“Real Writers” and Other Fantastical Creatures
Even after years as a professional writer, I’m still giddy with grateful disbelief every time I sit down to work for the day. I’ve always held this profession in high — nearly mythic — esteem, thinking writers were some rare and beautiful form of “creative,” full of inspiration, fire, and drive. I imagined “real writers” spent their days hunched over typewriters, eagerly and swiftly typing with an ever-present muse.
It turns out that life as a “real writer” is slightly different.
Every writer has a system and a toolbox for getting the work done well and on time — including the Artisanal Copy team. I asked some of our team about what strategies work best for them. Here’s what they said:
Jorli Peña, Piermont, NY
Just Get Going
The more intimidating or important a writing project feels at the outset, the more time I find myself doing tasks that have nothing to do with it (organizing my pencil case, Windexing the glass top of my desk, wondering what happened to that one coworker I used to love getting coffee with). I have gotten better at this over the years, but it can still be a challenge. Besides rereading Steven Pressfield’s seminal book on overcoming creative obstacles, The War of Art, what works for me is to Just. Start. Writing.
Honor Each PieceThis is a biggie in terms of contributing to a sense of fulfillment and purpose. When I first started writing for businesses, I didn’t think I would necessarily be inspired to write, say… landing page copy for a white paper. Or an eBook title. But what I’ve found is that if I single-task and truly give all my focus to whatever I’m working on, almost any project can be interesting and creatively challenging. I try to treat everything I work on with equal amounts of attention and care.
Let it Breathe
At a certain point, everything benefits from a little bit of space. (This goes for people too — as most of us have learned during quarantine.) Regardless of whether I am happy with my writing on any given piece, if I walk away from it then come back in a few hours or days, I will always find something to improve upon, delete, reword or rewrite.
Final note
I can’t write without some kind of background music, usually — but not always — without words.
Stef Histed, San Diego, CA
I have a very big problem with focus. I tend to get distracted by shiny objects — even if those shiny objects are just social media, or the sudden, inexplicable desire to do laundry. Because of this, I’ve found that I work best by parsing the process into chunks. I’ll take a break between each step and come back fresh. It usually goes something like this:
Write outline and notes
Turn notes into complete sentences
Write more sentences
Edit
Question if the piece makes any sense at all or should I start over
Edit again.
Ideally, come back a day or two later with completely fresh eyes and edit a final time (deadline permitting)
I focus best in the late afternoon, so I try to reserve mornings for outlines and edits. I’ll then do the bulk of my writing between 2:30–6pm. If I’m working on social media content, however, then I write my best drafts in the evening — accompanied by a glass of wine and something teen-angsty on Netflix. Hey, I don’t question it — just trust the process, right?
Kerry Anderson, Las Vegas, NV
Most of my work is with a large multi-national firm with online digital copy written by hundreds of different marketers who represent various business units located all over the world. As a copyeditor, it is my job to ensure that the thousands of pieces of content they publish each year are consistent in voice, writing mechanics and in the implementation of digital marketing best practices.
I cannot function without:
Our Client’s Brand and Content Style GuidesThey advise on everything from writing style and commonly used words and phrases to which products require registered marks. These guides are essential to ensuring that every communiqué is in harmony with our client’s brand story.
A Myriad of Handy Dandy Grammar Rule Reference Sheets
Accumulated over the course of a lifetime spent in the pursuit of improving my grammar, these instruct me on everything; from when to hyphenate a compound adjective, to rules for title case, to when to use an indefinite article. Properly applied, good grammar is a tool that can turn a great, yet poorly expressed idea into a well-articulated concept that prompts the reader to action.
My Copy of J.I. Rodale’s The Synonym Finder
With over a million synonyms, this 1,300-page beast is worth every inch of space it occupies on my desk and far exceeds online synonym finders. Marketers often get so close to their products and solutions that without intending to, they risk losing the reader to circuitous redundancy. The Synonym Finder is a fantastic tool for quick content spruce ups!
The AC Team’s Shared Knowledge of Digital Marketing Best Practices
From writing subject lines that will compel readers to open emails to crafting landing pages that persuade readers to click the CTA button — the culmination of our team’s expertise is applied to each and every piece of digital content that our clients produce.
