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Probably my most valuable writing advice:


A while back, VGC got a review...

“VeryGoodCopy is a source of good, inspirational content,” it read. “Eddie never runs out of good ideas.”

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I was grateful, of course. I read it and smiled. But the feeling was fleeting… 

Because it’s not true. 

Fact is, I’m constantly out of ideas, looking at a blank page and a blinking cursor and wondering, “What now?”

And usually, nothing comes to me. I just sit there, biting my nails, picking skin off my thumb. 

Eventually I get tired and go to The Well, a folder in my Google Drive, which has (literally) hundreds of docs, each a kernel, the very beginning of an article. And the more I scroll, the less anxious I feel, the more in control I feel. 

And therein lies probably my most valuable writing advice:

Be excellent at recording your ideas *as they come to you.*

Be draconian about it. I’ve made recording ideas in The Well an unbreakable habit, like a curse:

I pause movies…
I wake up at night…
I interrupt conversations… 

It’s a sacrifice. And it takes discipline. But the payoff is huge because having a “Well” of ideas always helps me start writing. 

And starting is the hardest part. 


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Hey there, thanks for reading. :)
If you want more “micro” content, feel free to explore 100s of articles, interviews, courses, and series — all free. 
Enjoy!
Eddie Shleyner 
VeryGoodCopy, founder
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