Lesson #1 – Going “Gonzo” with your Copywriting
It’s all too easy to lose momentum in the face of a challenging project. The term bandied around in these unfortunate circumstances is [cue ominous music and lots of echo] Writer’s Block. And while this depressing syndrome has claimed many victims and undoubtedly has a lot to answer for, there can be another, less histrionic and impressive problem. The cheeky little culprit is often just down to a lack of structure.
Let’s face it, the basis for an effective piece of writing is down to this “behind-the-scenes” type of stuff. Really, how you arrange the words on the page from there is going to differ from project to project, and from person to person. The important thing is to organise your mind and strategise in these situations. Good working habits could end up being your personal saviour.
So where to begin? In these times of dreadful adversity, I coax myself into a meditative (and yet productive, I tell you) Gonzo-like state, and repeat the following process as a mini writing mantra:
1. Reassess the brief
Most writers ask the following questions as second nature, or they will be part of the brief as matter-of-course. It’s still worth taking time to ruminate on these factors for the simple reason that if this is your working language day in and day out, things can be taken for granted, unappreciated or missed altogether. It can be quite dry talking about target audiences, environment and strategy. But it’s important to avoid taking the answers to these questions on face value. Visit the website the content will belong to; buy the publication; speak to people you know who would buy or use the product/service. Act like a voyeur (or at least act like a potential customer) rather than a writer.
2. Think like the audience
From here you can start to get a feel for the audience’s expectations. What would entice you to engage with the content? What would hook you? What would make it relevant or meaningful? In a pseudo method-acting sense (yes, really!) you are able to begin to imagine your audience’s experience of your yet-to-be-written piece. Just remain clear on what you are trying to achieve.
3. Write, write, write!
I’m a scribbler by nature. Perhaps that’s par for the course in this profession, maybe it’s down to a complete lack of confidence in my terrible memory. But writing things down also helps to exact mental order and illuminate patterns of thought. Any vague thread of an idea or a premise could reveal itself to be the cornerstone of your copy, so don’t take it for granted and commit it to paper!
4. Let it rest
If I was prone to making metaphors, I would liken this phase to some cooking reference involving a beef joint or a Christmas turkey. But sadly, I'm not (despite just doing exactly that.) This last phase is undoubtedly the hardest part, mostly because every project has its deadline. But if you do have the luxury of giving yourself a little time between completing your piece and reviewing it, it can work wonders. A fresh perspective leads to a more balanced and less emotional self-critique.
No process in this business is fool proof and there are always new stumbling blocks along the way and revised tactics to counter them, but treating your work as a living, breathing thing will ensure quality of care, and most importantly, it wards the bad demons of boredom and sloppiness away.
