When he asked me to stay for lunch, my first thought was, no.
I had a ton of writing to do that afternoon, and I needed to get to it.
But after thinking about it for 3 seconds, I said, “Yeah, I’d love to.”
This spontaneous invitation had come from my friend and ukulele teacher, Ken. We’d just finished my weekly ukulele lesson. It was around 11:30 am. And his next student had canceled, so he invited me to stay for lunch. Salad, homemade split pea soup and turkey sandwiches. A feast!
I adore Ken. He’s been my funny friend for years now. He’s also the guitarist in my band and, as I mentioned, my ukulele teacher. And while there’s no romantic interest between us, we have a playful, flirty way of interacting. Which includes a good amount of sarcasm, humor and just plain silliness.
So, all through lunch we were talking, kidding, pretending to be mad, and laughing. A lot.
And here’s what happened next.
I went home and started writing copy for one of my clients. And I could tell, from the start, I was on fire. Smart sentences full of confident sass just came pouring out of me. And the final copy sizzled, sparkled and damn near did a pole dance on the page.
In one hour, I’d finished a project that would normally take all afternoon to write. And it was good. Really good.
All week long I’d been writing copy. Diligently. Determinedly. Devotedly. And I was getting some good work done.
But after my lunch with Ken, I was amazed at how easy and electric my writing became. I was riding a flirty, playful energy that made everything I wrote more alive, fresh, fun, confident, convincing… and sizzling hot.
Moral of the Story: If you want to write sizzling hot copy fast, flirt with a friend who won’t take it the wrong way. In other words… find a way a way to tap into your inner sassy self, the confident, playful flirt in you. And let your words come from there.
The more I write (and I’ve written almost every day for over 11 years now), the more I realize that annoying New Age truth is right on: energy is everything. Who you are “being” as you write is as important, if not more important, then what you are writing.
If you write your copy from an energy, attitude or state of being that is glum, tired, pressured or resentful, your copy may be acceptable. But it’s not going to be great. And it’s going to be a bitch to write. Every sentence will feel like a root canal.
But if you can tap into your feisty, frisky and flirtatious side, your confident, devil-may-care side, or your impassioned, heart-on-fire energy, and write from that energy… watch out! Your words will flow like molten lava and set the world on fire.
You’ll have to put a warning sign on every page that states: Caution! Highly flammable. Do not read near an open flame.”
My friend Pammie is also a copywriter. She once told me that before she writes any kind of sales copy, she pretends she’s dressed to the nines in a tasteful yet slinky cocktail dress, high heels and a diamond bracelet. Her hair is cascading down her back in a river of red curls. Her makeup is perfect. Her nails are polished. And she feels like the most seductive woman on earth.
Once she stirs up this energy of sexy confidence, she pretends she’s just met a handsome stranger and they start talking. They start talking about whatever she needs to write about. It could be ice fishing or coal mining or how to make kale smoothies. But she writes about it from this energy of the temptress, the flirt, the irresistible, witty and gorgeously confident woman she is at that moment.
Even though she’s sitting at her desk in her sweats with her hair in a frayed scrunchie.
This may sound like a silly exercise, or simply too much to do on a busy day when you’ve got to write something and write it fast. But the energy and attitude with which you write will infuse your copy. It will be felt by those who read it. But not only that. Your energy and state of being will influence your word choices, your ideas, and your overall creativity. As well as the power and confidence with which you knit all those things together.
I’ve been reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and there is one little chapter where she writes about courting creativity. How, when she’s feeling particularly sluggish, uninspired and unable to summon her muse, she gets out of her pajamas, takes a shower, gets dressed in some “decent clothes,” and puts on lipstick (and maybe even some perfume) in “an attempt to seduce creativity back to my side.” She writes…
“I always try to remind myself that I’m having an affair with my creativity, and I make an effort to present myself to inspiration like somebody you might actually want to have an affair with – not someone who’s been wearing her husband’s underwear around the house all week…”
Both of these rituals, Elizabeth’s and Pammie’s, are simply practical ways to tap into that sassy, saucy energy that can turn your writing from okay to outrageously seductive, creative and delightful to read. There are other ways to tap into this energy.
- Call up a funny friend, someone who sparks your playful, creative side. Someone who lifts you up and makes you laugh. Or someone who sets your heart on fire.
- Dance. Alone, but like you mean it. Wildly. With your whole body, your whole soul.
- Sing out loud. Again, like you mean it. With passion, heart and joy.
- Do something you’re really good at. Something that makes you smile inside.
Or steal from Pammie and Elizabeth. Take a shower, clean yourself up, get dressed to kill, and then write like the seductress or seducer you are.
What else? What else would help you tap into your confident, sassy, playful self before you write? Share your own ideas in the comments below.
If you dare.