Saturday’s email about 24’s copywriting secrets struck a small nerve.
Been getting emails from lots of 24 fans (yep, the Tony Almada thing shocked me, too)…
… as well as from people saying how dumb I am for wasting my time watching the “boob tube” at all.
In fact, some people are all but telling me my TV is the devil, and if I unplugged it, threw it out the window and got back to work, I’d make much more moolah.
Well, I ain’t so sure about that.
I agree TV can be a vicious “IQ killer.”
I agree watching a bunch of TV’ll dull your brain.
And I agree a LOT of TV has become a moral swamp.
What I DON’T agree with is not watching TV at all.
In fact, I think people who take this “TV is the devil” attitude are shooting themselves in the pinkie toe.
Why?
Well, for one thing, there’s a LOT of idea “fodder” on TV.
I’ve batted out some of my best ideas for headlines, sales letter themes and specific ways of describing things after watching shows like 24, Prison Break, Smallville, Supernatural, Lost, etc.
Something happens when watching certain shows that keep you engaged that lets your subconscious “slip” you ideas.
Eugene Schwartz talked about this in his famous Rodale speech.
How your conscious mind can only hold a few memory “bytes”…
… and the billions of other “bytes” in your subconscious (which constantly soaks up information through your 5 senses) will give you all kinds of inspiration and ideas and solutions if you let it.
This happens to me a LOT when watching certain shows.
And I highly enjoy having marathon weekends watching this stuff.
Usually I end up with a whole arsenal of fresh new ideas for my ads, sales letters, newsletters, products and anything else I’m working on.
I also get a sense of what words, phrases, and ideas people are using so I can harness them for my stuff.
Look, I’m not saying to glue yourself to the TV 24/7.
That would be a nuts-o thing to do.
All I’m saying is use the idiot-box as a “power tool” for writing better copy.
It’s no different than the Internet (an even BIGGER wasteland than the boob tube), reading popular magazines or going to blockbuster movies.
These things let you see what ideas people are responding to.
And if you know how to use them… you’ll get almost unlimited ideas for your ads.
Ben Settle
P.S. If you find this subject interesting, then be sure to check out “The Copywriting Grab Bag” when it’s released. Chapter 2 covers another way of getting almost unlimited ideas for your projects that’s actually more entertaining and fun than watching movies or TV.
A way I actually used an hour ago to write this email.
To be notified when it’s ready, go to:
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I’m with Ben all the way on this.
Watching TV can help you keep your finger on the pulse of society.
Funny ass shows can also relieve any tension you’ve built up from rarin’ all day while working.
But when you use TV to distract yourself from important issues you’ve been neglecting in your life, that’s when you need a boob tube intervention.
Maybe some of you have seen the movie “Taladega Nights” and some of you haven’t. In this show Will Ferrel is a race car driver with an ego bigger than Trumps. He has a best friend who also races with him but always settles for 2nd place.
He helps Will’s character by keeping any other racer from passing him. One time after celebrating a victory, Will’s best friend mentions that sometimes he feels like he’d like to win a race.
Will responds by telling him that this is a bad idea. He tells him to bury it deep down inside himself and don’t let it come out again.
I’ve let TV do this with issues in my life before.
I’ve laid for hours on the couch repressing the messages from my mind that were trying to get me to reach toward my higher self and become a better person. To do what ordinary people won’t. To make tough decisions and risk failure.
If you’re watching TV for extended of periods just so you don’t have to face reality… you’ve got a problem. If zoning out is your reward for handling business and you use this time for the dual purpose of loading up your subconscious with great lingo and references for either how to act or not to act I believe you’re letting TV serve you.
Yes, I said how to act.
If I’m watching a cooking show, I can model the behavior and become a better chef for myself. If I watch biographies of amazing people I can stock away references of what it takes to become extraordinary. And some fictional TV shows can offer you copywriting wisdom.
One I have in mind is Boston Legal. Remember, everything said on screen was written first. It flowed from the finger tips of a writer not too unlike you. The writer had to sit and contemplate what words would move their audience into a trance.
Sound familiar?
If there was only one thing you paid attention to in this show it would be the language used by the lawyers to make their arguments in court. The words and phrases they use to persuade a jury and judge are the same ones you can plug into your copy to bring the tone of conviction and authority to it.
Let TV help you.
Note Taking Nerd #2
http://www.mynotetakingnerd.wordpress.com
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