When you are a writer, you cannot separate your writing from your life. Writers cannot not write, so writing for you is like breathing. It is so natural you don’t even think about it. I think it’s a shame that so many writers treat their writing as anything from “special time” to the last thing on their to-do list. Writing is life. And so the principles of life, or the truth about life, are also the principles of, or the truth about, the writing life.
I recently re-read a favorite spiritual book, and in it I found a quote from the author’s high school drama teacher. This drama teacher must have been a wise man because he always taught his drama students the following:
The Truth About Life
1. Leave your personal problems at the stage door.
2. Treat the material with honesty, dignity and without embellishment.
3. Show up fully no matter how many people are in the audience.
I was suddenly struck with a simple thought: The Truth About Life is exactly the same as The Truth About The Writing Life, and so many of us forget these simple truths, as often in our everyday lives as we do in our writing lives.
So as a reminder, for all the writers out there, here is my version of The Truth About (The Writing) Life
1. Leave your personal problems at the stage door.
When you are writing, IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU! What? Not about me? Well then who is it about?? It’s about your view of the world, your take on things, how the world appears through your own unique lens, and yes, you need to write from your own emotional experience, or at the very least you need to write about something you care about. But that’s where it ends. While you are writing from a place within yourself, or you’re channeling something from the depths of your unconscious, you are still doing it with one very important proviso. You are disengaging your ego, and writing from some deep inner truth, or emotional place. Get out of your ego and into the soul or spirit of your characters. You are a writer. You are there to serve the story. It’s not there to serve you.
A great idea is to have an imaginary hat stand, coat rack or even a cardboard box outside the door of the room where you write. Every time you enter the room to do some writing, mentally drop all your baggage, problems, ego issues and any other personal issues into the box or hang them on the racks and walk into the room unencumbered. Then, while you are writing, imagine that someone or something comes and whisks all your baggage, problems and issues away, so that when you’re finished, the doorstep is empty.
2. Treat the material with honesty, dignity and without embellishment.
I firmly believe that when you are writing, you are co-creating with a force larger than yourself. Whether you call that force God, the Universe, the collective unconscious, the spirit of your dearly departed grandmother, Allah or simply your Higher Self, when you truly enter the creative imagination you are only one element in many that go into making up the totality of your story. So when the material comes through (when you write it) you do need to treat it with honesty, dignity and without embellishment. Let it flow through you honestly. Don’t try and change it as it flows. Just let it flow, get it down on the page, and if there are changes that need to be made, address them in the rewriting and editing processes. Dignify the material with your time and your skills, and for goodness sake, don’t embellish. There is nothing worse than a wonderful story and good writing being asphyxiated by attempts at literary high-mindedness. If the character gets hit in the head, tell us he gets hit in the head. Don’t tell us that a large object projected itself into his cranium. Be blunt and use simple language. You will find the greatest writers do that. At the risk of sounding like another American self-help guru, you’re best served to “tell it like it is”. Thanks Dr Phil!
Go back over some of your own writing and see where you may have been guilty of embellishment. The beauty and complexities of great novels come from the story, the narrative, the rich drawing of characters and their relationships to each other, not from using lots of big words.
3. Show up fully no matter how many people are in the audience.
Write for the sheer joy of it, the pleasure, the beauty, peace and satisfaction it stirs in you. Write because you have to, because you can’t not write. Write because there’s a story that’s bursting to get out of you. Don’t write to please editors, publishers, readers, your mother, teacher or partner. Write for the sense of abundance it brings into your life. Turn up at the blank page or screen and write just for the heck of it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the only one who’ll read your words or whether you have a print run of 1,000,000 books ready to roll when you finish your manuscript. What matters is that you show up fully at the page, every day. Because writing in and of itself, is all that matters, isn’t it?
So next time you’re sitting at your page thinking “what am I doing here?” have a look at these 3 simple Truths About (The Writing) Life and remember how simple it really is. You write because you can’t not write. So leave your personal problems at the door, treat the material with honesty, dignity and without embellishment and show up fully at the page, no matter how many people are in the audience.
And watch your writing improve.
