Taglines, Pain and Your Heart

"If something inside you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. So you must risk placing real emotion at the center of your work. Write straight into the emotional center of things. Write toward vulnerability. Don't worry about appearing sentimental. Worry about being unavailable; worry about being absent or fraudulent. Risk being unliked. Tell the truth as you understand it. If you're a writer you have a moral obligation to do this. And it is a revolutionary act–truth is always subversive."—Anne Lamott

Why Do I Write?

By Scoti Springfield Domeij

I'm in the process of developing my website, which means digging my value statements and tagline out of my heart.

Not an easy task.

It makes me vulnerable as a person, a writer and most important spiritually. Right now, I'm leaning towards this tagline: Cruciformity—Reality Unblurred

What Does Cruciformity Mean to Me?

It is how my spiritual story propelled me towards an awe-filled, dynamic relationship with God. My shame and pain constantly intersects with the divine story of the cross. Like Jesus' crucifixion, I felt crucified by religionists. Betrayal and abandonment inflicted intense pain—suffering that seemingly destroyed my hopes, dreams and reputation—yet, ultimately infused life into the passion God placed into my heart. Those shocking events revealed God's character, providing the example of how he desires life to be lived marked by faith, love, power, and hope.

The searing agony I've experienced stripped away idealism that too often blurred reality. For a while, I slogged through the valley of disillusionment and loss of faith in Christ. How do you reframe events and people who did not care if they hurt you? In fact, that was their point—to inflict pain.

Reality unblurred comprehends the meaning of a verse that's often tritely spit upon someone emotionally unable to grasp its meaning, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. God can use all things for his glory," Romans 8:28 (NASB). I don't claim that I understand everything this verse conveys, but I know God uses my pain to understand and comfort other fellow strugglers who've lost all hope. The scar tissue of my heart also alerts me when I need to pray for others careworn by betrayal and robbed of security and personal identity.

My writing often takes me places I'd prefer not to go. So why do I write? Because I can't not pursue the passion God put in my heart. I know what he's given, when I had nothing to give. I know how he's provided, when I had zip, zilch. When I feel discouraged and wonder why I write, Anne Lamott's words remind me to be faithful to the tagline of my heart, "You are going to have to give and give and give and give, or there's no reason for you to be writing. You have to give from the deepest part of yourself, and you are going to have to go on giving, and the giving is going to have to be its own reward. There is no cosmic importance to your getting something published, but there is in learning to be a giver."

What painful realities impassion your writing? That's maybe the core from which your tagline will emerge.

Your Writing Platform: The Heart of Your Writing

“The power of the pen does not reside in the ink but in the character of the person doing the writing.” —Aaron Fruh, The Decree of Esther

Over the past six years, Beth’s writing tagline, Writing Honestly, has pushed our critique group members to reveal stuff we wish we did not have to confess. As Beth calls them, “Not our shining moments.” When Tiffany comments, “Tell me more,” I know she wants me to dig deeper. Ouch!

When I was an editor for Harvest House Publishers, I said, “I know which Christian authors love Christ and write honestly.” Right or wrong, how did I come to this conclusion? By the motives they expressed to me or how they treated their editor and publisher.

Recently, Beth Vogt contracted with Rob Eager of Wildfire Marketing to draw out her writing platform, value statements, tagline, branding, etc., for Baby Changes Everything: Embracing and Preparing for Motherhood After 35. And Rob is awesome! As we discuss her weekly assignments, it motivates my thinking. What is my brand? My writing platform? My passion?

From Here to Eternity
I’m all over the map when it comes to my writing interests. I create Bible studies and write about sex, solo parenting, gossip, home improvement, Bible animals, archeology, identity—to name a few. I actually took FIVE book proposals to Writing for the Soul. Someone advised, “You have to focus, Scoti.” When my creativity feels forced into a one-dimensional branding platform, it screams, “Let me outta here.”

I expressed my frustration to Gloria Rose, a friend, mentor and awesome life coach. If I were to describe Gloria’s passion, it’s all about drawing out your heart. So, together we explored my heart.

When Christians Don’t Make Sense—God Does—But I’m Still Working on That
One of my pet peeves is when a ministry, a writer or an individual says or writes something for public consumption and acts differently privately. I struggle with people who call themselves Christians—but aren’t. Now I’m not talking about perfection, religious expectations or real battles to overcome character flaws.

