Food for thought: The spy who sold out
Forgiving a pretty face
Facebook to agencies: how will people share your story?
Is “The Pitch” an accurate reflection of our industry?
What do writers and athletes have in common?
They smell the same? They have the same set of social skills? Close, but no dice.
The real answer is that both writers and athletes get better with practice. The contentious difference: the body of an athlete can fail up to a certain point, but the mind of a writer only gets sharper over time.
Call me Captain Obvious, but the truth is most people neglect the importance of practice in honing their craft – and by that I don’t just mean drafting headlines. Yes, learning the quick draw on pithy, insightful headlines is necessary. And yes, you have to draft half a million calls to action. But if your gig is writing, you should write. Full stop. Write compellingly, humorously, moodily, uselessly or dramatically. Just…write. A copywriter’s ability to write to any emotion is what sells their work and, ultimately (and hopefully), the product. Writing without restraint or worry helps broaden the possibilities of story telling.
So if you feel like you need to give your copy a boost, sit down every day and write headlines for a campaign you wish you could work on. Write a blog. Write fiction. Be fearless for a little while. Write things that won’t get put in front of a client, or forget that someone is out there judging your work. Write like you wish you could.
Your job is to be the person in the room who can find le mot juste. The only way you can get to that point is (to borrow from our athlete metaphor) to hit the track before race day. So write for yourself wherever you can, and for whatever reason you can invent. In time, that person judging you, that client you need to impress and that job you want to keep will all fall into place. You will be a better writer, because you actually write.
Adam Gordon
November 12, 2010 @ 10:29 am
Great article! I think what keeps many writers from practicing is the fear of a lack of direction – they don’t know what to write.
I keep a (very unorganized) notebook of pure writing. The book, like most of its entires, contains very little structure. It is just writing for the sake of writing. I write what I feel, what I see, what I know, and what I want to know. It helps a lot. I hope this helps someone else start writing for the sake of writing.
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Chad Schomber
November 12, 2010 @ 11:14 am
Great post.
This is why I love Twitter. It’s the perfect platform for clear, concise writing. Plus I can mix in some humor, wisdom and nonsense to make others smile.
Later…
Eric Kiely
November 12, 2010 @ 12:13 pm
Amazing article! Very motivational, and just what every writer should be reading if they feel a slump coming on.
Writing isn’t exactly like riding a bicycle, if you take too long a break it can be a lot rougher getting around those curbs. I keep a notebook with me at all times (an iTouch helps too) so at any point I have an idea or something I need to express I can jot it down. I attempt to keep it organized with markings in the corners. In my spare time when I’m not working on ads I try to write short stories, poems, blogs, anything to keep my skills horned.
A good way to write is to not think at all, just go and then read it afterwords. You’ll sometimes be very pleasantly surprised. Just make sure to fix up your grammar before you show it off.
Leilah
November 12, 2010 @ 2:21 pm
For the longest time I created little exercises for myself on the subway – which is, I feel, one of the all-time great places to throw together character sketches. People are exceptionally expressive on the subway, so you have some nice raw material to work from.
I’d make up little stories about the people sitting across from me. Where they were coming from, going to, their greatest fears, their guilty hobbies..
Finding little jumping off points is a quick (and often madly fun) way to keep your brain roving.
Nice post Shivani!
Shivani
November 12, 2010 @ 3:51 pm
Thanks Adam. I totally agree, keeping a notebook is so important. Sometimes just going back and looking at older ideas helps so much.
Recently I’ve taken to writing Fan Fiction every so often. I write about my favourite shows, and since they already have their own voices, I just have to get into an established character and write like I would a show. It’s neat because it’s like familiarizing yourself with a brand and writing in the brand voice. Plus it’s fun.
Also thanks Eric for that awesome comment.
Poetry is one of my favourite things to write. I think I got into writing because of it. It really is great practice.
Leilah, I’m so going to try that tonight, on my Go train ride back. Lol though I wonder if I ever sat by you on the subway and what story would possibly come from that.
Liam Mooney
November 12, 2010 @ 4:51 pm
Shivani!
Wicked post. I could benefit from practicing more. Sometimes the toughest part is just starting, but once you get going it’s awesome. Most of the time. haha.
But yea, I’ve started to learning the value of ‘word vomit’ which is my way of just getting anything and everything down on the page.
Helps clear the mind clutter and gets me to a point where I can start to find the mot juste.
Great post amiga!
Allison
November 17, 2010 @ 11:13 am
I am technically not really a writer, but this post made me want to whip out my little black note book and write my little heart out. Not for a school project, but for fun, just to nourish my creative mind. Thanks for that.