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Saturday, February 15, 2025
Stuck staring at a blank page?
Can’t seem to get the words flowing?
We’ve all been there. As a copywriter or content marketer, you don’t have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. You need to produce high-quality work—on demand.
The good news? You don’t have to sit around hoping for a “lightbulb moment.” There are proven ways to spark writing inspiration and get your creative juices flowing instantly.
In this post, I’ll share 50 quick and effective tips to help you find inspiration, generate fresh writing ideas, and break through writer’s block. Whether you’re crafting ad copy, blog content, or marketing emails, these strategies will help you write faster, better, and with more confidence.
Let’s get into it...
If you’re waiting to feel inspired before you write, you’re doing it wrong.
The best writers don’t rely on fleeting bursts of motivation. They write every day—whether they feel like it or not.
Gary Halbert, one of the greatest copywriters of all time, told his students that writing is a skill you sharpen through repetition. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Writing inspiration isn’t a magical force—it’s a byproduct of showing up and doing the work.
That’s why building a daily writing habit is the real secret to never running out of ideas. When writing becomes second nature, you don’t have to wait for motivation—it kicks in automatically.
But let’s be real - some days, you just need a quick jumpstart.
That’s where the next section comes in.
Some days, ideas flow effortlessly. Other days, your brain feels like an empty well. These 50 tips will help you:
• Spark instant writing inspiration when you're feeling stuck
• Find writing ideas for blog posts, emails, or sales pages
• Use prompts for writing that push your creativity
• Develop habits that make writing easier and more enjoyable
Alright, let’s get to it...
1. Freewrite for 10 Minutes
Set a timer for 10 minutes and write whatever comes to mind—no editing, no second-guessing. Just let your thoughts flow.
This technique, often used by professional writers, helps bypass the inner critic and gets your brain into writing mode. Even if you start with nonsense, you’ll often stumble upon ideas that spark writing inspiration.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s momentum. Once you start typing, it’s easier to keep going.
2. Change Your Environment
Feeling stuck?
Get up and move.
Sometimes, all it takes to shake off writer’s block is a change of scenery. If you always write at your desk, try a coffee shop, a park, or even just a different room.
Your brain craves novelty—new sights, sounds, and smells can jolt it into action.
If you can’t physically move, change something about your setup. Play different background music, adjust the lighting, or switch from typing to handwriting. Small shifts like these can help spark writing inspiration when you need it most.
3. Read a Sales Letter from a Copywriting Legend
If you’re feeling uninspired, go straight to the masters.
Pull up a classic sales letter from Gary Halbert, Joe Sugarman, or John Carlton and read it out loud. Pay attention to how they hook the reader, build desire, and close the sale.
Great copywriting is contagious—just immersing yourself in high-level persuasion can kickstart your own writing inspiration. Often, you’ll find yourself itching to apply what you just read to your own work.
4. Use a Random Word Generator
Stuck with no ideas?
Let randomness do the work. Go to a random word generator online and grab the first word that pops up. Now, challenge yourself to write a short piece of content inspired by that word. It could be a blog intro, an email hook, or even a headline.
This exercise forces your brain to make unexpected connections—one of the fastest ways to generate fresh writing ideas.
5. Rewrite an Existing Piece of Copy
Take an old ad, email, or blog post—yours or someone else’s—and rewrite it from a different angle. Change the tone, the audience, or the hook. Turn a formal piece into something conversational or rewrite a sales pitch as a story. This forces you to think like a copywriter and helps you develop new writing ideas without starting from scratch.
6. Scroll Through Your Old Writing
Dig up content you wrote months or even years ago. Sometimes, a forgotten draft contains pure gold—or at least a spark of an idea you can refine. Even if you cringe at your old work, you’ll see how much you’ve improved, which can be motivating in itself.
7. Borrow from Other Industries
Great copywriters don’t just study copywriting. They pull inspiration from unexpected places—psychology, filmmaking, stand-up comedy, even restaurant menus. Look at how different industries engage their audience and see what you can apply to your own writing.
8. Listen to a Podcast on Marketing or Persuasion
Instead of forcing ideas, absorb them. Listen to a podcast by someone like Dan Kennedy or Joe Sugarman while you’re driving, exercising, or doing chores. More often than not, you’ll hear something that sparks an idea for your next email, ad, or blog post.
