"Hang a Lantern on It"

This is a device writers use to point out something that the audience might notice as a discrepancy.

For example, if you’ve ever been watching a movie and thought, “Well, that’s convenient!” and then one of the characters says, “That’s a bit too convenient, don’t you think?” that’s an example of hanging a lantern on it.

Instead of hiding a plot hole, the writer winks at the reader (or watcher). It’s like saying, “YES!!! You’re right! We did that thing. And now we’re moving on.”

You can use this in your marketing copy! When you make a mistake, for example, point it out. It makes you more relatable, especially if your target market often does something similar.

If you’ve been trying to project an air of perfectionism, you could hang a lantern on the fact that we all think that we have to be perfect on social media. And then tell a relatable story of how a mistake you’ve made helped you realize an important point.

I often hang a lantern on the fact that even supermodels don’t look like supermodels. And we can all look better in our photographs with just a few tweaks in posing and expression.

So, how can you hang a lantern today?