I’m feeling lazy today.

It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.

And today is one of those days. Perhaps I’m feeling this way because I’ve just come off several high-energy, fast-turnaround projects that required a lot of focus and creativity.

The projects were grand, for sure, but they drained me in a way. At least temporarily.

So now it’s time to put something back. It’s time for me to get re-energized.

And, for me, the way to do that is to give into the laziness just a bit.

I ticked away at a couple of small projects earlier today, put my ‘out of office’ on and now I’m refueling my creative juices by NOT working, by NOT writing, by NOT honing my craft.

Instead, I’m baking pumpkin scones, doing some deep cleaning and going for a walk with my husband.

On a work day?!!??!!

Yep. And guilt free, I might add.

Because I know that when I take time (a day, a half day or even an hour) to refuel, I come back rested, refreshed and renewed. I come back with so much more to give physically, mentally and creatively.

I come back ready to write. And write well.

When’s the last time you were lazy in order to get more productive?

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I love Dr. Phil. I find his common-sense approach appealing. In fact, one of my favorite “Dr. Phil-isms” is this:

You can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge.

That works for pretty much everything. Including writing.

Which is why I ask my coaching clients to complete a SWOT analysis of their writing.

If writing is a part of your job in any way, I encourage you to take stock of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. In addition to being pleasantly reminded (I hope) of your skills, talents and capabilities, you’ll have some insight into which qualities you can use to their best advantage, and which areas need improvement.

Here’s an example of a SWOT analysis to help you complete your own:

One of my personal weaknesses is overuse of cliches. But because I know I have that tendency I’m vigilant to watch for them and rework my copy accordingly.

Spend time taking an honest look at your writing abilities, then look for tips, ideas, blog posts, articles, ezines, books, coaching opportunities and workshops that help you address your specific areas.

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My guest  blogger Marcia Yudkin shares how to spark creative thinking when faced with writing about the boring, the mundane and the tedious.

Spruce Up Boring Product/Service Descriptions With Variety, Voice and Verve
by Marcia Yudkin

Sigh. You have another 17 product descriptions to go for your web site or catalog. You realize the reader was yawning long ago, and you’re going to scream for not knowing how to avoid making every widget sound the same.

To the rescue! Here’s a quick checklist to help you inject variety and freshness into your copy:

• What problem does the widget solve, and for whom?
• How long has the widget been selling steadily, and why?
• What uses or occasions is the widget especially appropriate for?
• Where would you normally find one of its ingredients or components being used?
• What doesn’t the widget have, which makes it superior?
• It’s a cross between a what and a what?
• How will the user feel when using it?
• What does this widget go well with?
• What kind of testing went into making the widget?
• Why might you want more than one widget?
• Why is the price so reasonable?

Now look at your list of answers and choose one or more ideas that provide an appealing angle. Add the practical facts like how big and how much, and you’re done.

No matter how prosaic the item, no matter how similar it is to other items, ingenuity can make it stand up and wave “Buy me!” to a shopper.

Marcia Yudkin, author of Persuading on Paper and 10 other books, specializes in compelling, yet hype-free copywriting. This article is adapted from her report, 73 Ways to Describe a Widget: Never Be Brain Dead Again When Having to Write Catalog Copy or Sales Material.

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Sharing this from today’s Get Great Copy e-newsletter:

With each passing January, I realize just how long I’ve been writing. I say it’s been 20+ years but it’s really been a lifetime.
 
At the age of 3, I became a self-proclaimed writer by scribbling “mmmm” on a piece of paper. At the age of 10, I submitted a handwritten short story to (and got my first rejection from) our local newspaper’s Sunday magazine. In college, I wrote resumes and bad, angst-filled poetry. At my first real job, I wrote anything and everything from TV scripts to commercials to taglines to correspondence.
 
And then there were the days of typing and mimeographing midterms for my college work-study program where I earned the nickname “Machine Gun” for my super-fast typing skills; the days of the literal cut-and-paste style of editing at a regional magazine; and the days of interviewing a little-known Tim Zagat about the Zagat Survey’s move to something strange, new and wonderful called the World Wide Web.
 
Suffice it to say, I’ve seen a lot of changes in the way we prepare the written word for consumption.
 
Yet, some things never change …

• Always create copy for your intended audience.
• Make your copy informative and interesting to read.
• Create well-organized, easy-to-follow sentences and paragraphs using language that’s easily understood.

And some things do change (thankfully) …

• It’s perfectly acceptable to end a sentence in a preposition.
• Fragments are okay. Even desired. Honest.
• It’s best to write the way we speak. Yuh huh.

So let me venture a few predictions — trends, really — that should, from my perspective, impact or change copy and the approach to it in 2009.
 
Consumer-Generated Content Expands
Look for more companies to open the way for both B2C and B2B audiences to participate in real dialogue with them. Watch for more brands to use Twitter to generate conversation starters — conversations that will find their way into the copy strategy behind television commercials, print ads and web content.
 
Video Content Surges
The popularity of video as entertainment will give way to video as critical communication tool. In the early months and years, however, video content strategy will be overlooked or under-resourced by everyone but the most savvy marketers.
 
The Value of Original Content Rises
Consumers will continue to demand fresh, thought-provoking content, which will require an investment in resources and a commitment to quality where copy is concerned. If consumers don’t get it? They’ll be extremely vocal about finding it elsewhere or creating it themselves.
 
Content Aggregation Grows
Content aggregation sites like Alltop.com will drive businesses to use human content aggregation to better organize their own content in ways that are more meaningful to audiences.
 
Mobile Content Extends Its Reach
Demand for mobile content delivery will become more urgent — which means more companies need to make their web sites and blogs phone-friendly.
 
SEO & Content Get Happily Married
Companies will become zealous about balancing the need for optimizing online copy for search with the need to publish copy that’s relevant and interesting to audiences.
 
Total Team Education Becomes High Priority
Companies will happily invest in expert-led training workshops and resources, especially as it relates to social media and Web 2.0 strategies.
 
Partnerships Form, Storm, Norm & Perform
Collaboration between companies and outside resources, such as web copy experts, communication strategists and online media buyers, will grow exponentially as companies realize the bottom line benefit of niche-based strategic planning.
 
Agree or disagree with my predictions? Post a comment to voice your opinion.

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