I recently asked my list of copywriters and entrepreneurs what their biggest problem with copywriting was. Want to know what the overwhelming response was? Fighting writer’s block. Yes, writer’s block seems to be an equal opportunity headache. But many things are written. So how do others fight it? Peter DeVries (another writer) said, “I write when I’m inspired, and I make sure I’m inspired by nine o’clock every morning.”
Even Albert Einstein said this: “How do I work? I group.” You know it’s not easy when geniuses have the same problems as you and me. In fact, even as I sit here, supposedly writing, I keep getting distracted. Who sent me an email? Who is online? What other research can I do? I don’t need to call my mother? Boy, my dog sure needs to go outside and play. I’m hungry? No, but it’s okay. I’m going to check what’s in the fridge anyway. Sounds familiar? So, in the interest of finding an answer myself, I’m going to share with you the lessons I’ve learned about banishing blockage.
1. ELIMINATE ALL (AND I MEAN “ALL”) DISTRACTIONS At the beginning of each week, set aside an hour or two every day for your work. Do not schedule lunches, workouts, shopping trips, or errands during that time. You’re on the clock, comrade. Turn off your email, instant messaging, and phones. DO NOT be tempted. The writing gods will know if you cheat.
2. FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR TIMER Marketing master, Eugene Schwartz never went anywhere without his stopwatch. He liked the numbers “3-3-3–3”, which means 33 minutes and 33 seconds. He believed that you can only maintain your focus for a limited amount of time before your brain “falls out on you.” After working directly for 33.33 minutes, you need to take a 5-minute break. (I adopted this technique with the more “hip” Chicken Chunk, using the “Red Hot Chicken” timer as our guide. Read more at http://redhotblogging.com to keep up with more writing ideas and solutions.)
3. ZEN OF WRITING Ole Eugene also believed that writer’s block was more of a condition of the Western world than an Eastern one. That’s because 4,000 years ago, Zen Buddhists devised a simple routine. Sit where you are writing: at your computer or at a desk with a pad of paper. You are sitting? Okay, that’s what you can do for the next 33.33 minutes (or whatever time period works for you). Now don’t do anything else. For the next 33.33 minutes, it’s all about you and the blank piece of paper. You don’t have to write anything. You can look at the screen if you want. Write gibberish. The great American novel begins. But what you CANNOT do is something else. You can NOT leave that place for 33.33 minutes. Don’t worry. You’ll probably get bored enough to get started, and that’s usually all we need.
4. STOP IN THE MIDDLE Some writers like to stop their creation mid-thought or mid-sentence. So you’re not faced with a blank canvas when you rewrite, assuming you can remember what you were thinking at first.
5. START IN THE MIDDLE Sometimes we get so nervous about finding the shiny hook to open the copy that we get paralyzed. For. Just dive in. Start writing. Edit later. The best copy comes from overwriting anyway. If you need some inspiration, try writing the features and benefits of your product.
I hope some of these tips help you boost your writing. There is nothing worse than looking at a document without words.