6 Methods Copywriters Use to Boost Their Confidence as a Writer
By: Al Roman
Tags: Copywriting, Confidence, Writing, Writer, Writing Tips

Writing has become a passion of mine in the past couple of years, and I did struggle a lot at first because I did not have a system in place to get some writing done. I didn’t know where to start and I wasn’t confident enough.

That’s why becoming confident in my writing has been one of my main priorities. I have probably mentioned this before, but English is my second language and it is also the reason I have decided to write in English, to practice my grammar and punctuation, and to get more confident with the language.

The beginning was tough, but persistence has paid off.

I recently came across an interview with one of my favorite writers and marketers, the great copywriter Gary Halbert. In the interview, he talks about a lot of topics, and one of them is writing. He goes on to explain some key elements and some limiting beliefs.

Listening to his interview gives me a lot of relief on some of the doubts I had, and he also provides some great tips on how to become confident with your writing.

Here are some of them that have helped me improve my writing and become more confident.

The Blah Blah Blah Method.

Gary Halbert and Eugene Schwartz are firm believers that writer’s block does not exist.

Let me explain…

Gary Halbert mentions that when he writes copy and he hit a point when he runs out of words, he continues writing “BLAH BLAH BLAH” on the paper. He does not stop, as he believes that this is the way to continue the flow of the writing and when the ideas come back, he writes it and continues with the flow.

The point is to not stop and to discipline yourself to keep the writing state in motion. Eugene Schwartz does something similar, he locks himself in a room for at least 35 min; he write nonstop until the time is up, no matter if what he is writing is incoherent, as I say the ideas is to get into the flow, you can always edit later.

2. On the first draft.

Another thing he mentions is that you shouldn’t care much about your first draft. Remember, your first draft is not your final product. This not only applies to writing but to everything; a business idea, or other products you may create.

The idea of your first draft should be just to put your ideas on paper. Forget about grammar and punctuation, or how clear your idea is.

“The first draft of anything is shit.” ― Ernest Hemingway

The first draft will always look ugly (I wish you could see mine while writing), but after you finish writing, you can always go back and fix things, readjust ideas, and edit. So don’t pressure yourself.

Just make sure you put your ideas on paper and write.

3. Write what you know.

I believe this is the key to not having writer’s block, well actually there are two: research and write what you know.

I have noticed in myself that every time that I try to write about a new topic or about something that I’m not familiar with I always struggle, the reason being that I don’t know much about it and that is hard to form the idea.

Now if I do the opposite, it’s different.

When I write about some experience or something that I have a wealth of knowledge in, it is suddenly very easy for me to write.

Bear in mind that most writers are also big readers, so they fill their minds with a lot of information and formulate their ideas from it.

That’s why you should care about what you write. For example, the purpose of my content is to help others become more confident about the things they are trying to start throughout my own experiences. That’s why I prioritize learning and experimenting, so I am better able to acquire more experience to teach others.

Don’t just write for the sake of writing. Care about your readers and give them your best.

4. Ask for help.

You can always ask someone to review your writing before you publish something. And you should, in fact. You can ask a friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend, family. Just let someone see the article. Admittedly, this is something that is difficult for me to do, because sometimes my ego gets in my way and doesn’t let me do the things I should do. But I have gotten better.

Don’t let anything stop you, ask for help for tips, and do what is necessary to achieve the level of writing that you want.

5. Practice

Now, what use would all these tips be if you don’t practice your writing?

This past month I set a goal to write at least one hour daily, no matter if I finish or not. At a minimum, I had to write for an hour a day.

The idea is to become better, and this can only be achieved by writing and practicing my craft.

Since I started doing this, I have noticed a lot of improvements in my writing, my ideas, and how easy it has become, and the best of all, it is not as painful as it was in the past.

6. Take time check for spelling mistakes

Now, once you have done all of this, it is time to take a small break. Yes, disconnect yourself from your writing, for a couple of hours or a day if it is necessary.

When you have finished with your first draft, you should at least let a day pass, and then go back with your head clear to revise and fix your spelling and grammar mistakes.

Give it some time and read it out loud. Then stop, take a break, go back, and revisit it again.

This will help you clarify your idea and find things that need improvement.