Copywriter, what ambiance do you require?

23 replies
Watch Stephen King, word master.
Rock music cranked, echoing throughout his cavernous digs. His ambiant preference to drive those spooky inspired prose along.

Any particular habitual background ambiance you folks like or absolutely need?
Music, talk radio droning, bustle of a sidewalk cafe' with laptop, or does complete silence in a darkened room bring out those creative juices?

Those with kids may not have an option. :rolleyes:
#ambiance #copywriter #require
  • Profile picture of the author ARSuarez
    Originally Posted by Bill Elliot View Post

    Stephen King has come up a fair bit reading through lately. Loud rock music bouncing around his cavernous digs is his word beat
    accompaniment, driving his inspired prose along.

    Any particular habitual background ambiance you folks like or absolutely need?
    Music, talk radio droning, bustle of a sidewalk cafe' with laptop, or does complete silence in a darkened room bring out those creative juices?

    Those with kids may not have an option. :rolleyes:
    Hey Bill,

    Two very affectionate kids, but I do have a wife who tries to corral them.

    I've tried music several times, since I heard from other writers it helps. The most luck I had was with "Wonderboy" by Tenacious D. Everything else made my mind wander. Natural sounds (like frogs and cricks and what not) kinda helped me out before.

    But I think there's the truth of what John Caples said: quiet and solitude make for great copy.

    Regards,

    Angel
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Eliott
      Hey Bill,

      Two very affectionate kids, but I do have a wife who tries to corral them.

      I've tried music several times, since I heard from other writers it helps. The most luck I had was with "Wonderboy" by Tenacious D. Everything else made my mind wander. Natural sounds (like frogs and cricks and what not) kinda helped me out before.

      But I think there's the truth of what John Caples said: quiet and solitude make for great copy.

      Regards,

      Angel
      John Caples 'eh, will look him up.

      Tenacious D.
      Jack and Jason turn up The Little Drummer Boy, could be a copy cacophony worth writing to. Give it a hook.

      You've got the kids and crickets, the Mrs. at the ready over at the OK Corral.

      What more could a writer want.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bruce Wedding
    I'm not knocking your thread, its just that it reminds me of a post by this pretentious snob that used to pervade this space and Michel Fortin's board. He posted once how he required a special Mont Blanc pen, yellow legal tablets with his letterhead on them and something about, oh I don't remember, 1000 thread count Egyptian sheets.

    I keep it simple. Sit down and fricking write.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ross Bowring
      Originally Posted by Bruce Wedding View Post

      I'm not knocking your thread, its just that it reminds me of a post by this pretentious snob that used to pervade this space and Michel Fortin's board. He posted once how he required a special Mont Blanc pen, yellow legal tablets with his letterhead on them and something about, oh I don't remember, 1000 thread count Egyptian sheets.

      I keep it simple. Sit down and fricking write.
      That was a really funny thread.

      RIP Fortin's board.

      --- Ross
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Eliott
      Originally Posted by Bruce Wedding View Post

      I'm not knocking your thread, its just that it reminds me of a post by this pretentious snob that used to pervade this space and Michel Fortin's board. He posted once how he required a special Mont Blanc pen, yellow legal tablets with his letterhead on them and something about, oh I don't remember, 1000 thread count Egyptian sheets.

      I keep it simple. Sit down and fricking write.
      Frickin' right.
      Bruce forgive my tumescence, your mention of a nicely turned out Mont Blanc brings nature's reaction.

      Tell me, it wasn't the 75th Anniversary Limited Edition rose-gold with diamond inset and mother of pearl peak!? Weak knee, me.

      Pretension. Any of that was beaten out back, enough ass wallopin's to turn a cherry red kid, right good.

      From my ripply thick hide.
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      • Profile picture of the author Bill Eliott
        Appreciate the cross section of atmospheres you folks employ, alter or tolerate as you ply the Craft.
        Mood counts.

        Thanks for playing.

        Bill
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    • Profile picture of the author MikeHumphreys
      Originally Posted by Bruce Wedding View Post

      I'm not knocking your thread, its just that it reminds me of a post by this pretentious snob that used to pervade this space and Michel Fortin's board. He posted once how he required a special Mont Blanc pen, yellow legal tablets with his letterhead on them and something about, oh I don't remember, 1000 thread count Egyptian sheets.

      I keep it simple. Sit down and fricking write.
      R.I.P. Fortin's board.

      The same guy also mentioned that he'd put a picture of the person who represented his target market next to his monitor as a visual reminder of who he was talking to.

      Back to this thread.

      My ambiance... it depends on the day. My office always looks like a bomb went off in it so that's not a factor on being able to write.

      If I'm already pumped up & ready to write, then I'll write in my office in absolute silence.

      If I'm tired or the adrenaline isn't flowing yet, then it's time for classic 70's and 80's rock.

      Editing & polishing the copy... dead silence so I can hear myself if I need to read something out loud.