Tags: about, Life, Truth, Writing
As a language and literature teacher, it has always been my main concern to translate relevant theory into the classroom. And I have felt, at times, bombarded by the various approaches suggested to that end. In this series of articles, I will help you select the kind of material that will make your practice enjoyable both for yourself and, most importantly, for your students. Furthermore, since the choice of materials is of paramount importance, I will provide you with a selected bibliography, most of which I have been using for a long time, and some which I have become acquainted with – and enjoyed – in my recent studies in curriculum design.I will start by focusing on a question Tricia Hedge asks in her delightful work Writing. Why is it that for large numbers of English language students writing seems to pose great problems? According to Hedge, it is … (possibly) for the same reasons that large numbers of adult native speakers never achieve a high level of expressiveness in writing their first language. It is partly to do with the nature of writing itself. If we asume that the last sentence refers to the solitary nature of writing, the inability to converse with the reader, we must heartily agree with the statement. But a writer never writes in a vacuum, a writer is influenced by internal and external circumstances, such as having had a row with with a relative, or suffering from a head cold, to mention only two items from a long list! Certainly, the most influential factor affecting you, the (would-be) writer, is seeing yourself as a writer. This is probably because we associate the job of writing with the great minds (Shakespeare, Borges, Hemingway, you name the author), so it is of course difficult to imagine that what you write may be worthwhile, may capture the attention of a reader. Because, as readers, we try above all to feel, not to analyse. Likewise, when we write we are not aware of the literary elements we are using, all this is for the literary critic to detect. When we write we do so out of feeling, out of some impulse, out of some idea we wish to express. So, when the reader reads, their first experience is the impact of emotion, to move later on to intellect, in an act of ‘intense narrative abstraction.So your first task when attempting to write would be what we might call ‘getting the cops off your back’, i. e., getting rid of the voices you hear inside yourself, telling you, ‘Now, look who can write!’And how do you accomplish such a difficult task? Simply by taking a slip of paper and writing down the name of the person who is holding you back from writing: it could be a (former) teacher, a friend, a spouse, even yourself! If there is more than one voice pestering you, write their names on separate slips of paper, put them in an envelope and take it out of the room where you are writing. This is the first exercise I ask my language and literature students to do when we embark on a writing project, and I guarantee it works wonders! Incidentally, when I enquire about the name(s) they have wrapped up, it is always my name that comes up on top of the list. What worries them is what I might think about their attempts at writing, they have confessed to being afraid of disappointing me. And I always tell them a writer is not supposed to please anyone but him/herself. If you write, say, a short story to please your literature teacher, it will most probably make a poor read, and you will attain an undesired end, i. e., boring your teacher to death! Why? Simply because your story will be empty of the passion mentioned above; it will be a wishy-washy piece of writing that will not involve anyone, will not knock anyone off the chair. Take a few seconds to reflect upon a story that (has) had this effect on you. I am certain that you will agree with what Mark, Josephine and Esther Harris say in their inspiring book. ‘We love the sound of a good story, its rhythms, its excellent phrases, the very words themselves. Maybe we can never know precisely what the story is “about.” It just is.It sounds. This, too, is what the writer may have felt: it sounded right. If you asked me which story I would select, I would answer What a Thought,by Shirley Jackson some years ago, and at this moment of my life anything written by Tolkien (but I find some of Tolkien’s critics unreadable!). With this I mean to say that it is very difficult to answer certain questions as Which are the best stories you have read?, because both reader and writer are part of the process, and the reader does not exist in a vacuum, either. I would also like to make another point here. Although the stories I selected were written by great minds, do not worry if yours were not. You can include the Harry Potter series if you like! We should never be ashamed of our literary affections, and always avoid rigid categories and ranks; ‘consensus is not the goal of literature.Now that you have taken the cops off your back, you are ready to start. So the question at this point is,’What do I write about?’ It all depends on the writer; some prefer writing about what they know, some about topics they are not familiar with, in order to expand their horizons. When I wrote my first (published) story, I did it to enter a contest, which I later won,to my surprise. Why was it surprising? Because on that occasion I wrote about people I know, and I did not expect the jury to be interested in a confession on paper. But there you are again, I suppose the decision was based on two criteria: ( a) it must have engaged them emotionally, some of them must have shared my feelings; (b) it was reasonably well-written; after all, I do teach people to write! Remember, they were not ordinary readers like you and me, they were also supposed to pass judgement.Why is it that reading is frequently mentioned alongside with writing? They go hand in hand because you need to be a good reader if you want to write well. Just as young children learn by emulating the behaviour of significant people in their lives, we learn to write by being exposed to the writings of significant authors in our lives. I should stress the word significant here, as I never read what is not significant to me. That is the reason why I never expect my literature students to enjoy all of my literature syllabus, but I encourage them to make their own selection, which is subject to availabilty of materials when one lives on an island! In my next article I will provide you with some strategies to become an effective reader, as well as with some ideas to start a writer’s workshop, which might be useful to introduce you and your students to different forms of writing.At this point I should mention two other elements a (prospective) writer needs; one is easy to get, the other might be somewhat harder if you are a busy adult. You will then need: (a) a notebook, which in my case is small enough to carry in my pocket; what do I scribble there? Notes about interesting people and situations I observe around me, possible titles for my stories, and sentences or phrases I overhear. And (b) time.Time to record ideas as they come to you, time to plan, time to write and to rewrite. Time, that is, for the sustained effort and craftsmanship that are essential in writing well. But finding the time to write is possible if you learn to organise your daily schedule and leave no more – and no less – than forty minutes per day to write. That is all that is needed provided you do not have to meet a deadline and you are behind! So, let nobody persuade you that writing is an impossible task; what you should always bear in mind is that it is learned by writing, rewriting, and by perceiving yourself as a writer.
