17 Weird Things That Help Me Write Copy

Whether you’re a writer or not, writing can be hard. And even if it’s not hard for you, it’s probably still hard to get yourself to do it. For me, the hardest part is getting into that zone where I’m fully immersed in my work and not thinking about anything else. 

And when I’m in this kind of flow state, certain things help me get into the groove of writing things like music, location changes (and not just moving from room to room), tools and mediums other than words themselves (like drawing or painting), sports activities, food and drink choices (I also recommend coffee). 

The good news is that there are lots of ways out there for writers to find their groove! So today we’ll cover some weird methods I use myself when trying to generate copy:

Takeaways
1. Listening to instrumental music boosts creativity.
2. Taking short breaks for physical activity re-energizes the mind.
3. Using unconventional writing tools, like a whiteboard, sparks new ideas.
4. Creating mind maps or diagrams can aid in organizing thoughts.
5. Trying out different fonts and text sizes can inspire fresh perspectives.
6. Writing in a distraction-free environment enhances focus.
7. Practicing free writing exercises helps overcome writer’s block.
8. Engaging in mindfulness meditation cultivates a clear mindset.
9. Reading aloud aids in identifying awkward phrasing or errors.
10. Collaborating with others through brainstorming sessions generates innovative concepts.
11. Experimenting with writing in different timeframes reveals optimal productivity periods.
12. Using unusual prompts or scenarios can lead to unique content creation.
13. Engaging in hobbies unrelated to writing fosters overall creativity.
14. Writing in unconventional locations, like a park, can inspire a change of perspective.
15. Trying out dictation software allows for a more fluid writing process.
16. Keeping a journal for random thoughts captures potential writing ideas.
17. Embracing randomness, such as writing about the first object you see, sparks creativity.

Music

Music is a big part of my writing process. I love to listen to music while I write and it helps me focus, relax, and get into the mood to write, or get out of it. Here are some other ways music helps me when I’m writing copy:

Music can help you write faster as long as you’re listening to something fast-paced and energetic. This kind of music will make you want to type faster so you can keep up with the beat!

If a song comes on that reminds me of someone else in my life (or even just a certain period), it’ll put me in a different mindset than usual, which could inspire new ideas for your copywriting mission.

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A Change Of Scenery

If you’re feeling stuck, try changing your writing environment. It’s amazing how a change of scenery can help you tap into new ideas and uncover hidden gems within your existing work. Here are some ideas:

Go outside. If you’re stuck on a project but don’t want to leave the house, simply step outside for an hour or two and watch people pass by or look at the clouds in the sky. You might find yourself inspired by something as simple as watching an ant carry food across a sidewalk or hearing birds sing from afar.

Go to a coffee shop or library (or another public place). If possible, I like going somewhere where I can see other people working on projects — it makes me feel less lonely in my creative endeavors! Plus there’s enough noise around me that it prevents me from getting too distracted by my surroundings when I need total silence for writing purposes (which is most of the time).

A Change Of Tools

Use a different tool.

If you’re writing in Microsoft Word, use a pen and paper instead. Or try Google Docs or Scrivener (or any other word processor). Or write on an iPad/iPhone with the Notes app open instead of Word or Pages you never know what might come out of it!

If you’re writing in Gmail, change your default browser to Safari for Mac OS X (or Firefox or Opera) for one day so that when you open a new tab all the links are different.

Change everything about the place where you write: let someone else use your computer while they have their own at home; use an old laptop with no internet connection; use an older version of Windows than usual; get rid of all those extra toolbar buttons visible on screen (especially if they are distracting).

Make sure there are no windows open aside from whatever document(s) need attention right now no distractions when trying to focus on getting words on paper!

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Mediums Other Than Words

Crafts and DIY projects like soap making or knitting, etc. (I’m talking about an actual craft that you can take home and show off to your friends, not something like drawing a picture of a kitten on an envelope.)

