Usually when we talk about writer’s block, we’re referring to the writer who just can’t get words onto a page. That would be someone working on a novel or a play or an extended essay for publication; they just can’t seem to get started or, more often, they’ve started but now they’re stuck.
That kind of writer’s block invariably is caused by one of two things: Lack of information…or Fear.
When I say “lack of information,” I mean the writer hasn’t worked out the story sufficiently or doesn’t really know the characters; the way you solve that problem is to stop trying to write and instead work on understanding the story or the characters better.
But most writer’s block — as the term usually is used by copywriters — is caused by fear. There is nothing more intimidating than a blank page.
So…Put something on it.
Here’s a trick I learned a long time ago, and it works whether I’m writing a commercial or a newsletter or a book: Don’t end your workday or your work session when you’ve finished an entire section. Start writing the next part, even if it’s just a couple of sentences.
So if you’re writing a book, don’t stop when you’ve finished a chapter. Begin the next chapter, and tomorrow when you sit down to write you won’t have to ask “What do I do now?” because you’ll be joining a work in progress.
You see, for most writers the hardest part isn’t writing; it’s starting. And when you sit down at the keyboard to find that someone already has started writing the commercial for you, it’s like you’ve given yourself a gift.
But for people who work for a radio station and write lots of commercials, often it’s not really “writer’s block;” it’s lack of time. It’s “Here’s the copy order, goes on the air tomorrow, and our production guy is leaving early today for a doctor’s appointment.”
If you’re writing commercial copy and you feel stuck and you’ve got at least a few extra minutes, here’s an easy technique that will help you get started.
Call the client and ask, “How did you get started in this business?” — and then let him talk. Most business owners have a story; let your clients tell theirs.
Here are two more questions you can add. Let’s say he owns a bookstore. Ask him:
“What’s the one thing you love most about running a bookstore?”
“What’s the biggest misconception people have about bookstores?”
Nine times out of ten, if you listen, the client will GIVE you a great story to use in your commercial. I don’t mean putting that story directly into the copy; it might just be the feeling the story expresses.
A while ago I wrote commercial copy for a number of different restaurants, and again & again the restaurateurs would tell me the most satisfying aspect of owning a restaurant is seeing how happy their guests are while at their restaurant. I never would have guessed that; I probably would have guessed “being my own boss” or “hearing people rave about our food.”
I also learned that is how they refer to their patrons: “Guests.” Not customers. Not diners. “Guests.”
And all of that helped me understand the experience I was going to try to convey in 30 or 60 seconds.
More techniques for overcoming writer’s block in future blog posts.
Comments on this entry are closed.
Dan, could you offer something about battling salespeople who constantly offer spot ideas based on songs on our playlist? And they want to use that song in the background. They're not buying my copyright infringement argument, so, could you offer something I could use as ammunition
I also tell them listeners hear the song-not the spot
Tell them it could cost their client 100K per time the spot runs if somebody with a lawyer gets crazy…That is the max number for infringement.
Cool. Thanks.
Jeff: I began to write a reply to your query and realized it was turning into an entirely separate blog posting. Watch for it here soon.
I just put my mortgage payment book under the monitor. That usually gets me inspired.
What I do is…..uh…I……well…..ah. Then sometimes I………er, a, like……uh………
I generally remember Sean Connery's line from Finding Forrester: "No thinking – that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is… to write, not to think!" Then the sales rep comes in and asks if we can add the phone number and website….
I HATE phone numbers. I always tell the clients that unless you're 1-800 MATTRES (and eave off the last S for savings) that they should leave their phone number out of it.
I'm a big proponent of driving the listeners to the client's website for a good reason. Then at least the client has hard numbers to see how their advertising is doing.
If you're a pizza place and flog the ad to death several times with a phone number that's catchy…then people MIGHT remember it. I'm not a fan of phone numbers either. Phone numbers belong in print not on radio.
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