Don’t Copy & Paste

If you’re writing a lot of emails, or completing applications, or replicating marketing language or descriptions, try not using copy & paste.

C&P saves time, but there’s a huge benefit to being forced to write the thing out each time from scratch. It softens the robotic edges. It connects a bit more to the audience. It forces you to engage your brain each time. It helps you get better at describing. It helps you get better at understanding.

I’ve done tons of emails at various points for fundraising, sales, marketing, event planning, etc. I’ve done tons of written interviews, FAQs, Quora answers, emails newsletters, and blog posts on basically the same topics over and again. The more times I make myself write from scratch, the better I get. The process of writing from scratch each time also helps me see new ways to work the wording, and allows me to catch weaknesses and find new ways to frame things.

I still use C&P for plenty of things. But the more I can write from scratch, the better.