20 Tips for Writing Even When You Don’t Want To
If you find copywriting to be a daunting task, you’re not alone. Amateur and professional writers alike find themselves at an occasional loss for words or lack of inspiration. Part of the process is knowing how to spark creativity. Much like an athlete warming up their body before a 5 mile run, you must prepare your mind for the creative journey ahead. The first couple of miles or paragraphs might be rough but eventually you find your rhythm. Below are some tips to get started.
- Words are contagious. Before writing, read something that inspires you.
- Don’t sit at your desk to find inspiration… it’s too routine and expected. Find a writing spot that allows you to feel focused and creative at the same time.
- Write when you’re in the mood to write. The words won’t flow if you force inspiration, and that frustration may lead to greater writer’s block.
- But, write when you HAVE to write. Sometimes a little pressure or a deadline is just what you need to get the job done.
- Start with something easy to find your rhythm. For example, I’m writing this blog before I draft copy for a new website.
- Find a passion for your subject. If you aren’t in tune with what you have to write about, it will be more difficult. There is beauty in every topic, you just have to find it.
- Turn off email and other notifications. Those little red dots with numbers in them will only remind you that you could be doing something else.
- Monitor your caffeine intake. Personally, too little and I feel flat and uncreative. Too much, my typing is impaired.
- Speaking of typing, if you aren’t great at keyboarding, writing can be even more frustrating. There are a lot of typing tutorials out there, practice regularly, work on it, and it will really help your writing. If your brain is focusing on the topic at hand, not keyboarding mistakes and speed, you’ll keep your rhythm up. If your hands are working as fast as your brain, that’s a real plus.
- Tell people you are writing. Co-workers, significant others, etc. who will hold you accountable when you procrastinate or prioritize something else.
- Flip your sentences. Often times we begin sentences with “we, I, or our company name.” Put those at the end, and try to connect with your audience at the beginning of the sentences. Often times what you write AFTER the comma is the most interesting part of the message.
- When you have to write about yourself – which can be the hardest topic of all – don’t think about yourself. Think about your audience. Know what you want the reader to walk away with, how you want them to feel and what you want them to do as a result of reading your copy.
- Set goals and rewards. If I write 2 more chapters, 1 more page, finish this blog, etc. I can take a break to refuel my creativity.
- Write for fun. If you only write for work, and only write when you have to, it will be hard to find passion behind it. Find a topic you love – food, photography, travel, business – and share your thoughts about it with others on a regular basis.
- Read some REALLY bad copy. I mean really bad. Boring. Horrible. Message-free copy. It can give you that “Wow, I can do better than that” encouragement.
- Come back to it later. If you are like me, you are a first draft and done type of person. I have to write copy that is 90% intact, and then turn it over to someone to edit, proof and go live. But for others, you might have to take more than one stab to get it right.
- Write like you talk and be colloquial. For most purposes, today’s copy can skate around the rules a little. Grammar and punctuation are important – but it is more valuable to use the right form of to, too, and two than to follow every grammar rule.
- Clear your… desk, calendar, head. Whatever it takes. A cluttered environment will lead to cluttered copy. Just like sleeping in fresh sheets, writing in a fresh, clean environment can produce better results.
- Sometimes, know when enough is enough. You aren’t getting the 20th tip, because it isn’t coming naturally to me as I write this blog. Sometimes we say too much. It’s better to leave the audience wanting just a bit more. (For those of you with OCD who can’t fathom leaving the title at 20 but only providing 19 tips, feel free to post the last tip in the comments below.)
