Copywriting in the Bleak Midwinter – Finding Inspiration in the Grey Months
This isn't a brilliant time of year for being creative. Probably the fact that it's cold, bleak and frequently raining. But work doesn't stop for the weather, and there's copy to be written. So what's a penslinger to do when the well of creativity has dried up?
Insulting, Self-Deprecating, Mistargeted: The Joy of Rule-Breaking Copy
I'm one of those sad people. I read the back of cereal boxes, the blurb on DVD cases and the labels on beer bottles. And they all tend to follow the same boring copywriting rules. And then I cracked open a beer I hadn't tried before. And it told me to put the beer down...
How to Criticise Your Creative
If you want stunning copy or a striking design, communication is critical. You're going to cast your eye over a first draft, and you're going to give an opinion. If you do this right, you're on the way to having a truly amazing piece of work created. If you do it wrong, you'll be lucky...
What Being a Leeds United Fan Can Teach You About Writing
Football and writing, two of my favourite things. Amongst the angst, the heartbreak and the freezing cold Tuesday night defeats at Elland Road I've learnt stuff. Things that you won't pick up at Old Trafford.
Because there are some lessons that only Leeds United can teach.
KFC Copy – Fist Bitin’ Bad
If you're selling a healthy alternative to your MSG-laden grease chunks, you might want to try and avoid mentioning "reproductive harm".
Can You Afford To Use These Strapline and Headline Cliches?
Straplines. Some people are brilliant at them. They just leap out of bed thinking "Where do you want to go today? Premier Inn? Everything's premier but the price. Just do it! I'm lovin' it."
I am not one of those people.
The Copywriter’s Ten Commandments
Ok, this isn't Mount Sinai, and I'm no Moses, but I've spent a while with my giant stone tablets and trusty chisel. The results were poorly carved, to say the least, so I decided that a blog post would be a much more efficient way to pass down the ten commandments of the copywriter
How Long Does a Blog Post Need to Be?
Does a blog post need to be thousands of words long, pre-empting every potential query?
Five Tweets That Teach You How to be a Writer
You can’t say much in a Tweet. 140 characters won’t change the world. But they might change the way you think. Just five Tweets could be enough to show you how to be a writer.
Guest Post: No Running, No Diving and No Heavy Linking
Being offered a guest post can be a confusing situation. It’s like going into someone’s home for the first time; you’re not quite sure about the house etiquette. Should I take my shoes off in the hall? Where do I put my coat? Which chair should I sit in? With social etiquette very much in...
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