How One Copywriter Discovered His Writing Rhythm

When you write for a living you don’t have the luxury of waiting until you’re “inspired” to write. You write and meet client deadlines or you starve.

There’s no third option. If you fail to deliver on time then you convey an unspoken message, “I don’t always keep my word,” and clients hate that.

So the question is, “What do you do when you have writer’s block?”

I can only speak for myself and tell you what works best for me. Ask another a copywriter and he’ll probably tell you something different. The key is to find what works for YOU.

Personally, I don’t allow writer’s block to keep me from writing. I believe in conditioning my writing muscles so I can write anytime, anywhere. I want to share with you exactly how I do this.

The Schwartz Copywriting Method

Let me tell you, I didn’t invent this idea. I learned it from copywriting legend Eugene Schwartz. The Schwartz method works like this.

Schwartz would set a kitchen timer for 33:33 minutes (33 minutes and 33 seconds) and during this time he could only do one of three things:

1. Drink his coffee

2. Stare at the wall

3. Write

When the timer buzzed he would stop (drinking, staring or writing) and take a short break. He would repeat this process until he got 3 1/2 hours of writing in every morning.

So I decided to try his method out and here is what I found.

It works!

At least for me it does. I do my best writing in the morning so from about 9:00-12:30 I write using the Schwartz method. I use a countdown timer on my phone. And I allow myself to stare at the wall OR the window (I have a nice view of the trees). But I don’t allow myself to get up from my desk during this time (even if my coffee gets cold!).

I’ve found when I write like this I get far more done then any other method I’ve tried. I also feel like it gets  me into my writing rhythm.

Could it work for you?

You never know unless you try. But if you do try it — do it right. When you set the timer resist the urge to check your email and Twitter. And don’t go warm up your coffee. You’re trying to form a habit remember? If your income is tied to your ability to write quality content then you need to take some extreme measures to develop your own copywriting rhythm.

If you think you’re going to wait for the muse to write you might as well start looking for a new job. The professional copywriter cannot afford to wait around idly for “inspiration” to strike. You must learn to strike first and then perhaps “inspiration” will pay you a visit.

So that’s how I developed my writing rhythm but how about you? Do you have a system or method that helps you be more productive when you write?