Tags: Learn, write
As if speech writing wasn’t difficult enough already, a eulogy incorporates a snapshot of the essence of a persons life in a single speech. Eulogies can include stories, jokes, quotes, poems, and memorable events about that persons life. There are many different kinds of eulogies and no one of them is right or best – it’s up to you. Just remember to make it personally relevant so that the audience can relate.
1. Where Should You Start?
The trick to writing a great eulogy is to just start writing one – jot down whatever comes to mind as long as it is from the heart. You will be able to sort out your thoughts later in a first draft. You should think about what that person held as important in life, what they chose as their profession, and how they affected the world around them.
2. Set The Theme
In the end, it won’t matter what theme you choose so long as it is done in good taste. The most common themes include a narrative story, a comical outlook upon the life of the deceaced, or even a collection of memories and poems.
3. Make It Memorable
The most essential part of writing a eulogy is to touch upon the life of the deceaced. It isn’t just about how the person has affected you but what that person did to affect others. If you can, try to involve the audience emotionally. Make them smile, make them cry, help them pay their respects for the deceaced and be able to move on with their lives a little easier.
4. Prepare Your Eulogy Well In Advance
Now, mind you, unless you are writing a narrative type of eulogy that goes over the life of the individual chronologically, something that most people are advised not to do anyways because those kinds of eulogies can become quite dull and are often seen as unemotional, you will want to stick to a series of points or stories connected in logical fashion. Be sure to have a first draft of your eulogy proofread by a friend or family member before you move on to writing your final draft.
5. Practice Makes Perfect
Finally, be sure that your eulogy, like any public speaking, has points connected in a logical order. Moreover, because it isn’t just what you say but how you say it. For this reason you will want to practice several times beforehand. Some people feel that memorizing a eulogy is necessary but this isn’t the case. You are free to bring a flash card along to help you remember what you want to say.
Tags: Eulogy, Fail, Never, Strategies, Writing
The most critical lesson in writing a love scene is that it is similar to making love in the real world: when done well, it is messy, chaotic and somewhat animalistic. The civilized approach does not work; it leads to the greatest drawback of all: predictability.
Does this sound familiar? The leading man and woman dislike one another intensely; something happens and they see another side of the other; in spite of their best efforts to deny it, they find themselves attracted to one another; and they ultimately fall into a passionate embrace. Do you really want to write that one again?
The Best Love Scenes
The best love scenes are the ones in which the participants are not perfect specimens and the circumstances are obscure and somewhat confused. They are the scenes in which the reader has to work for it. In a word, they are authentic.
For example, here is the opening paragraph of my book, Point and Shoot:
This is how you make love to a woman undergoing cancer treatments. You ignore the metallic taste of her kiss; the slight snorting sound she makes when you press into her; the bony feel of her body, covered by skin that lacks tensile strength; the hairless scalp. You close your eyes and remember what it was like before. You move gently, until you forget yourself, as you should. You savor the moment because there might not be many more. And one more thing: you move very gently.
