When to Omit Big Details
Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson, and this is Matt’s Mix Tape. My life is a new mix these days. And so is this newsletter.
This week’s Mix:
- When to omit big details
- LinkedIn learnings + posts
- This week’s (not) Florida photo
When to omit big details
Confession time.
I’ve seen “Top Gun: Maverick” twice. I love it.
Plot synopsis: older fit guy kicks ass and imparts wisdom on youth through a haze of 1980s nostalgia.
(I can’t possibly understand why I love it …)
Anyway.
The writers made a fascinating choice. We never learn what country Maverick’s team is running its mission against. We never see the faces of the enemy. No flags, no signage. No hints at all.
At first, this seems like a huge detail to omit. But it’s a purposeful choice that maximizes the emotional impact of the movie.
We do know Maverick’s team will undertake a dangerous, difficult, and important mission. We’re along for the ride—and all the angst, fear and exhilaration that comes with it.
If we knew they were attacking a particular country—say North Korea or Iran—then we could immediately run down intellectual bunny trails (“They can’t attack North Korea! They’d just nuke us!”). The “important” detail—just who the enemy is—detracts from what the storytellers want us to feel.
A big part of storytelling is deciding what to leave out. That requires knowing where you want to take the audience—intellectually and emotionally—and giving them just what they need to get there and no more.
Sometimes seemingly big and important details are sideshows that subtract from the story and the experience of consuming it.
P.S.: Val Kilmer was used masterfully. Given that Kilmer can no longer speak, it seems most screenwriters would simply write his character out. Instead, Iceman’s appearance is an emotional high point in the film.
LinkedIn learnings + posts
Learnings
Justin Welsh crushed it with a thread on how to address every step a LinkedIn user takes when they engage with your content. Here’s one of those tweets:
Justin Welsh@thejustinwelshDesign A Profile That Converts:
Here is the journey of a prospective follower.
- Reads your content
- Clicks your profile
- Sees your banner
- Looks at your headshot
- Reads your tagline
- Reads your about section
- Checks your featured section
- Follows or doesn't 9:56 AM · Jul 27, 2022
13 Reposts · 259 LikesThe good news is I have a lot of room for improvement in my profile. Time to get to work.
Posts
- Want to raise your game? Mind your crowd. Those around you affect your output, whether you realize it or not.
- The dreaded “Drone Manager” and why they’re even worse than helicopter managers.
- If you write daily, some days your tank will be empty. Here’s how to refill it quickly.
- You can’t go wrong orienting yourself around a spirit of service.
- I was stuck. A blank page and foreboding deadline weighed heavy. Here’s what I did.
This weeks’ Florida photo
The hazy morning sun, igniting the 96 degree day that followed.
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