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Picture this… it’s midnight, I’m three cold slices of pizza deep (still greasy, still judgmental), and I decide to check out this new series.

The Bondsman. Why? Because Kevin Bacon.

Because I have a soft spot for undead weirdness and because my brain craves some weird shit because everything lately has been a snooze fest.

I’m trying to make this as spoiler free as possible, but also, you know me. No promises.

So here it is…

Kevin Bacon is a backwoods bounty hunter.

Who just so happens to be dead.

But not dead dead. Like the undead, but with a job and a questionable sense of style.

I’d say it’s like if John Wick got run over by a combine harvester.

Then woke up, and decided to keep hustling souls for the DEATH himself.

There’s grit. There’s blood. There’s a chicken that may or may not be possessed (Okay it’s not but I thought it would’ve been cool if there was.)

But here’s where it gets all meta and useful, because I know you always on the lookout for a way to make your writing less oatmeal and more, I dunno, spicy meat tornado.

Lesson 1: Character Agency Is Everything Even If You’re Dead

Bacon’s character? He’s got problems. Big, existential, death flavoured problems. But he chooses to do something about it. He doesn’t just shamble around whining about the afterlife like a sad sack of expired deli meat. He hustles. He fights. Sometimes he loses (spectacularly), but dammit, he tries.

Takeaway: Don’t let your characters be human shaped paperweights. Give them something to want. Give them something to do, even if it’s just revenge, redemption, or more pizza.

Lesson 2: Genre Mashups are your friend.

This show? It’s horror. It’s comedy. It’s a little bit Western, a little bit “what if the Coen Brothers made a zombie flick.” And it works because it doesn’t apologise for being weird. It just is.

Like, one minute you’re laughing at a fart joke; the next, you’re staring down the barrel of existential dread and a shotgun made of bone.

Takeaway: Don’t box yourself in. Mix genres. Throw in a curveball. Your story doesn’t have to fit in a neat little Amazon category.

Lesson 3: Dialogue. Make It Snap, Crackle, and Bleed.

The Bondsman is packed with dialogue that’s sharp enough to slice bread. Hell, sharp enough to slice you. Minimal tags. Maximum punch.

People talk like people. Or, at least, like people who have had a few concussions and a run in with the supernatural IRS.

Takeaway: Don’t let your dialogue die on the page. Make it do push ups. Make it bleed. Make it say more with less. If you can cut a tag, cut it. If you can make it weird? Even better.

Bonus Round: Writing Advice, Stephen style.

Write what scares you.

Write what makes you laugh and cringe.

If you get stuck, ask yourself: “What would an undead Kevin Bacon do?”

(Usually, the answer is: “Something reckless, something funny, and probably something illegal.”)

Alright, enough rambling.

Go watch The Bondsman.

Then go write something that makes you feel alive.

Or undead.

Or at least less bored than you were five minutes ago.

Buy yourself some pizza. You’ve earned it.

The Bondsman is here

Stephen Walker

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Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

I posted this on the old book of faces and thought it would be of value to my favourite people…

It’s also one of the most underrated ways to get higher quality people into your world too.

And as you all know email for the most part is just text. (Well. The way I do it.)

People who buy books are generally readers, right and I’ve always found that people who like to read are generally just better humans overall. Call me biased but it’s just the way it is.

So this is where Amazon can be the answer you need.

Yes it needs work.

No it’s not an over night fix, but when done right and consistently you can easily get a couple hundred new people onto your list every few weeks.

The more you do. The more you’ll get back.

Take a single idea or concept and write about it. Add your own sauce. It doesn’t have to be tens of thousands of words. It just needs to be done.

The next step is just prettying it up and adding a few sections strategically and this is generally how you’d want to do the thing…

Format the “book” and set the expectations straight up.

Make the cover look good/bad. Hell it doesn’t matter. Keep it on brand or whatever.

Let the reader know that this “book” is short, to the point and easily actionable.

Add a disclaimer page.

Create an introduction to who you are and what the purpose of these “micro books” are.

Put in an Opt-in link to your list with a little bonus/freebie. Think of it as a one page mini sales letter.

Content / meat of the one thing you’re sharing.

Closing additional thoughts.

Opt-in link to your list with a little bonus/freebie.

Final page where they can either buy other products or check out what other micro books you’ve made on topics that are tied into this one.

That’s it. Nothing magical. Nothing sexy. Just something that works if you put in the work.

Think of it as a fancy-ish blog post on steroids.

Pricing can be free if on kindle unlimited or you can start it at 99c to $1.99.

We’re not out here writing war and peace. We just want to get simple concepts and ideas out there for people to read, action and get some results on.

