HOW TO WRITE LIKE LADY WHISTLEDOWN
Were you in one of the 82 million households that indulged in Netflix’s hit show Bridgerton? Us too. But beyond the fluff, fun and fashion – we reckon the sultry series can teach us lots about crafting copy that gets people talking. Just take a page out of Lady Whistledown’s society papers.
KNOW THINE AUDIENCE
Write for everyone and you’ll influence no one. That’s why each new scandal Whistledown unveils has a specific target and desired outcome. So next time you want to break up a royal engagement, or just convince Kiwis to buy more energy drinks – narrow in on who you’re talking to and what you want them to do before picking up your quill.
SUPPORT THEE WITH FACTS
If Lady Whistledown’s claim that Miss Thompson was ‘with child’ was false, she’d lose the trust of all high society. So to sell them on her scandal, she backs up every delicious tidbit with facts: numbers, statistics, names, dates, testimonials – even the features of the latest Featherington gown. Nail the truth of the matter and the rest is craft.
EMBRACE THY RHETORICAL DEVICES
Weaving words like Whistledown takes more than just good gossip. It’s stylistic writing techniques that hold her readers’ attention. Whether it’s a metaphor describing Daphne as “the diamond of the season,” the alliteration of “shame, scandal, seduction and smear,” or a hypothetical “what would one do?” – her colourful language gets ‘clicks’ every time.
LEAVE MUCH TO BE DESIRED
How do you make your reader feel clever? Let them connect the dots. In the regency era, gossip writers disguised their subjects with codes that were deliberately easy to see through. So when Lady Whistledown exclaims, “it seems our diamond requires a closer inspection,” we feel smarter. Make your audience feel the same and they’re more likely to lean in, scroll down, click the button or even ‘buy now.’
TIME THY DELIVERY
Marina and Colin didn’t elope, and Daphne never got blackmailed into accepting Berbrooke’s engagement. Why? The art of timing. Lady Whistledown was strategic about when she chose to post her paper. Doing the same can increase readership, up your engagement rate and litter your copy with ‘likes’. It can even cause a withdrawal of invitations…poor Lady Featherington.
READY TO WRITE?
Taken from the words of Lady W herself, “an appreciation of the arts is what lifts us beyond mere animals. It stirs the passions and moves the spirits.” Crack the code to great writing and you’ll do the same.
LIKING HOW WE THINK?
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