We all get writer’s block at some point, whether we’re copywriters, creative writers, novelists or bloggers. And these ‘blocks’ aren’t always limited to users of the pen. They can happen whichever creative path you’ve chosen and it can be tough to crack. As a copywriter, it’s more likely that a lack of inspiration can take hold.
It’s an engaging concept as a copywriter. With each project, we’re thrust into a brand new world that piques our interest and keeps our creative juices flowing. On the flip side, we can be racking our brains, staring at a blank page, and desperate to string a few coherent sentences together.
Thorough research, planning, and some considered thinking should see us through. We’ll all struggle now and again to find the right word or make a particular sentence or paragraph work well. But when we’re totally stuck, having a resource of books to fall back on is a great way to get inspiration when we need it most.
Books and inspiration
A good dictionary and thesaurus are invaluable and essential tools for writers everywhere. But over the years, I’ve found and had recommendations for several books and authors that give motivation and inspiration in bucket loads. And not just for writing.
Who do You rate?
I discovered the name of Dave Trott by accident. An infographic appeared in the DMA’s Great British Copywriting Campaign book, asking which copywriters do copywriters rate*. As Dave’s unassuming name was top of that list by some margin, I Googled him to find out who the hell he was.
Turns out he was a copywriter, an ex-ad executive and creative director, blogger for Campaign and all-round Eastend good bloke. So off to Amazon I clicked to pick up Predatory Thinking. An amazing collection of stories and anecdotes. So simply written, it gives you brain food on how to get ahead of the game to outwit your competitors in business and life.
His follow up, One Plus One Equals Three, didn’t disappoint either. More thought-provoking tales written in Trott’s matter-of-fact style. This time dealing with creative problems and how to look at things from a different perspective to get a fresh angle on things. I can see why he came top of that list.
Paul Arden was another recommendation, this time by fellow copywriter @VikkiRossWrites. His books Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite and It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be tell us to go completely against the grain of common sense, take risks and just enjoy our creative output.
Learn from the best
Arden’s titles may not instantly roll off the tongue. But alongside Trott’s contributions, they’re more than deserving of space on any creative’s bookshelf. All next to the likes of James Victore, David Ogilvy, Robert Bly and plenty of others. These blokes all know a thing or two. To say their combined output is inspiring would be an understatement. Trust them. They’ll get your creative juices flowing again.
Three industry heavyweights chime in!
*It has to be said that, though this list contains writers whose work I’m familiar with through their books, several are included that, to my knowledge, don’t have books at all – they just write great copy.
