Today I started reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and came across the method he used to learn how to write better, which I thought was ingenious.
- Take a short piece of writing you find to be particularly eloquent, moving, and/or persuasive.
- On a blank sheet of paper, take notes about each sentence or paragraph, expressing the sentiment and tone of the passage.
- Put the original writing and your notes away for a day or two.
- Take out your sheet of notes and attempt to recreate the writing.
- Once you've finished, bring back the original and compare it side-by-side with your attempted reproduction.
- Note where the differences are and of the differing passages, determine if the original's or yours are better and determine why.
- Repeat with different types of writing until you're constantly producing well-written pieces.
This seems like a great way to learn copywriting. I'm going to raid my swipe file and try this experiment over the next week or so. I imagine it will be tedious, but if it works, it will be well worth the effort.
