When I was learning to write copy, I was told something that wasn’t quite true.

I don’t happen to think it was intentional.

It’s probably more a case of “they simply didn’t know any better” … or that they “didn’t think to question a readily accepted truth.”

But I did because it’s in my nature to question things.

I don’t question things in a scathing, or aggressive way. It’s more like a “Quantumplative” way.

I like to deep dive into ideas and see what makes them tick.

And of course, when it comes to copywriting, I’ve dived to the depths… and then some.

The truth is, it was no real surprise to me when I found that there was something missing in this commonly accepted copy concept.

So, what could I possibly know that all the copy veterans and gurus seem to have missed? (Well, I can’t say that they actually missed it. They may know it and implement it… but they haven’t made it public. There’s a lot of hidden knowledge in every industry. And copywriting is no different.)

Well, here’s what I was told when I was learning to write copy.

Most conventional copy schools of thought say that when you write there is the writer and the editor. And when you write you need to keep these 2 parts of yourself separate.

And the reason is… because the editor will get in the way of the writer’s flow. And the writer will be precious about what the editor cuts.

I totally agree with the existence of these two parts.

But where things got awkward was when I was using the writer to also do the research and come up with the big idea.

Because the writer would try to “copify” the studies, research and findings… and not see their true potential.

You see, when you are in writer phase, you are trying to make things catchy and interesting to keep the reader reading. The writer tries to turn everything into headlines, fascinations and chunks of compelling copy. And that’s their job.

But while you are doing that… you miss the way ideas play together naturally. And you even stop them from cross pollinating and becoming something different than you expected.

And it’s because you are trying to fit everything into the copywriting model of the world.

So, that made me start to think there could be a missing part in the writing process.

And after a lot of searching and listening to other writers’ creative processes… I found out who was supposed to do the creative work.

Now you may be wondering, if the writer is not adequately equipped to allow the research to develop in to something special and come up with the big idea… then who is?

Well, I’d like to introduce you to the…

“Creative” (or “Muse” or any other name of awesomeness you want to think of).

And the beauty of the Creative is, they aren’t trying to “copify” anything. They’re simply seeing how they can connect all the research etc., in an interesting and unique way.

When the Creative is at work… the writer and editor are nowhere to be seen.

Which is a good thing, because that way the Creative can work with what’s in front of them… not through the filter of a different phase of the process.

So, despite what I was told about the copywriting process only having 2 different roles… I found there are in fact 3.

Now people may think I am splitting hairs or trying to stamp my name on copywriting by creating something “new” … but if they said that, they don’t know me at all.

If I was trying to do that… I’d be pitching you a course. And I’m not.

The truth is, there are probably more ways we could split up the roles… but 3 works for me. (We could throw in a Researcher before the Creative, but I think these 2 roles merge with each other seamlessly.)

Working with 3 distinct roles helps me to know who I need to be in each phase…

The Creative collates, compares and percolates the information. Then they come up with the big idea and the hook that the Writer will turn into compelling copy.

The Writer then takes the seed of the idea the Creative found and uses all the copy skills they possess to create compelling copy. Their job is to bang out a “dirty first draft” for the editor to polish and turn into a marketing masterpiece.

Then the Editor goes through the copy with fine tooth comb and makes sure the sentences and paragraphs deliver on the expectations of the reader. And checks there are transitions to guide the reader smoothly towards the call to action.

It’s important that these roles don’t overlap or try to exert their authority over each other.

Because if they do, there is a noticeable struggle in the copy.

If the Writer tries to influence or interfere with the Creative… the hook can become cheesy and the big idea can be diluted… And it won’t have the “legs” to carry the whole package.

Then the Writer will have trouble expanding on the big idea. They’ll have trouble writing the copy (especially when it’s long copy) and may even suffer from writer’s block… which we all know only happens when you don’t know enough about what you’re writing about.

And then the editor has a bigger job to do.

But if you keep them separated… it works way better.

My mentees find writing much easier after I explain this concept to them.

And if they have any trouble separating the roles, I tell them to get 3 different hats… and physically change them as they change roles.

It may sound a bit silly, but if it works for them and helps them write better, then I’m all for it.

I have met a lot of copywriters who were struggling with the 2-role model… but when I told them about the third role, something snapped into place for them.

Now this is a lot about copywriting… but it’s also relevant to other aspects of business and life.

Because what it comes down to is…

Knowledge Nugget #182:
Separate Roles That
Don’t Play Well Together

No one is just one thing.

We all wear multiple hats and play many different roles in our lives.

Occasionally they work well together. And other times they need to be kept away from each other.

Here’s a few examples…

When I make my jewellery, I separate the designer part of myself from the craftsman. And that works better, because the craftsman often doesn’t think certain designs will work.

And the designer wouldn’t be happy that the craftsman has changed their design a bit to make it work.

Recently when I did the Stand-Up Comedy course, I needed to separate the writer from the performer. The writer came up with some clever material and word play… but there’s a huge difference between how words look on paper and how they sound when you perform them.

So, I needed to get these 2 parts of the process to work together… by keeping them separated.

And the result was a good performance with good solid material.

Often in business we’ll need to separate our creative mind (right side of the brain) from our logical mind (left side of the brain) so we can get the best results.

And in our personal lives we need to separate the roles we play so we can have a happier life. E.g. you don’t play the parent role with your partner, and you don’t play the partner role with your kids.

Human beings are complex creatures, and sadly we don’t come with an “Owner’s Manual.” But by seeing what works for other people, we can then optimize what works for us.

That’s what I do all the time.

So, if only having 2 different roles in your writing process works for you… then keep doing it.

Or, if you’re like me, you feel that something’s not working as well as you’d expect… then try separating the roles a bit more.

But be adventurous and look beyond what you’re given… and take what you want.

Until next week… take care and be your optimized self : )

Pauline xxx

Pauline Longdon
a.k.a. “The Copy Alchemist”

P.S.  I got the idea of the Creative at an event I went to. The copywriting team from Agora Financial were showing us how they come up with big ideas by pitching them to each other. The thing I noticed most was, there was no copywriting in the pitch. It was just simple language that could be easily understood and then expanded on.

Here’s an example of the kind of pitch they were doing… “It’s like the movie JAWS but it’s in space… with aliens.” We all know what the movie JAWS is, so that needs no explaining. And we know what space and aliens are… so again no explaining is required.

And because this pitch is not “copyfied” … it has an endless scope to expand on the big idea. In fact, this idea has built a franchise of 6 movies. Ever heard of Aliens?

P.P.S. Tomorrow, there will be a new episode of our “Breaking Through The BS” podcast for you, so keep a look out.

If you haven’t already done so, tune in and catch up on all our previous episodes at BreakingThroughTheBS.com (…and remember to jump onto iTunes and leave a rating and review if you like what we’re doing. If you don’t, there’s a heap of good podcasts on there for you to listen to.)