Copywriters Forum

Hello everyone,

I am Clem. I am aspiring to be a writer, but just not quite sure what kind. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking it'll most likely be down the copywriting line.

I've been researching a lot on this subject, and that's what brought me here. I thought some real human interaction would do me some good. Right now, I'm starting with some simple blogging at Medium to get a feel of what it is to write. But I realized I lack structure, if that's the right word. What I mean is when I write, it just sounds a whole lot like ranting.

Perhaps I'm not yet used to thinking for the readers and what is it that could benefit them from reading my materials.

Anyhow, just popping in to greet everyone.

cheers.

Hello Clem,
Welcome to the community

copyclem wrote: ↑December 5th, 2021, 11:47 am Hello everyone,
But I realized I lack structure, if that's the right word. What I mean is when I write, it just sounds a whole lot like ranting.

Perhaps I'm not yet used to thinking for the readers and what is it that could benefit them from reading my materials.

Don't fret my friend. Most of the best writers I know start the first draft by ranting all over the page.

Just get your ideas on the page. Then walk away for a bit and come back later (hours later, or even a day later) with a fresh set of eyes and start the editing process.


The first thing I usually think about, when editing my writing...

1 - What unnecessary words can I eliminate without losing any power in the message? (brevity often makes the writing even more powerful, because it's more focused)

So can you eliminate words, or delete entire sentences, without breaking the narrative?

Quick example of what I mean:

You wrote...

Perhaps I'm not yet used to thinking for the readers and what is it that could benefit them from reading my materials.

Now technically there's nothing wrong with that sentence.
But what if we wrote...

Perhaps I'm not yet used to thinking for the readers and what could benefit them.

We didn't change the meaning of the sentence, we just tightened it up a little by removing a few unnecessary words.

Of course if you're required to reach a certain word count for your article then you may need to leave the extra words in place. But if we're going for impact, brevity is usually better.

On a side note: I can look back at my own writing from weeks, months, even years ago, and almost always find more words I could have deleted. But at some point we just have to put it out there and move on. And let our readers decide if it's any good.


Another thing I look for is...

2 - Can we rearrange the flow? (can we move a sentence or paragraph up or down the page, for a smoother flow to the story)



These are just the first couple things I think about when I start editing. Then, time permitting, we can see about swapping ordinary words for some "power words" to make it a bit more exciting to read.

And above all... I always start and finish by thinking about my reader, and what's in it for them. Because when we get right down to it, that's what they care about.


If you'd like, Clem, I'd be happy to take a look at something you wrote. It never hurts to have another set of experienced eyes take a look. And maybe I can offer you some collaboration in real time.

All the best,
Steve

Welcome to the forum @copyclem

Let us know if there's anything we can do to help you on your copywriting journey

First of all, thank you so much for the warm welcome, SARubin, Franklin.

SARubin wrote: ↑December 5th, 2021, 2:07 pm Of course if you're required to reach a certain word count for your article then you may need to leave the extra words in place

This actually brought a smile on me, as I remember this used to be something I was actually good at as a kid, having to meet word counts for essay assignments.

I see what you're trying to say here, SARubin. My plan is to first get into the habit of just writing whatever, whenever, and become familiar with the writer's mindset and feel comfortable with becoming a writer. I believe consistency is the key at this point in time, be it with my writing schedule or learning process.

So far I've written 2 articles on Medium here's the link https://copyclem.medium.com/

As to what Franklin said, I'm interested in learning how you guys go about preparing for a piece. What does the preparation look like, the research process, time management, etc.

Once again, thank you so much and I appreciate all your support guys.



Cheers

copyclem wrote: ↑December 6th, 2021, 2:58 pm
As to what Franklin said, I'm interested in learning how you guys go about preparing for a piece. What does the preparation look like, the research process, time management, etc.

One of the first things I do is Google the main keywords on the topic I'm about to write for, and search for the most popular articles in that niche. This gives me an idea what readers are being exposed to when they search for those keywords.

Then I try to make my article more interesting by adding more personality to the topic, along with more in depth research references. This way readers (hopefully) see my articles and find them to be better quality and more interesting to read.

For time management I stick to the same schedule everyday, Mon. thru Fri.

Some writers write whenever the mood hits them but for me between 8:00 am and 2:30 pm is work time. If I don't have an assignment to write for I'll send emails to clients, update my profile, practice writing, or start a new writing course. But no matter what it must have to do with the business of writing.
It takes discipline, but once you get into the habit, your mind becomes tuned into working during those hours.

HTH

Thank you Franklin for your advice.

I have found that knowing what to do and actually doing it are two separate matters. I believe your 'allocated work time) is something that will do me a lot of good, I will have to sit down, write anything and get into the writing mindset/flow so I can find out what is it that I need to learn/improve. Then get myself to move from the 'unconscious incompetence' to the 'conscious incompetence' stage.

Thanks again .\nn/