How to Get Started on Your Love Scene
I would suggest that you start by imagining your most interesting and emotionally-moving encounter with the opposite (or the same) sex. Write out a free association narrative about the images; scents; colorings; texture; dialogue; weather; and other aspects that trigger your memory.
Then, complicate it. You must assume that your memory of the event has been neutered by the passage of time. You remember your past, as we all tend to do, in an unrealistic light, obscuring and shading over the petty annoyances (Could you stop that whistling?); the inconvenient bodily functions (I have to pee.); and the wanderings of your mind (Did I lock the car door?) . So instead of writing that simplistic and ultimately, predictable story, shake it up.
Have your female character imagining a former lover, while her words are only about the man in her arms. Have your male character fear that he will not achieve arousal, and keep this truth from his lover until it can no longer be hidden. Have your characters wear blindfolds, so that all of the narrative description is tactile. In other words, create some kind of slanted, asymmetrical aspect to the story. Make your characters, and the reader, work for it.
Sure, Sex Sells, But Don’t Make it Porn
One of the most frequently asked questions is how explicit to make the love scene. The answer is simple: less explicit than what you would want to read.
It is axiomatic that the most sexually-charged organ of the body is the mind. That is where your story will be experienced, and you need to cater to the mind’s unique way of perceiving. The best caricaturists will use nothing more than a curved line or a geometric shape to suggest an instantly recognizable celebrity. They draw the most memorable aspect of the person’s face, for example the ears. By that alone, the viewer can instantly discern the subject’s identity.
Likewise, a writer must suggest rather than explain. Describe how it feels to run a finger along a thigh; to feel blankets bunched between your body and your lover’s; to be out of breath and not really know why. To paraphrase a long-ago Presidential campaign, make it subtle, stupid.
Here is another excerpt from that scene in Point and Shoot which illustrates the point:
“Are you getting there?”
“I told you never to ask me that question. It doesn’t matter. Keep going. Finish.”
“If I’m hurting you.”
“Keep going.”
I sped up. She shifted her hips to make it easier. After a while, I could see a tear well up at the corner of her eye. The tip of her nose flushed. She patted my shoulder again. “I said keep going.”
A wave of remorse and self-pity, a heavy, deadening feeling, yanked me back.
I stopped for good and rolled off her.
She lay there, splayed out, staring at the ceiling. Unmoving.
I propped myself on one elbow, stroking her abdomen.
We were silent for a long while.
Conclusion
To sum up, love scenes are done best when they follow no particular formula, but instead, come from the heart. Less is more. Of course, you should also keep in mind that the research is frequently much more fun than the actual writing. But take a few moments to get it down on paper, anyway. We readers like to watch.
Tags: Love, Scene, write
Writing Successfully
Clear ideas, and the capacity to arrange your thoughts in a logical manner, are necessary to produce a well-constructed final document. Improve the layout and turn of phrase. Add some graphics to make it attention grabbing, refine the writing a bit, and you’re done.Report Layout
Written reports are used for numerous purposes. From a simple sales visit report to a detailed business plan, a proposal or submission to get approval for a major item of capital expenditure, together with a variety of academic papers. There is a basic structure common to all reports, which may vary slightly, according to established practices in different organisations. It is this structure that is so often ignored. 1. Title : This is the first thing that catches the eye in a report. Conventionally, an individual page is dedicated to the title.2. The Table of Contents : This must contain a list of the report sections / headings.3. Abstract : Gives a brief synopsis, usually in less than 200 words, covering the dilemma or topics involved, how they have been dealt with, the results and their consequences to the business.4. Introduction : Contains the purpose of the report, concisely outlining the outcome and actions to be taken. 5. The Main Body : This is generally composed of a number of sub-sections. The different elements of the narrative must be organised and arranged in a logical sequence, describing the research methods, results, analysis and conclusions drawn. Using headings and subheadings to make the report more attention grabbing and understandable. The audience can navigate to the subject or subdivision that specifically interests them, and thus absorb the information effectively. If the sections of your report are discrete, it may prove necessary to include some form of related narrative at the beginning of each section.6. Conclusion and Recommendations : This section should discuss the significance of your findings, sum up the possible courses of action and outcomes. It should indicate any conclusions, with supporting justification. The probable influence of any alterations should also be included. Make your suggestions in a logical, considered and dispassionate manner, along with an explanation.7. Appendices :Include technical details in this section, as it is likely to be only read by specialists. If a technical issue supports your argument, include it in the body of the report; otherwise, insert it in the appendices and make reference to it in the test.Conclusion
Professional writing is an acquired skill. It has to be developed with persistence and determination. Taking into consideration how practical and important the ability of writing professionally can be, in the academic or business environment, it is worth making some effort to refine your writing aptitude. Crucially, the talent of thinking and writing in a logical manner is fundamental to the production of a successful report.
