The writing trick Jack London, Hunter S. Thompson, and Benjamin Franklin used to excel at their craft
Published: Fri, 05/29/20
Once upon a time a copywriter I know went around bragging about never having written out a Gary Halbert ad by hand. This person said it to imply they had so much natural talent at writing copy they didn’t need to.
Let’s just say it was obvious this person had never done so, too.
And, in my scraggly opinion, it was also obvious tbis person would have been better served if they had done it.
Here’s the point:
While you certainly don't have to do it, I can tell you from hours and hours of mindlessly copying out the sales letters of truly great copywriters, there is likely no faster way to get good — and I mean truly good — at writing copy than doing this exercise. The late, great Gary Halbert described the phenomenon of copying out the writing of great copywriters as “neurological imprinting”, since it gives your brain the experience of doing great writing.
You also imbibe the flow, rhythm, and structure of great persuasive ads, too.
And lest you are rolling your eyes thinking this is just some copywriting myth:
I have since learned this way of learning writing, grammar, and punctuation, was how some schools back in the 18th and 19th centuries in America taught kids how to write. Incidentally, I once saw a test for 8th graders from the 1800’s. And I doubt 1 out of 1000 (no exaggeration) adults today would pass that test. People were simply better educated and had higher IQs back then. I have also heard tell that copying out great writing by hand was one way writers like Jack London, Hunter S. Thompson, and even Benjamin Franklin did to help excel at their craft.
As far as whose writing to copy out by hand?
There are lots to choose from.
I talk about the copywriters I did this with in the June “Email Players” issue. And, if you want to do it with the same ones, simply turn to page 7.
And if you want to learn a ho’ bunch of other persuasive writing tricks for getting better, faster, and more successful at writing copy, read the entire issue multiple times, while implementing what it teaches.
It ain’t easy, and it takes time, patience, and character.
But without those 3 attributes, you won’t last long up in this business anyway.
Here’s where to subscribe before the looming deadline:
http://www.EmailPlayers.com
Ben Settle