Molly Hunter Korroch, Traverse City, MI
In a perfect world, I like having my giant bottle of water and a designated spot. Before COVID, I enjoyed writing at the library. Now, I work at a desk on the third floor of the cottage where I’m living — it’s an unfinished bunk room that looks out over the lake. I’m quite lucky.
Transcription
My writing system really depends on what I’m writing and for whom. I generally record interviews on an app on my phone for more journalistic pieces. Transcribing them later — though incredibly tedious — really helps me find great quotes and stay as accurate and transparent as possible. I also take lots of handwritten notes — for anything I’m writing. I use an old spiral-bound notebook with section dividers so that each section is for a different kind of writing, and then transcribe the notes into a Google Doc. I like taking handwritten notes for two reasons: 1) It helps keep me focused on the person I’m interviewing and 2) Sometimes I need to draw weird circles and lines around all the page to help me construct the story!
When in Doubt, Set a Timer
Setting a timer is incredibly helpful for me; I’m a big fan of the pomodoro method. It helps me distinguish FOCUS time from staring off into space time. I also love challenges! Right now, I’m doing one from Twitter called #1000wordsummer.
Music
Sometimes I listen to music, but only for copywriting or editing. When I do listen, it has to be music without voice and non-classical. (I was a music major in undergrad, so I find classical music incredibly distracting!) My favorite things to listen to are instrumental movie soundtracks. These days I listen to The Last Station, Memoirs of a Geisha, or The Painted Veil. But very, very quietly. Otherwise I start thinking about the story!
Leigh Hensley, Cincinnati, OH
The one thing I can’t write without is research. Whether it’s researching an industry topic before I interview an expert (so that I can converse somewhat intelligently on the topic), or performing secondary research to supplement insights we’ve gleaned from primary qualitative research interviews, I’m constantly educating myself by digging into articles, press releases, annual reports, academic studies, etc.
I’m never sure where I’ll find an awesome nugget of information that provides an “ah-ha” moment for the reader. Or, I might just open up a lovely rabbit hole and spend time engrossed in research that I never use! However, I always want to know (in my own mind — for my own satisfaction) that I was thoughtful in my approach and, hopefully, provided value to the reader.
Bryan Headley, Montréal, QC
My day starts early. Not because it has to, but because I have cats. (Anyone who has cats knows that they quickly take control of almost every aspect of your life.) So, after preparing a quick breakfast for the demanding felines, I pry my eyes open further with a quick cup of coffee and get to work. As a self-employed contractor, my office is anywhere I want — so long as I have a good Wi-Fi signal.
On a typical day, I begin by reviewing our internal tracking system to assess the pipeline of current projects. Next, I will log into our client’s portal to review any new work requests. After a comparison of the two systems, finished documents are uploaded to the client’s business ticket and new assignments are doled to our team of wordsmiths. Periodically throughout the day, I will repeat this process in an effort to ensure that no project request go unnoticed. I work best when I am organized, systematic, and methodical.
One great thing about our clients is the variety of work. Requests seem to run the gamut. From copyediting an in-depth technical writing piece, to creating engaging creative copy for a social media post, I am proud to say that our team has the skills needed to tackle it with ease.
Melissa Garretson, Philadelphia, PA
As for me… Well, my needs are simple. Pre-pandemic, I would have said that the key to my creativity was getting it done in the peaceful, quiet hours while my darling children were in school or camp. I’d drop them off and hustle home to go for a run and then fire up the laptop; I’m very motivated by deadlines, so knowing I had to finish that day’s work before the bus came kept me on task! Mid-pandemic, I am their school. I am their camp. The key now is boundaries.
I spend mornings with my kids; then I work from about 12–5 p.m., huddled in my lovely, quiet office and fueled by endless bottles of sparkling water and butterscotch candy. I have a white board on my office door that sometimes reads “I’m working but able to talk.” Other times it says, “On a call, do not enter.” Occasionally I write “GO AWAY OR I TURN OFF YOUR WIFI.” (But with a smiley face to soften the blow.) This way, I get to spend several hours reading and thinking and typing in my happy little bubble. Virginia Woolf nailed it: what everyone needs to write is a room of their own. With a door. And a lock.
Though our strategies for summoning the muse may differ, our nimble and creative team is always looking to our core Artisanal Copy values for guidance and inspiration. Read more about them here.
To learn more about how we help companies tell better stories, take a look at our website.
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