Meet Frank Sinatra, writing coach

I’m a longtime fan of Frank Sinatra. So are my 22-year-old triplets. One of their babysitters used to play Sinatra’s music for them and, as preschoolers, they’d walk down the street singing such songs as “Fly Me to the Moon” or “You Make Me Feel So Young.” It was adorable and often created a bit of a sensation. (Especially when my kids wore their sunglasses.)

I was thinking about Frank recently, and it occurred to me that some of his song titles offer great advice for writers. No, I’m not talking about “Wishing Will Make It So.”

Most of Frank’s songs are more on the money. Here’s a few of his titles to think about before you sit down to write:

“Accentuate the Positive”

Consider these words from songwriter Johnny Mercer:

“You’ve got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

And latch on to the affirmative

Don’t mess with Mister In-Between”