By Jeffrey Hedquist
Here’s a way to break writer’s block when you have an idea for a commercial but don’t know where to go next.
1. Start with a compelling, interesting, imaginative, unexpected audio headline – it’s the beginning of the story. It might simply be words alone, or sound effects, or music – or a combination of all three.
Often this is the description of a problem your intended audience is experiencing. The more unexpected, unpredictable, even outrageous your audio headline, the easier this process will be.
2. Lost for what to write next? Skip the middle section. Jump to the end. What do you want to accomplish in the commercial? What’s the call to action? Write a rough version of it. This is your ending.
Want to make the ending elegant? Go back to the commercial’s opening. Complete the thought that you began with, incorporating what you want to accomplish into the story you’ve started in your audio headline.
3. Now, think of the middle as the transition or bridge that takes the listener from that compelling headline into the ending.
For example, if you started the commercial with a description of a problem, the middle is where you’ll amplify the pain and transition into your client’s solution to that problem.
Because you’ve already solidified both the beginning of your client’s commercial story and the ending, writing the middle section should be easier.
4. Now polish the overall writing. Edit for time. Improve the transition. Make the story more compelling. You may even discover a whole new twist on the message.
Hopefully this approach of creating the front and back of your commercial and then filling in the middle will help speed up the creative process and make a more compelling commercial for your client.
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