Posts from — July 2008

The blog went under an impromtu re-design tonight, inspired by an awesome theme from chris pearson. I like it, and it’s getting there. But do you guys have any ideas? Anything else I should tweak? Any suggestions as to what should go in the header?

Most Ad copy sucks. But I just saw this one for True.com on my facebook page: “who you love is your business. How you find love is ours.” Now THAT is great copy. I’ll probably never use their service - then again maybe I will - but regardless, they deserve some serious props for that one.

Well done, guys!

I look up to Stephen King, as a writer at least. I don’t love his stuff (I’m not much into horror stories or thrillers), and tell you the truth, I haven’t read many of his books. But without a doubt, he’s a top professional, and he’s wicked good at what he does. Best of all, he’d know exactly what I just said – ‘wicked good’ is just part of the vocabulary of a rough man grown up in Maine… working in a carpenters family, and doing night-shift at the mill (at least before his popular success). He doesn’t waste words, and he doesn’t dance around any points. He just writes good stories and good books.

One of them, my favorite, is On Writing, his own how-to book for aspiring novelists. It’s a great read, and really, has been integral in the formation of my own writing (as much as a single book or teacher can be). In it, he analogizes writing to a toolbox. You work to develop specific skills (vocabulary, grammar, dialogue), and as you get them, you put them in your writing toolbox. Then, you lug it around with you, and use the proper tools in their proper place to get the job done.

I like the analogy. First, because it works. And second, because it underlines the point: writing is not about genius inspiration. It’s about building stuff - about communicating ideas and stories as simply as possible. It’s more a carpenters job than it is a divine right. I think that’s cool. Keep in mind that King is talking fiction, but it works for startup copy too. And I talk about it here – I say that EVERYBODY’S a writer… it just takes a straight-forward approach, a little work, and of course, a couple lessons from the farm.

But lest the bigger picture get lost here. Copy may be about just doing it (and doing it simply); working hard until you have the right company or personal brand. Hell, I think that’s most of it. But it’s also more. It is, in some (if not many) cases, the lifeline of your brand. It can be really bad (and believe me, it can), but it also can be GREAT. I’ll let King explain - he writes, after the toolbox analogy (and before he goes ahead), that: “We are talking about tools and carpentry, about words and style… but as we move along, you’d do well to remember that we are also talking about magic.”

We’re talking about working-class copy. About getting your point across, and getting it across well. But we’re also talking about magic. About the written word becoming more than the the letters, sentences, and paragraphs combined. About it tapping into pieces of universal truth that inspire, frighten, or delight the reader. For fear of sounding whimsical (it’s copy here… not the next Gatsby!), I think that’s true.

What if it is true? Then you’d be better off keeping magic in the back of your head. Don’t get off track - don’t go looking for the creative fairy to bless your every word (she won’t come on command anyway). Keep your head down, and work hard to create good copy and a good brand. Do it right, and every once and awhile, you may just get a visit.