| |
| |
|
Copywriting Information |
|
|
|
When Panic Attacks Writers
If you write for a living, you deal with deadlines. Sometimes you will have several jobs on your plate at the same time. On top of that, your clients or editors don't coordinate their demands, so you might even have two or three deadlines all falling within the same day or two. It happens. And being the professional you are, if you think you can do the work well in the time provided, you'll tell each of them there's no problem meeting the deadline. After all, you don't want to let them down by declining the job. Nor do you wan to lose the income. And when all goes well, you manage to organize your time to get each of the jobs written and delivered on time. >> But what happens when things go badly? What happens when one of your clients is three days late in delivering some of the necessary briefing information? What happens when one of them rings up and needs the work a day sooner, throwing all of your careful scheduling out of the window? If you have a good relationship with your clients, you can usually work something out. But still, there are times when everything conspires against you and it begins to feel like the task ahead is impossible. And it may not be a client's fault at all. Maybe you have a burst water pipe to deal with at home. Maybe the kids are all off school for a day or two. Maybe you have a day or two or three when you feel sick. >> Then the panic sets in. Have you experienced this? The writer's panic attack? The sense that the task ahead is impossible and you'll never get everything done? You feel it creeping up on you slowly. And then the real sense of panic sets in, and it makes everything a whole lot worse...because you freeze. The sense of panic starts to take up all the space in your head. You can feel your back tightening. You're staring at the screen and you just can't write any more...because you are consumed by the knowledge that everything is coming unstuck...you won't meet the deadlines...you'll let down your clients...you won't get your pay check. >> How to get rid of the panic attack. Step one is the hardest. You have to get up and walk away. Do anything. Take a walk. Go to a movie. Go visit some friends. Read a book. Take a snooze. For how long? That depends...but as a guideline, I would give yourself a good couple of hours. Two hours? At this point the little voice in your head is saying, "Sure, brilliant idea. We're faced with this impossible set of deadlines and you think I should go watch a movie?" Yes, I do. The longer you sit in front of the screen, the deeper the panic becomes and, at best, you'll move ahead at a snail's pace for the rest of the day. Worse still, your work probably won't be of a very good quality. Far better to make a clean break and walk away. And walk right away. Get out of the room. Out of the house if you can. Cut yourself off from work completely. Don't compromise and decide to read through the client brief again until you get your head straight. Make a clean break. >> Find the way that works best for you. When it comes to taking that break, many writers have already found out what works best for them. Some will go running or spend an hour at the gym. Some will do some stretching exercises, or yoga, or breathing exercises. And yes, others will just go out for a beer or watch a movie. All of these activities achieve the same end. They change the focus of your mind. They prevent that panic from feeding on your insecurities and fears. If you have been writing for a few years and have faced your fair share of deadlines, you probably already know what works best for you in these circumstances. If you're relatively new to writing to deadlines, and have faced a panic attack or two, my two messages are: 1. You're not alone. It doesn't mean you're a bad writer or a bad scheduler. It happens to the best of us. 2. Step away from the computer. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it is something completely unrelated to the work you are doing. When you sit back down, with that sense of panic behind you, the speed with which you work will more than compensate for the time lost when you stepped away. Nick Usborne is a freelance copywriter, author and speaker. For more articles and resources on making money as a freelance writer, visit his site, http://www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Copywriting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Organizing Your Data to Write Better Copy Last quarter I talked about interviewing / gathering data. So now you've got several thousand words of notes, hopefully digitally recorded. How To Ethically Use A Swipe File For Your Ad Copy Did you ever wish you could afford to hire one of those professional copy writers who charge $5000 or more to write a simple sales letter? Or worse, have you laid down your hard-earned cash for a self-proclaimed "professional" writer, and gotten back something your 3rd grader could have written?If you spend countless hours staring at a blank page trying to come up with compelling ad copy for that "killer" sales letter (you know, the one that's going to make you rich beyond your wildest dreams?).. Its Time To Start That Swipe File Just as great fiction is an art, so is great copywriting. Beneath the art, however, there's a foundation of basic knowledge and skills. Can You Become a Freelance Copywriter in Los Angeles? Is it out there? The chance to be a freelance copywriter in Los Angeles? For those looking to become a copy writer, finding employment in various cities can be difficult. In fact, most freelance writers around the world struggle to find employment or jobs that are within their own cities and home towns. 