Tags: Principal, Reports, Requirements, Writing
Before you start to write the eulogy, think about the person and their life. You might want to include a memorable event you shared or mention their passions in life – or not. It’s up to you. No matter how you choose to write the eulogy, remember to paint a picture of the dearly departed in a positive light rather than a negative one.
1. Where Should You Start?
In order to write a good eulogy, you will want to start by thinking about what it is that you want to say. Chances are, if you have been tasked with writing the eulogy you were very close to the deceased and know them very well. You should think about what that person held as important in life, what they chose as their profession, and how they affected the world around them.
2. Decide On A Theme
In the end, it won’t matter what theme you choose so long as it is done in good taste. The most common themes include a narrative story, a comical outlook upon the life of the deceaced, or even a collection of memories and poems.
3. Get Involved
One of the most overlooked aspects of writing a eulogy is making sure that it remains pertinent to not just you but the audience. For example, recounting a great time just the two of you had together won’t have as much impact as one that included more people. For this reason, mentioning events in the persons life that were experienced by more people will have greater effect than mentioning an experience that only you and the departed had together. Your audience will get more involved this way.
4. Pace Your Speech Appropriately
Now, mind you, unless you are writing a narrative type of eulogy that goes over the life of the individual chronologically, something that most people are advised not to do anyways because those kinds of eulogies can become quite dull and are often seen as unemotional, you will want to stick to a series of points or stories connected in logical fashion. Be sure to have a first draft of your eulogy proofread by a friend or family member before you move on to writing your final draft.
5. Make Sure It Is Perfect
Finally, be sure that your eulogy, like any public speaking, has points connected in a logical order. Moreover, because it isn’t just what you say but how you say it. For this reason you will want to practice several times beforehand. Some people feel that memorizing a eulogy is necessary but this isn’t the case. You are free to bring a flash card along to help you remember what you want to say.
Tags: Eulogy, Great, Techniques, Writing
If you always write the same type of article then you are
probably limiting your chances of getting published. Look at
your favorite publications and you will see they print a variety
of types of article. Here are five of the most popular types.
The ‘How To’ Article
This is a very popular type of article, in which you tell the
reader how to do something. It could be how to build a garage,
how to write a book, how to sell a house, or how to clean tar
off a pair of trousers. These articles tend to be particularly
popular because people love to find out how to do something.
When writing how to do something, and if the sequence is
important, then it is a good idea to number each step. Remember
to keep your instructions simple, yet specific. And you could
even use a picture or illustration if the publication allows it.
The ‘List’ Article
The list article is an article that lists several related pieces
of information, and is one of the easiest types of article to
write. It could be “10 Ways To Save Money”, “5 Flowers to Plant
In April”, or “The Best 12 Places To Live In Canada”. A list
article should have:
• An introduction. • The list; each item may be a paragraph or
two. • A conclusion.
The ‘Roundup’ Article
In the roundup article, you provide a roundup of information,
statements, or opinions from a variety of sources. You might
interview a number of experts, for example, and ask them the
same list of questions. In your article you then write a roundup
of the answers, e.g.
“Bill Jones, CEO of SHJ Limited, is confident that the market
will turn around soon. “Within the next six weeks at most”, he
predicted. But Tom Sloane, at Pickwick Associates, disagrees. He
explains why…”
The ‘Inspirational’ Article
Inspiration articles include inspirational narrative, essays,
articles on faith and religion, and self-help articles.
Do you know of an issue or concern that affects many people?
Think of your own every day experiences. Write about the issue…
and help the readers to deal with life and to improve themselves
in some way.
The ‘As Told To’ Article
Because many of the people who have outstanding experiences are
not writers, there is a market for writing those people’s
stories. This is quite similar to ghostwriting, except that in
this case the audience knows that you are the writer. In the
credits, you would show “By Peter Wallace [subject], as told to
Jim Davies…” [writer].
