The writer I learned how to create “action copy” from
Published: Mon, 06/21/21
My answer:
Believe it or not, the first resource I learned it from was before I even knew what copywriting was, much less from a copywriting or marketing book. There was a specific comicbook writer starting back in the late 80’s/early 90’s I spent hours and hours reading his stories and interviews, imbibing his way of constructing & pacing his storylines… and absorbing his style for keeping things moving by “osmosis.” I’m talking about a guy who has had a clear and lasting influence on how I go about trying to create writing that doesn’t let up, and keeps things moving as smoothly and quickly as possible in emails, ads, books, fiction, and other content. A guy whose content I mindlessly consume, re-read, and even (to this day) study. A guy who taught me - via studying his work, not personally - far more about this part of writing than probably any copywriting books or courses.
Who is the writer I speak of?
Mr. Chuck “The Legend” Dixon.
And from observing & studying this great man of comicbook writing's work I learned the art & craft of…
Action writing!
In other words:
Writing in a way where things are always moving.
Where there’s always some kind of tension.
And where, when done right, that tension hopefully grabs a reader by the scruff of the brain, and can drag him through 5, 10, 15, 20, even 30 or more pages of sales copy, or 1000+ word emails… without ever letting the reader pause, get distracted, or even use the bathroom. Your Pal & long-suffering Narrator honed this skill without even realizing it almost exclusively studying Chuck Dixon comicbook stories, reading articles about him, mindlessly examining his plots & dialogue, and obsessively pouring over every interview I could find with the man.
And by the way:
Even if you don’t know who Chuck Dixon is, chances are you have been entertained and/or influenced by his work. In fact, unless I misheard what he said on a video last year... someone was able to calculate that Chuck Dixon is officially the single most prolific comicbook writer who ever lived.
Can't say I'm shocked either.
For example:
He was the co-creator of Bane from the Batman comics & movies. And he has also written stories for pretty much all the most well-known characters at both Marvel & DC & other major comicbook publishers — including The Punisher & Batman… GI Joe & Conan the Barbarian… Spawn, Green Arrow, The Lone Ranger, The Simpsons, SpongeBob Square Pants, and even Raggedy Ann & Andy. Not to mention dozens and dozens of other beloved and well-known characters over the past 30+ years of his career. He is also the only person who has ever been allowed to adapt "The Hobbit" into a graphic novel, which the Tolkien estate did not allow lightly.
I cannot possibly exaggerate this man’s impact on my writing.
Or on the industry as a whole.
Any “action copywriting” skill I have came mostly from studying his work, in many ways.
More:
If you want to learn some valuable writing advice directly from this great man of comics’ brain for less than the cost of an overpriced coffee at Star-shmucks each month, there is a secret website hosted in Switzerland where you can listen to some 80+ videos Chuck Dixon has done and adds more to on a regular basis.
Most of these videos are about the comicbook industry and entertainment.
But I have found almost all of the content is either directly or indirectly applicable to writing emails, sales copy, and content — including getting clients, breaking into industries, and solving tough writing problems.
For example:
The video about his personal favorite characters to write (which range from The Punisher to Lisa Simpson) is like a power lesson in how to think of a customer avatar — with the Punisher part laying out what is basically a proven sales letter structure, in my opinion. His "The Slob Hero" video is another incredibly useful customer avatar if you sell to blue collar customers. His “Stupid things writers say” video is especially fun, how it shows the foolishness of studying or even quoting Joseph Campbell as some kind of storytelling ex-spurt. Plus, I’d also argue his “how to break into the industry” videos are applicable to getting clients of all stripes and sizes if you are a copywriter, coach, or other kind of freelancer. I am also currently reading some books he recommends in one of the videos from some grizzled old screenwriters, that are as fascinating and genuinely useful for writing as any other resources I’ve ever seen on the
subject.
And if that isn't enough:
His videos inspired me to turn my Enoch Wars novels into comicbook graphic novels.
As well as experiment with ads in comicbook form. Incidentally, the first time I did that was for the October 2019 issue with great success. And I am having some more drawn - even as I type this now - that will appear in several upcoming "Email Players" issues.
Anyway, I could on and on.
I cannot recommend studying Chuck Dixon’s work enough.
However, before I tell you how to get these videos, a warning:
I am not an affiliate for this site, nor do I know the people who run it.
I also don't get paid or benefit in any way whether you buy or not.
And I have zero connection with the site other than being a customer.
I say this because whenever I promote someone else - as an affiliate or just as a fan like this email is doing - a gaggle of people will inevitably think I'm the help desk, even when I am obviously not. So if you have any problems with the videos for some reason, don't bug me with them, it ain't my site.
I’m merely the Dixon "dealer" here.
Just a fan spreading the gospel of Dixon's writing brilliance.
All right, enough.
To access all this Chuck Dixon content today do this:
1. Go to the URL below
2. Choose the “The Legend Subscription”
Here’s the link:
https://www.EmailPlayers.com/chuckdixon
Ben Settle