16 Golden Rules of Master Copywriting You could spend thousands of dollars on advertisement and have extremely low or no results in sales because of your poor planed copy. You shouldn't be amazed by the fact that huge corporations all over the world do that mistake and waste millions of dollars on false advertisement campaigns. Steps to a Writing an Effective Press Releases Want to get the most media attention and spotlight for your business? Then the first place to start is with a GREAT press release. Now I can almost see half of you leaving now, dreading the thought of having to write one of these. Who is Your Customer? When you want to sell something?anything? you need to first know who is going to buy it. Why? Because your ad copy has to be written to that person. Real Estate Professionals Need You to Write for Them! Ask yourself these questions:Are you an experienced writer?Do you want to stay at home to write?Do you want to work for yourself?Do you learn new things quickly?Are you interested in a broad number of subjects?Do you feel like you're being pigeonholed with your current writing and you want to branch out?Do you have a flair for marketing?If you answered "yes" to any of these questions - or even better - several, you may have found a new career!It's more important than ever for real estate professionals to market themselves legally considering the laws regarding email and telephone sales seem to change daily - depending on which court is hearing the case. Many experts speculate though that eventually some sort of anti-telemarketing law will be enforced and while it's much more difficult to regulate email, it's still being made more and more difficult to use this form of marketing and sales. What a Ghostwriter Can Do for You Do you ever have brilliant ideas for articles, books or a website, but never get around to doing anything about them? Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Trust and credibility are vital in creating consumer confidence. "Super Adjectives" Boost the Power of Your Copy Pretty or elegant? Good or scrumptious? Nice or delightful? There is power in the adjectives you choose. Just like Clark Kent and Superman or Bruce Wayne and Batman, some adjectives are plain, ordinary, everyday words. 11 Reasons Not to Hire a Freelance Copywriter (and Why Theyre All Poor Excuses) Think you can take the Copywriting Challenge on your own? Allow me to convince you otherwise! Here are eleven reasons why business owners typically choose not to hire a writer, and my argument for each.Excuse 1. Long Copy vs. Short Copy? If You're Still Debating This, You're Missing The Point! I've seen this ongoing debate debate jump up again recently in several Blogs and message boards and I can't help but laugh. It's not a new debate? Ever since the long copy masters of the early 1900's, people have been arguing for or against the practice. Better Copy: The Interview is the Key Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy our service, product or idea. Here is how to create powerful marketing copy to make your job easier: INTERVIEW YOURSELF. Some Copy Tips From An Old Hand I have been in the ad game for a long, long time. I have trained hundreds of writers, and I've been responsible for moving of millions £ & $ in product worldwide. Help, Help, Help, Sell Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for the web.. Segmenting Your Target Audience Through Your Copywriting Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is and they'll quickly tell you "Know Thy Target Audience." In order to write effectively you have to know this one group of people and know them well. Six Reasons You Don't Need a Technical Writer (and Why They're Dead Wrong!) I know, I know. Times are tough. Can 97% of Netpreneurs be Wrong? Why Some People's Ads Almost Always Make MoneyDiscover the Master Copywriter's Little-Known Secret of Locking in Profits! You don't know it yet, but in the next 5 minutes you are going to learn two things that will enable you to command someone to do something anything - and that person will do it without question. What's more, they'll think it was their idea, not yours. How To Get Started With A Career In Copywriting Careers in copywriting are booming. Could it be that the new and ever growing market on the Internet has helped to fuel this demand? You can bet your sweet keyword that it has! With so many businesses looking to the internet for their freelance copywriters the demand for employees keeps growing. Copywriting: Engage Prospects By Involving Their Senses Imagine a bland, colorless existence. Where food had no taste, silence surrounded you and everything smelled the same.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