Instead of writing a third-person narrative of the event, the
‘As Told To’ article makes the tale more real and personal by
using the first-person.
So next time you are about to write an article, pause… and ask
which type of article would best suit your situation and topic.
By varying the types of articles you write your writing will
also develop a new depth and your articles will be picked up by
a much wider variety of publications
Tags: Article, Types, write
Check out few guide lines for achieving a comfortable, easy-to-read writing style:
Writing easy is tougher than you might think it is. Being simple and descriptive is not that simple but you can always learn how to be a simple writer. A simple and free flowing copy is what people always admire. Here are few tips to do that:
Write as you converse: Writing as you speak is the most natural way to write. Try writing the same way you speak to a friend. You’ll end up being more concise, clearer, and more engaging. Use You instead of me or us or them.
Make it tighter and shorter: Writing naturally is not enough your copy must be tight and precise. First go ahead with your writing style now go back and edit your work so it says what you want using the fewest words possible it’s not as easy as it sounds, but it’s a good technique to use when publishing on the web. Being precise have many advantages.
Breaking it in to smaller bites: People on internet just prefer to skim the material. They don’t have time to read. As no one likes to scroll through a long narrative looking for better information. Take a look at what you just wrote. Draw a line between each unique “thought.” Write a headline for each thought Better yet, avoid narrative paragraphs whenever possible. Look at what you wrote again are you listing or comparing information? Try using a bulleted list or a table instead. It’s a lot easier on the eye and better for internet environment also.
Learn to write better is only the matter of willingness and observation. Have you ever though why a good newspaper or magazine are more readable and actually more interesting? Try to figure out what makes you read that article?
Though there is no magic in it, there are some sure tips you can follow to acquire the same result for your own writing
Try action verbs: Try avoiding flat verbs like Is, Have, And Was. No one likes to read slow writing snippets these days. Get action in your writing and see the result yourself
Grab their mind at any cost: Never ever be afraid to be playful or clever Your goal is to draw the reader in to read more.
Write more expressive copy: Include the key elements of the “thought” in your headline. Give the reader a good idea of what they’ll get if they read further. Which tells you more? My Summer Vacation or ‘The Highs and Lows of My Summer on the Road’?
Always re-check your work: Look at your pages using as many browsers as you can get your hands on that will assure you a better result always.
Spell mistakes should be zero: Get an HTML authoring tool with a built-in spellchecker or use word tool but make sure your copy is free of spell mistakes.
Edit-edit- edit: Only spellcheckers won’t catch grammatical errors. You’ll have to train yourself to catch these. They’re organized into three categories: editorial style, grammar, and punctuation. So, you must edit your copy until you are pretty confident for your output to be great and readable.
Tags: Copy, Easy, Read, Writing
Nearly 30 years ago, I was a guest panelist at a seminar about “Writing for Profit.” — All day long, the speakers had told the attendees all about how to submit their written works to editors and publishers … what to expect in a publisher’s contract … how to prepare a writer’s proposal … primarily focusing on how to “sell” what the attendees had written.
At the end of the seminar, a panel of five “successful writers” … including me … was introduced, with a list of each writer’s works and their individual accomplishments given.
The first few questions from the audience were nothing more than a rehash of some of the information provided during the day. Then, a young man stood-up in the back and said …
“All day long, you’ve been telling us how to sell our written works – but – how do you learn how to write to begin with?”
After the other panelists finished recommending english composition classes; espousing the merits of good grammar and syntax; and advising him to “just keep writing, you’ll get better,” it was my turn.
My answer was … as usual … short and to the point …
“Read!”
Then, I had to explain what I meant.
If you want to be a Science Fiction writer, read every science fiction short story and novel you can find. Immerse yourself in the type of writing you want to do. Spend 80% of your time reading and 20% of your time writing “sequels” to the stories you have read.
Today, the young man who asked the question is a highly-paid writer … with a host of articles and books to his credit. — Last time I spoke to him, he thanked me again for my simple advice.
With that said, I am now going to answer those of you who have persisted in asking me …
How To Write Better Ad-Copy
Right now, you’re probably thinking, “Now he’s gonna tell us to read all the books we can find on copywriting.”
Wrong, paperback-breathe! — The first thing I’m gonna tell you is — after you’ve read all those copywriting books for general knowledge; like learning english composition, grammar and syntax — throw away those books and …
Read The Ads!