Music: listening or playing it yourself, but not while reading! Listening is great for getting into the vibe of what you’re writing about; there’s nothing quite like getting swept away by a song as you’re trying to write copy for a website offering free guitar lessons. 

Playing music can help you relax if you’ve been sitting at your desk for hours and still aren’t in the right mindset for writing. Just make sure that whatever kind of music it is isn’t too distracting (for example, if it has lyrics). And don’t forget about podcasts! 

They’re great for helping people get into certain moods or situations like this one from NPR called “This American Life” which I highly recommend if you need some inspiration before starting on your next project.* Dancing* Acting out scenes in front of yourself on video camera

Sports!

Sports are a great way to keep track of time, focus on the present and future, and think about your past. It’s also an excellent way to get in touch with what makes you happy—and how you can make others happy too. I know this because I’m currently watching basketball games rather than writing copy for my blog (which is still coming).

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Food

You can’t be a good writer if you don’t eat well.

Eat at the right time. Don’t eat right before bedtime; that will just make you fat, and then how are you going to fit into your tuxedo?

Eating the right foods helps your brain function better and is also important because…well, I guess it doesn’t matter why eating healthy is good for writers. 

You just want to do it. It makes sense that eating a lot of processed food or sugary cereals would make me feel like crap and make my brain slow down when I write copy for marketing campaigns (which isn’t true), but with enough research, I’m sure I could find some science somewhere that supports my claim!

The last thing about food: don’t overeat! A lot of people think they have to eat constantly if they want their bodies to work well enough so they can write great copy all day long but what if instead, we ate less often and smaller portions so we could keep our energy levels up throughout the day without feeling sluggish or bloated? 

Everyone knows how important energy levels are for writing good promotional materials for clients’ companies so why not try this out next time at lunch break instead of taking two hours off just because there was nothing left in your stomach after eating breakfast earlier than usual (and then having lunch later).

The Future

If you’re not sure how to think about the future, I have a few tips.

Don’t just think about the future in terms of what’s going to happen tomorrow. Try thinking about next year or even five years from now. This helps you plan for different stages of your life and career, like planning for retirement or starting a family. 

It also helps keep you motivated in the present because it reminds you that there are long-term benefits and consequences to every choice we make today (in this case: writing copy).

Plan by setting goals for yourself before starting each project or week ahead of time so that when something comes up unexpectedly like an emergency meeting, it won’t throw off your flow too much because at least part of what needs to be done has already been planned out! 

This can be as simple as outlining exactly what needs to be accomplished with each client before reaching out and then updating those outlines every time anything changes throughout negotiations until everything is finalized.”

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The Past

History is an important part of the present, and sometimes it’s a good way to get inspiration for writing copy. You can use history as a source of ideas, or even as material for your writing project, whether you’re writing your resume or creating a blog post.

Understanding yourself and others through the lens of the past can help you understand why people do things today, which can help you write copy that speaks directly to their needs and wants.

The future is constantly changing based on what happens in the present and how we interpret those events through our collective memory (which comes from individual memories). If there were no past, then there would be no future so consider this: What does this mean for how we write?

Hobbies

Hobbies are a great way to relax. They’re also a good way to learn new skills, meet new people and make friends, and stay healthy!

I’ve always been curious about what other people do in their free time. I had a coworker who would tell stories about how he’d learned how to play the drums by watching YouTube videos on his day off. 

At first, I thought it was weird that he’d want to spend his weekends doing something so different from what we did at work, but then it occurred to me that his hobby could be exactly what we need in our lives: something creative and fun!

It’s easy for us writers-at-home types (especially those of us who don’t have kids) to get stuck in our routines and before long we find ourselves staring out the window every time someone asks us what we did this weekend because “nothing” is still an answer better than admitting “Nothing.” 

But hobbies can help you break out of these ruts by encouraging you to try new things that are completely unrelated to writing or even work. You’ll never know where those interests might lead you!

