My 8-year old revealed to me today that they aren't allowed to sharpen their own pencils at school for safety reasons--and apparently it has been this way since Kindergarten. What is this world coming to? How else are they supposed to draw out the time between going to the bathroom, getting a drink of water and staring into space? How else will they drop that note alongside their best friend's desk? Don't you remember how important you felt---sharpening your own pencil while the rest of the class sat frozen in their seats?
And this relates to copywriting how?
I'm guilty of lingering a little too long at the pencil sharpener--I write and rewrite copy until I think it is fit to publish. I just can't bear to hand over unfinished work to the higher ups or even my peers for review and further editing. What if they think I'm off to a bad start? What if they don't see where I'm taking the copy? What if they decide to lose my number the next time they need a copywriter?
Don't stand at the pencil sharpener too long. It's good to get the basic storyline down on paper--sketch it out, leave some question marks, and lead them to where you want the copy to be--but it doesn't have to be perfect. There will be plenty of time to take in those edits, munge the copy over in your mind a bit, and spit out an even more prizeworthy page if you just give in to the process. So, take your nubby pencil of an idea back to your desk, do the best you know how, and let the sharpening take place when you are sent back to your seat...now, where's that number to the school?
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