The reason we do this is if we can give them a quick win. They’ll get more of our stuff and then later on happily give us more money for being more awesome.

The wheels of commerce don’t have to stand still if you’re willing to put out unique to you content which get people moving whatever needle it is they’re struggling to move.

Here’s an example from my boy Ben Settle

Granted a lot of his stuff on Kindle are just transcripts from podcasts/interviews he has done. If you pretty up your writing and do what I’ve mentioned you’ll be able to knock out more of these and they’ll be high quality. Which will also naturally build your presence and authority out in the whole book writing world.

Non-fiction is great for introducing people to the way your mind works and how you overcome challenges and apply lessons and when you create that level of buy in, it doesn’t matter what you share in the future. You’ll have fans that’ll pick up what you do because they just like you. Just make sure you don’t steer them wrong and do right by them and you’ll be golden.

Stephen Walker.

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Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

Sometimes you need to shut off and do a little of what the kids call bed rotting.

Stay in bed. Watch trash and eat pizza.

I’ve done a little bit of that today but when it comes to movie time. Tonight I’m watching The Amateur.

If you liked The Bourne films, this is like the nerdy hacker version with an all-star cast.

I don’t take cinema trips often but when there’s hot dogs, beer, popcorn and good movie in the mix, well today just needs to be one of those days.

I won’t bore you with the details but the weather has been ass and as a little treat to myself I made sure I do as little as possible today.

When’s the last time you treated yourself?

Here’s the trailer if you’re keen.

Now it’s time for me to vanish.

Stephen Walker

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

“Blame is the coward’s solution to failure.” – Pat Riley
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A well-known business guru just dropped a post that made me want to reach out, pull him close, and give him a warm, compassionate kick in the teeth.

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Here’s what it said…
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(post is shortened but all words are his — if you want to see the full post hit reply)

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​”I parted ways with 90% of my staff this week.

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People in this industry don’t know sh*t. I’ve hired people that worked that worked for big names, but they couldn’t even set up an automation without it breaking.

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Total trash. From now on everything will be built by me.

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Starting with these garbage reels I put out. I’m putting a FULL STOP on all IG posts by my team.”
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​And, as a hollow chorus of cheers rose from the comments section, I couldn’t help but think:

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You’re screwed, dude.

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You’re screwed, and you haven’t even realized it yet.

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Not because you’re stuck building everything on your own now (tough, but it can work)…

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…But because somehow, after all these years, you still don’t know what you signed up for when you became an entrepreneur.

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‘Cause here’s the deal:

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​When you become an entrepreneur, everything that goes wrong is now your fault.

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Period, full stop, end of story.

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If you’re in charge, you don’t have the luxury of pointing the finger at anyone else, because everyone else is your responsibility.

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If your employees aren’t performing, it’s your fault for hiring and/or mis-managing them.

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If your customers are complaining, it’s your fault for selling a product they complain about.

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If the market is changing and sales are slowing down, it’s your fault for not adapting fast enough.

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​The buck stops with you, bucko.

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Nobody else.

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After all, isn’t that why you became an entrepreneur in the first place?

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To take your future into your own hands, and step fully into your own creative power?

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If it is, then just remember:

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​Power follows responsibility.

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Whoever we point the finger at, we give power to.

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And pointing it at others leaves us powerless, because we don’t control others.

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So I recommend turning that finger back around, pointing it where it belongs, and stamping two simple words into your mind ’till they stay there:

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​”My fault.”

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Then, get back to work.

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• T

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​P.S. This just dropped:

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​5 Ways To Signal Confidence Without Saying A Word

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Banger clip from our Advanced Communication & Charisma session, on how your body, energy, and attention are silently speaking to everyone you meet.

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If you want more, the full 3 hour session is available to watch now inside The Path.​

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P.P.S. I’m still playing with the format of these weekly emails.

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I want to include the section below but I’m not sure where to put it yet, so I’m just gonna stick it here for now:
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​3 Things To Make Your Weekend Better

What to watch, listen to, and be inspired by this weekend.

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​Chris Williamson: Why we really do this work.​

This entire vlog is beautiful… But 18:30 is a moment I hope every entrepreneur gets to experience: The moment you realize you’ve built something you’re truly proud of, and in the process have become someone you’re truly proud to be.

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​The Brutal Truth About Running a $100k/mo Startup

A very real, very insightful, and very endearing story of two founders who are deep in the trenches right now… And winning.

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​Theo Von Bought A Katt Williams Statue​

Theo remains undefeated.
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“Did perpetual happiness in the Garden of Eden maybe get so boring that eating the apple was justified?” – Chuck Palahniuk

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