It’s about the disconnect between what they say and how they behave and treat others. Christ identified words versus actions as hypocrisy. I come by this spiritual wrestling match honestly. As a child, I embarrassed my ministerial parents by blurting out childlike observations about church members, which usually proved far too accurate.

Things I Never Learned in Sunday School
In my former life, I was a pastor’s wife and was privy to the inner workings of churches—gossip, immorality, divorces, church splits, incest. Even my minister husband was unfaithful. You name, I probably grieved it.

The worst parts of my experience were the downers—people who nurse grudges, refuse to forgive, malign others, misjudge others’ hearts, crucify the pastor, and rebuff reconciliation. Their head knowledge and know-it-all pet theologies control, shame and judge others' thoughts, actions and beliefs—all in the name of Jesus. To me, that feels like Christian jihadism.

I had the fortune or misfortune to be involved with media ministries power-driven by mega-personalities. It was humbling and an honor to minister and encourage thousands of people whose letters described every kind of struggle or wrongdoing.

However, when my trust in the integrity of one ministry was betrayed by the disconnect between their public persona and internal politics, it proved more devastating than the discovery of my husband’s adulterous relationship with a friend.

My faith in Christ—not God—faltered.

Instead of rejecting hypocrisy, I rejected “their” Christ. The name of Christ physically repulsed me. I clung to God. A devotional written by an Orthodox Rabbi became my lifeline to God. When I sang praise and worship songs at church, I changed the name of Jesus or Christ to Lord or God. I could not say Jesus’s name without feeling nauseous. Sometimes I sat in the pew wishing pastors would tell me more about God instead of only going on and on about his son.

How could someone who had dearly loved Christ since she was five and believed he had a special purpose for her life think these thoughts? Because of the character of people who call themselves Christians. Before it gained popularity, I no longer referred to myself as a Christian. I am a follower of God and student of Christ.

Connecting the Dots
Which brings me back to my writing platform. I want to thank every ministry where I worked for the skills and insights developed under their tutelages. Everything I write underscores one underlying theme: Connecting the Dots.

Today, I maintain a healthy skepticism about magnetic personalities, individuals or ministries who want me to support their passion or agenda at the expense of my integrity, God's calling and purpose for my life, and my personal examination of the Bible. God desires that I pursue the spiritual DNA that he encoded in my heart—not theirs.

Are all my dots connected? Nope. I wish. It’s my desire. I confess…it will be my lifelong struggle and pursuit. I hope I can truthfully document how God’s ongoing changes of my frailties better reflect him and his son. Hopefully, my journey will affirm and encourage others.

Writers…what or whose passion are you pursuing?

Taglines: Can You Hear Me Now?

“Believe it or not.”—Robert L. Ripley

From products to movies to TV shows to authors to books, a believable tagline goes a long way to being remembered. Ever heard of “Bundy Very Used Cars?” No? How about “Rent-a-Wreck?” Bundy’s changed tagline made their business standout. I wish I could think up an author tagline that readers remember, even with a lobotomy.

Taglines are supposed to be like the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland. Once you take the ride and hear the tune, it keeps playing repeatedly in your mind. Studying taglines may trigger an idea for your tagline.

