Creative copywriting is not my strongest asset. Want to spell out your value proposition in a brochure or datasheet? I’m your guy. Want to brainstorm headlines for a new ad campaign? Well, I’ll give it a shot.
Mind you, I’m not satisfied with this. I’ve worked as a sports reporter and as an in-house B2B copywriter for an IT company. Neither gig really challenged me to improve as a creative writer.
So, I take matters into my own hands. I’m a big believer in stretching my boundaries by forcing artificial constraints – either time or space – on my writing.
For example, in the inaugural CopyBrawl, copywriters sold their favorite grocery item in 100 characters or less. It was that simple. And we saw some great contributions, like:
The Sunday New York Times
Everything you need to know about the 21st century, via 15th century technology.
I also like to play around with haikus. You know, three-line poems with five-syllable lines sandwiched around a seven-syllable line. Why haikus? Because the syllable structure really forces you to pick just the right word. That and because a Shakespearean sonnet wouldn’t fit in a tweet.
A few weeks ago I bombarded my Twitter followers with concert-hypin’ Twaiku reviews of Green Day albums like these ditties:
Dookie (1994)
Teens’ feelings checklist: / Boredom? Check. Loneliness? Check. / 90s me nods yes!Nimrod (1997)
Billie Joe grows old. / Anger. Resentment. Regret. / Aging for the lose.
Now it’s your turn! I do have the time to listen to your rhyme. Review your favorite album – Green Day or otherwise – in haiku form and post it in the comments below!