A subscriber inquires…

QUESTION: When I read your material, it feels like you’re right there talking to me in person. I know you didn’t come out the womb with a pen in hand writing like this, so what did you do to develop your writing style.

BEN: I have three answers for you.

People serious about wanting to get better at writing will bite the bullet and OBEY the following advice.

And everyone else?

They’ll SPURN it!

Figure it’s too hard.

Pronounce it too much work.

And resume their quest for a “shiny new object” way to write (like putting a book about writing under their pillow and learning via “osmosis”).

Whatever the case, here’s the advice…

1. I mindlessly wrote Gary Halbert ads out by hand

That includes all his ads I could get my hands on… many of his newsletter issues (especially the ones that were disguised sales pitches) and even one of his books (The Boron Letters).

I recommend doing this with your favorite copywriter.

Especially mail order writers.

(Stay way from Internet copywriters — too sloppy).

The second answer is…

2. Write!

Write, write, write, write, write!

The more you write, the better you’ll be.

That whole 10,000 hours thing is really true (i.e. if you want to master something, do it for 10,000 hours). This is why I suggest practicing via daily emails to your list “Email Players” — www.EmailPlayers.com — style. Not only will you get better at writing extremely fast… but you’ll make some more of the green stuff, too.

(“Earn while you learn”, baby!)

3. Write like you talk

If you want to write in a conversational tone… have a conversation with your audience.

Yes, warts and all.

And that’s it.

Maybe not the most inspiring advice.

But hard work rarely is inspiring…

Ben Settle