Can copywriters get away with working just when they feel like it?

Sometimes I get that great idea for a copywriting client. It just goes “click” and I know exactly how I’m going to write it.

When that idea clicks, I run straight to my keyboard. The copy flows off my fingertips, the page comes alive, and editing is often minimal.

But as a freelance copywriter, is it practical to just wait til you “feel like it” before writing?

I’ll admit, there are times I have to sit myself down and plod through the copy until inspiration strikes.

As a freelance copywriter, you are free to go about your day as you please. But you do have deadlines to mind and plenty of other things that have to get done to keep your copywriting business afloat. So waiting for inspiration can look a lot like procrastination. Which then results in plodding through the copy at the last moment – usually with a not-so-stellar result.

But I think I’ve found the balance in my copywriting day.

In my perfect world, the way I like to work (and often do since I don’t take on a large volume of clients) is to:

a)      Schedule a chat with the client (or even just lay things out via email if the client and I are very familiar)

b)      Research and browse, soaking in details that round out my knowledge of the subject. Gathering facts, details and relevant sources into a document.

c)       Brainstorming – I jot down my ideas for a unique angle. Some headline ideas, perhaps a preliminary outline.

d)      Then I let it sit.

Or rather, it swims. The concept or idea swirls around in my brain while I’m doing other things.

I’m not chained to my computer or my desk. I take frequent micro breaks. I might switch to a different writing project – or I might clean the bathroom.

Usually the best ideas strike when I’m driving or out doing something and NOT in front of my computer.

But as soon as I get home, you can bet I run straight to my keyboard and get it down. When it’s fresh, when you’re really feeling it, that’s the time you do your best writing.

Being a remote copywriter is one of the most rewarding jobs that lets you “work when you feel like it”. If you line up work that you love, you might find you feel like working all the time! (There are times I find myself up all hours of the night because I’m so jazzed about a topic I’m writing on!)

What about you? Do you keep to your desk most of your “working” time?