Copywriting, like other creative arts, can sometimes be a difficult task to accomplish. For most people — those who don’t like writing, or those who just don’t have to write for more than basic business needs — copywriting, or any kind of marketing or sales support writing — is an exercise in self-torture. They would rather clean toilets all day to avoid working on the task.

Well, I feel for ya, but that isn’t the trouble I have. My biggest issue is allowing myself the concentrated thinking time to do the writing. Sure, sometimes I need to bang something out quickly, and I can do that because I have that ability to “just get it done.” Or, what I am working on — an article, press release — doesn’t really take too much of that thinking time to put together.

But, when I need to really think about a message, and how a potential customer might read it, it takes time. I need to get out of that place where I’ve got meetings, I’m answering emails, calling people. All those interruptions make that focus place hard to maintain.

The good thing is, once I discipline myself to take that time, the actual writing comes rather quickly. It’s the unplugging that’s harder to do.