ABC Taglines
Ajax: Stronger Than Dirt
Alien: In Space No One Can Hear You Scream.
Alka-Seltzer: I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing.
Allstate Insurance: You’re In Good Hands With Allstate.
Altoids: Curiously Strong Peppermints
American Express: Don’t Leave Home Without It.
Apollo 13: Houston, We Have A Problem
AT&T: Reach Out And Touch Someone.
Avis: We Try Harder.
Bic: Flick My Bic.
Blue Bonnet Margarine: Everything's Better With Blue Bonnet On It.
Budweiser: Wassup?!
Burger King: Have It Your Way.
BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine
California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk?
Calvin Klein Jeans: Nothing Comes Between Me And My Calvins.
Camel Cigerettes: I’d Walk A Mile For A Camel.
Capital One: What’s In Your Wallet?
Chiffon Margarine: It’s Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature.
Chrysler: Inspiration Comes Standard.
CNN: The Most Trusted Name In News.
Coca-Cola: It's The Real Thing!
Crest: Look, Ma, No Cavities!
DeBeers: A Diamond Is Forever.
Disneyland: The Happiest Place On Earth.
Dr. Pepper: The Friendly Pepper Upper.
Ebay: The World’s Online Marketplace.
EF Hutton: When EF Hutton Talks, People Listen.
Fed-Ex: Relax, It’s Fed-Ex.
Fox News: Fair And Balanced.
Friends Of The Animals: Extinct Is Forever.
FTD: Say It With Flowers.
General Electric: We Bring Good Things To Life.
Gerber: Babies Are Our Business.
GLAD: Don’t Get Mad. Get GLAD.
Greyhound: Leave The Driving To Us.
Grey Poupon: Pardon Me, Do You Have Any Grey Poupon?
Hebrew National: We Answer To A Higher Authority.
Hertz: We Try Harder.
In And Out Burger: In And Out, In And Out, That's What A Hamburger Is All About.
International Coffee: Celebrate The Moments Of Your Life
Ivory Soap: 99.44% Pure.
Jaws II: Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back In The Water...
Jimmy Dean Sausage: Breakfast Never Sounded So Good.
Kay Jewelers: Every Kiss Begins With Kay.
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes: They’re G-R-R-R-Eat!
Kellogg’s Smart Start: Start Aging Smart.
Kentucky Fried Chicken: Finger-Lickin’ Good!
Las Vegas Convention And Visitors Authority: What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas.
Lay’s Potato Chips: Betcha Can’t Eat Just One.
M&Ms: Melts In Your Mouth, Not In Your Hands.
McDonald’s: I’m Lovin’ It
Memorex: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
Merrill-Lynch: Merrill-Lynch Is Bullish On America.
Morton Salt: When It Rains, It Pours.
Mountain Dew: Do The Dew.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.
National Crime Prevention Council: Take A Bite Out Of Crime.
National Pork Board: Pork. The Other White Meat.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: You Could Learn A Lot From A Dummy. Buckle Up!
Nike: Just Do It.
Nikon: At The Heart Of The Image.
Oldsmobile: It’s Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile Anymore.
Ore-Ida: Ore-Ida! It’s All-Righta!
Parkay Margarine: The Flavor Says Butter.
Partnership For A Drug-Free America: This Is Your Brain. This Is Your Brain On Drugs. Any Questions?
Paul Masson: We Will Sell No Wine Before Its Time.
Pep Boys: Cars Like Us. People Love Us.
Petco: Where The Pets Go.
Quiznos: M’m, M’m, M’m, M’m, M’m...Toasty!
RAID: RAID Kills Bugs Dead.
Reebok Athletic Shoes: Because Life Is Not A Spectator Sport.
Rolaids: How Do You Spell Relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S.
Secret Deodorant: Strong Enough For A Man, But Made For A Woman.
7-Up: The Uncola.
Star Trek: To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before
Star Wars: A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...
Surprise By Design TV Show: We're Not Just Changing Rooms. We're Changing Lives.
Taco Bell: Think Outside The Bun.
Target: Expect More. Pay Less.
The New York Times: All The News That’s Fit To Print.
The X-Files: The Truth Is Out There.
Timex: Takes A Licking And Keeps On Ticking.
United Negro College Fund: A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste
UPS: See What Brown Can Do For You
U.S. Army: Be All That You Can Be.
U.S. Dept. Of Transportation: Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.
U.S. Forest Service: Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.
U.S. Forest Service: Give A Hoot, Don’t Pollute.
U.S. Marines: We’re Looking For A Few Good Men.
U.S. Peace Corps: The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love.
Verizon Wireless: Can You Hear Me Now?...Good!
Visine Eye Drops: Gets The Red Out.
Volkswagen: Drivers Wanted
Wal-Mart: Always Low Prices. Always.
Wall Street Journal: The Daily Diary Of The American Dream.
Waterford Glass: Every Piece Is A Work Of Art.
Wendy’s: Where’s The Beef?
Wheaties: The Breakfast Of Champions
Wisk Laundry Detergent: Ring Around The Collar.
Wrigley's Chewing Gum: Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun.
Xerox: The Document Company.
Xerox: We’re Moving Beyond Documents.
Yellow Pages: Let Your Fingers Do The Walking
Zenith: The Quality Goes In Before The Name Goes On.

Taglines are reader oriented. What do you feel when you read a tagline? What benefit or promise do you perceive?