      I may have to try Subtle's approach one of these days tho'. It sounds like alot more fun.

      Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author RachelCorrine
    I need talk radio (BBC)....or sometimes I take the lap top to a coffee shop. This is the BEST background noise and helps to get a "work @ homer" out of the house!
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  • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
    Bill,

    I can only write with quiet. I am an auditory person and hear all the words I am writing in my head as I put them down on paper or the screen. When I had neighbors, I would go bananas when anyone was playing music with a bass beat as it overpowered my ability to hear and think the rhythm of my own sentences.

    Now my only neighbors are the occasional beavers and bears behind my house. In summer, the beavers slap their tails on the water and the bears would scavenge in the trash can until we learned not to put any organic garbage outdoors.

    It's heaven for a writer.

    Marcia Yudkin
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    Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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  • Profile picture of the author jtunkelo
    In the research and brainstorming phase, I can go from cafe to cafe, let my eyes rest on the material and keep churning on it.

    When it comes to creating the ultimate output though, total silence tends to support getting the job done right. No distractions.

    In a larger sense, there's a lot more going on... I wrote about this a few times earlier in the year: Eight Great Cures for Copywriter’s Block
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    • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
      1. 3 cubes of crystal clear ice
      2. 2 fingers of gin
      3. 1 wedge of lime (squeezed)
      4. repeat until creativity magically appears
      5. edit the result the next day
      Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    I learn to block out the noise because of 5 children
    at home-school. But I need a disorganized desk
    with lot of confusion around me. Neat surroundings
    make me nervous.

    -Ray Edwards
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    The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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  • Profile picture of the author Martin2010
    Yeh for me you don't need any fancy music or you don't need the best pen in the world you just need to find the time to sit down and write.

    Write, write and write until your arm hurts and you need matches to keep your eyes open.

    It's just writing baby and that's just how we like it.
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Here's the KICKSTART...


    After spraying that auditory starting fuel into my mental carburetor, and igniting an adrenaline fire...

    ...it's time to shift gears to instrumental acoustic guitar:




    By then... I'm in full engagement mode.

    : )
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Eliott
      By then... I'm in full engagement mode.
      Brian,
      That's a fine batch, one and all. Don Ross comes out of my territory, man can Play.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    It is late - nearly 1 a.m. here in Gay Paree and I am knackered - but I just read the thread title as "Copywriter, what ambulance do you require?"
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  • Profile picture of the author jasdon
    Surely it depends on the product you're writing about?
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Eliott
      Originally Posted by jasdon View Post

      Surely it depends on the product you're writing about?
      This is a point of fact I would think, Jason.

      At this moment the FM announcer chatters on, excited that 2378 rock hard butterball'd turkeys have been brought in for the needy, only another bunch of seasonal goodwill giving to hit their #3000 mark by Friday.

      The shrouded tragic death of a friend; an ongoing story up on the bench, word weaved with care.
      Current FM contribution conducive to take me back where I have feared to tread ? Turned the knob, way off.

      For writing, copy or other, surrounding sounds have different effect, as reflected in posts above . Mood enhancing to dial in, pin point concentration.
      Some have more of that than others.

      Yell out at the Masters, "DUCK !!" just as Tiger is about to drain a 35 footer and he wouldn't flinch. The man could sink those in a 5 P.M. subway.
      Well... maybe different now. "TIGER ! HOT BLOND, 2 O'CLOCK !"
      shhhheeee'ite.
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  • Profile picture of the author arfasaira
    Ah, yes, the ambiance thing. It's seldom found in my house I'm afraid. When I sit down to work, I like total silence so I can think about what it is that I am writing.

    Unfortunately, I have my seven year old pestering me in the background demanding a bedtime story and 'one last hug'. Then it will be silly things like 'mum, will you get me a banana or a glass of milk?' type thing.

    Because my baby sleeps when I work, I don't really listen to music - I did that once and my little one was crying really hard and I just didn't hear him. Needless to say, I put an end to that very quickly.

    If I could listen to anything, it would be anything that's upbeat and uplifting. I like Andain - beautiful things. Oh, and I had a thing about Rihanna for a while as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    My plumber/heater guy is listening to classic Janis Joplin while he works. Sounds so good.
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  • Profile picture of the author Collette
    Originally Posted by Bill Elliot View Post

    ..Any particular habitual background ambiance you folks like or absolutely need?
    ...[to] bring out those creative juices?
    A cleared cheque for the retainer fee.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Eliott
      Silence is Golden for quite a few. Reading aloud, honing, testing oral copy would demand quiet.

      Digital recorder with read backs on file is handy, up on the dash while driving, editing headin' down the road.

      Ah, the wee ones Arfasaira; brings back sound memory, clinging to every pore in this old House.

      Janis J. in Gay Paree', she ripped it raw Mal.

      Interesting slice of writing life here.
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