That’s right. — If you are going to write an ad to sell your “fancy-dancy fishhooks,” gather together every ad you can find that offers fishhooks, fishing lures, fishing poles, or, even, fishing boats. — Read them … reread them … and read them some more. — Don’t even try to do any writing. Just read the ads!
Again, you’re probably thinking, “That’s old hat. Everybody tells us to keep a swipe-file of ads offering products similar to our own, then use those ads to write our own ads.”
Wrong, again, copycat-litter-breathe! — If you only use your swipe-file to makeup copycat ads, you will be committing …
The Biggest Mistake Made By Beginning Ad-Copywriters!
Unfortunately, most beginning ad-copywriters take a successful ad … offering a product similar to their own … and simply change a few words in the headline, rewrite and rearrange the paragraphs, maybe put in an extra “bonus” of some kind, and try to use it to sell their product.
Think about it! — That would be like copying “Moby Dick” by changing the whale to a great-white buffalo … moving the action from the ocean to the great plains … and making Captain Ahab a Buffalo Hunter with a missing arm. (Don’t laugh. It’s been done … starring Charles Bronson, if memory serves.) — No matter how well done, it would still only be an imperfect imitation.
In the business opportunity field, one of the most successful ads of all time was Joe Karbo’s “Lazy Man’s Way To Riches” ad. — Can you imagine how many times that ad has been adapted, rearranged and enhanced to sell someone else’s opportunity information? — Some of the adaptations may have had some success but, just a few weeks before he died, Joe Karbo himself lamented to me that none of his copycat-ads; copycatting his own ad, had ever been successful.
Do the same thing I told the young would-be writer to do to learn to write, spend 80% of your time “reading” ads offering products similar to your own. Then …
Spend 20% of your time writing “sequels” to those ads.
The dictionary says a “sequel” is “A literary work complete in itself but continuing the narrative of an earlier work.”
Where most of the ads that just copycatted Joe Karbo’s “Lazy Man’s Way To Riches” ad were failures, or only had limited success, over the years I have written no less than five “sequel” ads that produced significant revenue for me. (One of them is the ad for my “How To STRIKE IT RICH” book.) — I never tried to ‘copy’ Joe’s ad, just continue his narrative to a different conclusion … my product.
Use your swipe-file the same way. — Read and reread those ads until you have a complete story of the similar products being sold. Set those ads aside and don’t even think about looking at them while you write your own ad. — Don’t try to ‘copy’ the ads you’ve read …
Write a “sequel.”
Let your ad-copy continue from where the other ads ended.
If you aren’t happy with your first results, do it all over again … read the ads again … set them aside again … write your “sequel” again. — Keep looking for more and more ads offering similar products to add to your story line … immerse yourself in those kinds of ads … to the point of drowning in ad copy. Then, lay those ads aside and write your “sequel” ads.
As your “sequels” get better and better, your income will get bigger and bigger.
Now, I’m gonna tell you …
The Greatest Unwritten Secret to Successful Ad-Copywriting!
Although I have read literally thousands of books, booklets, reports and articles about ad-copywriting, I don’t recall ever reading the “secret” I am about to tell you.
When you write your “sequel” ads …
Use The Words In Your Ad To Attract The Kind Of Customers You Want To Keep
The best way to explain what I mean is by illustration. — Here are two different headlines for an “opportunity” ad …
Earn $10,000 Per Month
Get $10,000 Per Month
It may appear, at first reading, that both headlines offer the same type of opportunity – but – read them closely.
The first headline begins with the word “Earn.” — To the reader, that means some “job” or “work” must be performed in order to “earn” the $10,000 promised.
Compare that to the second headline which starts with the word “Get.” — That leads the reader to believe that little, if any, “work” is involved in “getting” the $10,000.
Believe it or don’t … the readers don’t even realize that they are making that subtle distinction. Their reaction to the headline is ingrained in their “subconscious.”
Using the word “Earn” you will attract the kind of customers who don’t have a subconscious aversion to work. — Using the word “Get” you will attract more people who are looking for something for nothing … by “getting” their share of the “free lunch” that might just exist.
Which brings me to an observation about …
Ad-Copywriting Books
Over the past 30 years, I have watched an ever-increasing proliferation of books about ad-copywriting. Unfortunately, all too many of those books are just compiled from older, well-written books on the subject – but – with one BIG difference.