An Actual Pen And Paper

If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard time and time again that writing is a form of meditation. But when I’m writing copy, especially when the words are flowing freely, it’s easy to get carried away by the rush of inspiration and forget that there are still many benefits to writing out your words on paper including these six:

Writing can help organize thoughts. It’s much easier for me to think about what I want to say with pen in hand than with fingers tapping away at my keyboard.

Writing helps focus. When I’m using my computer as a tool for writing, my attention is scattered across multiple windows and tabs (or even multiple devices). Writing by hand forces me into one place so that I can focus on what’s most important at the moment the copy itself!

The Pomodoro Method™️

The Pomodoro Method™️ is a time management technique developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It’s named after tomato-shaped kitchen timers, which Cirillo used to track his work sessions.

The basic idea behind this method is to focus on one task for 25 minutes, then take a short break. After four intervals of work and rest, you can take longer breaks as needed until your session ends at the end of the day.

Like most things that help me write copy effectively, this method helps me focus on what I’m doing without getting distracted by emails or other distractions that might pop up during my working hours (or even in between paragraphs).

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Neurological Organization Of My Thoughts

I’ve always been a big fan of the “neurological organization of my thoughts.” It’s important to me because it helps me focus on my ideas, and also because I love fancy words.

First, you need to find a quiet place to think in. Then close your eyes and take deep breaths for about ten minutes this will help you relax and let go of any stress that might be bothering you at the moment. Next, imagine your favorite movie in its entirety without actually watching it (you know what happens). 

After doing this for about twenty minutes, open up your laptop or notebook and start writing down everything that comes into your head! You may find yourself writing things like:

A list of all the places where I have lived before moving here three years ago

A song by The Beatles called “Yellow Submarine”

No matter how hard I try not to think about cake while eating dinner tonight there will always be cake nearby so why bother?

Removing Distractions From Life As Needed.

Whether it’s a phone call, an email, or even just a text message (in my case), you can always put your attention back to the task at hand. When I have a deadline looming and am getting stuck on what to write next, I’ll turn off my internet connection for a few hours so I can focus totally on writing. 

When I’m working on copy and feel like social media might be distracting me, I’ll close all of my tabs except one that has the content being written in it. These things may seem small but they’ve helped me focus when writing many times before!

Conclusion

I’ve found a lot of different ways to make writing easier, but none of them is a perfect solution. Sometimes I need music, sometimes I need silence; sometimes I want to write with my fingers and not with my eyes, and sometimes I need some way to organize my thoughts so that they don’t slip away from me. 

The point is not just to find what works for you, but also to be open to letting go of whatever doesn’t.

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources to explore for further insights into copywriting and related topics:

Common Copywriting Mistakes to Avoid: Discover key mistakes to steer clear of when crafting compelling copy that resonates with your audience.

8 Bad Copywriting Examples to Learn From: Learn from real-world bad copywriting examples and marketing fails to improve your own copywriting skills.

The Art of Good Copywriting: Delve into the principles of effective copywriting and gain insights on how to create persuasive and engaging content.

FAQs

What are some common copywriting mistakes to avoid?

Common copywriting mistakes include using vague language, neglecting to address the target audience’s needs, and failing to provide a clear call to action.

How can I learn from bad copywriting examples?

Studying bad copywriting examples can help you identify pitfalls to avoid, such as poor grammar, unclear messaging, and ineffective persuasion techniques.

What makes copywriting effective?

Effective copywriting involves understanding your audience, crafting compelling narratives, highlighting benefits, and using persuasive language to drive desired actions.

How do I improve my copywriting skills?

To enhance your copywriting skills, practice regularly, study successful copy, seek feedback, and stay updated on industry trends and best practices.

What role does psychology play in copywriting?

Psychological principles, such as creating urgency, addressing pain points, and appealing to emotions, can significantly influence the effectiveness of copywriting.