else away from this podcast, let it be this core idea right here. Facts tell, but stories sell.

Whether you’re trying to sell a product, pitch some brilliant new initiative to your boss, or literally just trying to get your friends to agree on where to eat, next time the pressure is totally on and you desperately need to change a mind, what is your default going to be?

Are you going to fall back into that trap of the data dump, just hoping that an avalanche of facts will somehow win the day? Or are you going to take the narrative edge?

Will you remember the burnt toast, bypass all their skepticism, and tell a story that they can actually feel? The choice is totally yours, but facts only tell, it’s the stories that actually sell.

Read more: https://bookmarketing.mysamcart.com/telling-stories

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These lyrics were inspired by a comment from a singer and songwriter bemoaning the creation of AI slop in music. I understand his concern, but there is another side to this story: AI allows me to create music and strong performances for the lyrics I write (or uncover). As a writer, I love writing lyrics — and now I have a way of presenting them effectively to other people.

I know many of you subscribe to this newsletter for book writing and publishing and marketing news, but I feel you also need to see and hear the power of AI. I believe that AI-created-and-performed songs can be a great tool in marketing books as well.

But also the songs I’m sharing in this newsletter also have messages. Today, the message is simple:

Tell the truth, don’t lie, confessBut never bore, never bore, never bore

Telling the truth is crucial to creating great books AND selling great books. You should make truth-telling a strong habit. It will make an incredible difference in your life, in your work, and in your success.

The Ancient Dance lyrics

Artists that care really careEngage as always in an ancient danceWrite, record, and perform as they dareSongs that come from God and chance

Bad actors reveal themselves through slopGood actors reveal themselves from withinIt’s time to perform the very best popAnd get the sought after win, win, win

It’s time to optimize that holy processOf writing, performing, and moreTell the truth, don’t lie, confessBut never bore, never bore, never bore

Artists that care really careEngage as always in an ancient danceWrite, record, and perform as they dareSongs that come from God and chance

Bad actors reveal themselves through slopGood actors reveal themselves from withinIt’s time to perform the very best popAnd get the sought after win, win, win

It’s time to optimize that holy processOf writing, performing, and moreTell the truth, don’t lie, confessBut never bore, never bore, never bore

Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.