The compilers of those books believe that, in order to “sell” something, you have to “trick” the buyer into buying. So, they take legitimate advertising techniques and read into them an implied deception. In effect, the assorted fools who compile books corrupting viable advertising principals lend credence to the journalistic attitude that advertising, by its very nature, is evil.
Although I am adamantly opposed to book burning … any book about ad-writing that espouses any use of misleading words, deceptive phrasing, fictitious or nebulous testimonials, meaningless hype, or the egregious use of meritless guarantees belongs in your backyard incinerator, not in your business library.
If you have to “trick” your customers into buying from you, neither you nor your product deserve anything other than my contempt.
Tags: Adcopy, Better, write
When someone asks why write? My answer — writing is like making love. When they ask how to write? Same answer. For each writer the act of writing is as individual as his/her own personality.
I write because I have to. I have to because I want to. I want to because I love it. When I was a journalist for the Hollywood Reporter magazine and Capital Style, I wrote my pieces in a smart-sassy magazine journalist’s voice. In my head, I was a cross between Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday and Dorothy Parker. But when I started to write my first novel — historical fiction set in Paris in the time of the Impressionists, I discovered I had to develop a new way of writing, a new “voice.” This voice was more lyrical, even poetic. I did read poetry to develop a capacity for metaphor. I read or re-visited classic novels written decades, even centuries ago to understand why they endure.
I feel presumptuous giving advice to writers on how to write. There are far better sources for that: E.M. Forester’s Aspects of the Novel is a classic and as useful today as when it was written in 1927. There are dozens of excellent how-to books for writers that outline the craft. Creating Unforgettable Characters by Linda Seger is helpful. Is writing a craft or an art? It’s both. To learn the mechanics of the craft, consult those manuals. To learn the art, consult your heart. I would like to share my experience writing my first novel and hope it resonates with other writers.
Inspiration. I believe the inspiration, the idea, for a book comes from the Universe. In my experience, my novel came to me as I was studying for an exam on the Impressionists for my class at Christie’s Education graduate program. For me, reading that art history textbook was as fascinating as reading a novel. Were there any novels about these people I wondered? In the year 2000, I didn’t know of any. I had seen clips of a film about Vincent Van Gogh starring Kirk Douglas. And of course, the musical Gigi loosely based on a story by Colette. But these were both Hollywoodized and set after the truly important years of 1860-1870.
Characters. My novel began with the characters. I knew it was important for my main characters to change as they experienced their lives. I wanted the heroine, in particular, to become a changed person at the end of the story from who she was in the beginning because that is true to real life. I wrote concise back-stories on index cards for each character so I would know where/when they were born, their parentage, their childhoods — all the factors that shaped them to become who they were in the novel. I didn’t use the back-story in the narrative, but the footprint was there between the lines.
Place and time. The more hours I spent at the library researching the history, the art, the politics, the changes in technology and social relations, the more at home I felt in that setting and knew I could transport others there with me. The number of reference books I read is prodigious. But I’m a nerd and love that aspect of writing. I worked as a library assistant in college and still feel in a safety cocoon in the musty stacks of a library.
Plot. Plot unfolds as life does — as a consequence of characters’ choices, actions and reactions. In my case, plot was also guided by history because historical fiction must be accurate at all costs on the “history” side. The fiction side can be pure fun. Writers are all a bit mad, I think, and I am no exception. I remember waking up in the middle of the night, hearing in my head the perfect dialogue between two of my characters for a scene. Of course, I got up and scribbled down some notes before falling back asleep.
Music true to the time period was helpful for me at some points in the narrative process. I deduced that listening to the music that my characters would have listened to in 1867 would help put me in their world. It was transgressive and I credit the verisimilitude of some emotional passages in the book to those waltzes of Strauss and Offenbach.
Polishing. Finally, the most enjoyable part of writing for me is rewriting. It feels like putting the final touches on a painting, adding highlights and correcting mistakes. I remember spending three hours changing the wording on just one paragraph. But what a paragraph it turned out to be!
Writer’s Block. For me, it doesn’t exist. If you have something to say, then write. If you don’t, go do something else. Come back when you do. Then you can write a heartbreakingly beautiful novel and experience the joy of those two little words . . .
The End.
© 2007 Debra Finerman
Tags: write