Don't Go for Great. Write Ugly and Boring First.

You don't need to find the 'right' words. You just need words.

This is me preaching to myself, the non-converted. 🙌

I know ‘just getting a draft down’ is the way to go.

I say it to my school kids all the time. “I can’t help you with a blank piece of paper. Write words and then we have something to work with.” 📝

But in our adult perfectionist world, we want to nail it the first time. We fear mistakes. Of it being shit. 💩

It’s as if we’re tattooing it onto our bodies, not typing it onto a screen. Anything can be deleted before we commit it to the final draft. And every time we step away and come back with fresh eyes, is an opportunity to make it better.

As an English teacher, a copywriting and the author of a 100,000-word manuscript in the editing stages, I KNOW THIS. 👩‍🏫

Yet I still get caught up in wanting to be excellent.

Until, I remember the rule: WUB it - ‘Write Ugly and Boring.’

My fav writing dress.

Use the WUB rule to get over yourself and write

Write ugly and boring.

Blah, blah, blah. That’s right, just get some words on the blank page.

Harder said than done at times but here are a few methods I use to get me started.

1. What’s the goal here? What is the piece of writing supposed to do?

   Write the answer. Don’t overthink it.

   💡 I want to help fellow writers and small business owners with their writing. And to drive interest in my offerings from Just Wright Copy. I want to demo my style and build credibility and authority.

2. WIIFM - What’s in it for them?

   List out answers the following questions. I have a big list in Notion.so that I check before I write LinkedIn or blog posts.

   💡 What’s the reader care about? What do they need? What are their pain points? What questions do they have? What might they find confusing?

3. Drill down with ‘So that’.

   For every feature or pain point I’ve identified, I play the ‘so that’ game with myself.

   I take a feature of the product or service and say ‘so that’ over and over again. That gets me to the core benefits of what it’ll do for a client’s life. It’s vital to get to how they’ll FEEL as that’s what’ll get their attention. I find it useful to make a list of pain points in a grid with corresponding solutions that the product gives.

   💡The blog has a once a month edition called Bloody Good Brands where I break down how a fun, bold brand has created their tone of voice. SO THAT small business owners who want a bolder voice can see how they can adopt the same tricks to DIY it. SO THAT they feel confident their voice reflects their personality. SO THAT they feel relieved they don’t have to fork out for a copywriter. SO THAT…etc.

WUB in Action

I explained to my client this week, as I presented the first draft of her website, that she’s checking for information and clarity only. We’re making sure the messaging is right. The product is clear. It’s speaking to the pain points and benefits of the ideal client (in this case two - artists and fans).

And as it’s a new concept going to market, it’s extra important to be straightforward.

Then, once that’s right, we can play with the tone, voice and style, if she wants that.

My darling client, Michelle, in Missouri. We had the same book in arm’s reach.

How to WUB it in any style of writing

What about when it’s not for business writing? When it’s for something more personal, maybe an essay, a magazine article, a book…

Write at the top of the page in plain ol’ English, what it is you want to write about. Write a stream of consciousness for 100 words or so. Or more. However long it takes to not have a blank page and to have some clarity about what needs to get out of you today. 😊

I’ll be going to do just that with a fresh draft of chapter 8 of my book later today.

I hope I’ve helped you get over a little of the writer’s block or brain freeze. 🙌

Over and out, with love.

Mwah. 💋