9. Start with a Controversial Statement
Boring writing blends in. If you want to grab attention fast, start with something that challenges conventional thinking. Example: “Most content marketing is a waste of time.” A bold opening forces readers to lean in—and forces you to back up your claim with strong, engaging writing.
10. Write as If You’re Explaining It to a 10-Year-Old
If your message is complicated, simplify it. Imagine explaining it to a kid—no jargon, no fluff, just the core idea in plain language. This is a trick copywriters use to make their writing clear, persuasive, and impossible to misunderstand.
11. Change Your Writing Tool
Staring at a screen? Switch to pen and paper. Used to typing? Try dictation software and speak your ideas instead. A simple change in how you write can break the mental logjam and get words flowing.
12. Set an Artificial Deadline
Give yourself 15 minutes to write a rough draft—no stopping, no second-guessing. The urgency forces your brain to focus, and often, you’ll be surprised at how much you get done.
13. Read Customer Reviews
If you write sales or marketing content, dig into Amazon reviews, Reddit threads, or product testimonials. Customers hand you writing inspiration on a silver platter by describing their problems, desires, and frustrations in their own words.
14. Repurpose a Social Media Post into Long-Form Content
Find an engaging tweet or LinkedIn post—yours or someone else’s—and expand it into a full blog, email, or article. If a short post resonated with people, there’s a good chance it can be developed into something bigger.
15. Write a Letter to One Specific Person
Instead of trying to write “for an audience,” pick one real person—maybe a client, a friend, or even a younger version of yourself—and write as if you’re talking directly to them. It instantly makes your writing more natural, conversational, and engaging.
16. Use a Swipe File for Inspiration
Every great copywriter keeps a swipe file—a collection of powerful ads, headlines, emails, and landing pages. Flip through yours (or start one if you haven’t yet) and analyze what makes certain pieces so effective. Often, just reading a strong headline or hook will trigger a new writing idea of your own.
17. Watch Stand-Up Comedy
Great comedians are master storytellers and persuaders. Watch a stand-up special and pay attention to how they structure their jokes, build tension, and deliver punchlines. Humor and timing are powerful tools in writing, and studying comedians can help you sharpen those skills.
18. Brainstorm Headlines First
Before writing an article, email, or ad, come up with 10-15 potential headlines. This forces you to clarify your main idea before diving in. Often, one headline will stand out—and from there, the rest of your writing will flow naturally.
19. Write by Hand for Five Minutes
If typing feels stiff, grab a notebook and start writing by hand. Something about the physical act of writing slows you down and helps ideas develop more organically. Many top copywriters, including Gary Halbert, swore by handwriting exercises to improve their craft.
20. Ask "What Would _______ Do?"
Stuck? Think of a copywriter or marketer you admire—David Ogilvy, John Carlton, Eugene Schwartz—and ask, “How would they approach this piece?” Shifting perspectives can reveal angles you hadn’t considered.
21. Read a Book on Psychology or Persuasion
Copywriting is about influencing human behavior. Reading books on psychology—like Influence by Robert Cialdini or Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz—can give you a fresh perspective on what makes people take action.
22. Take a 10-Minute Walk
Instead of forcing ideas at your desk, step away and take a short walk. Movement clears your mind, reduces stress, and often, ideas will hit when you’re not actively searching for them.
23. Steal a Structure (Not the Words)
Find a well-written ad, blog, or email and break down its structure. How does it open? How does it build curiosity? What’s the call to action? Now, use that framework to write your own content—without copying the actual words.
24. Write a Twitter Thread or LinkedIn Post First
If writing a full blog post feels overwhelming, start with a short-form version. Write a Twitter thread or LinkedIn post summarizing your idea in bite-sized chunks. Once you see it laid out simply, expanding it into long-form content becomes much easier.
25. Describe a Product Like You’re Selling It to a Friend
Instead of writing stiff, corporate-sounding copy, imagine you’re casually telling a friend why they need this product. Your writing will instantly become more natural, persuasive, and engaging.
26. Read Something Outside of Marketing and Business
If all you read is copywriting and marketing content, your writing will start sounding like everyone else’s. Pick up a book on history, science, or even an old-school detective novel. New ideas often come from unexpected places.
27. Use the "What If?" Method
Take a topic and ask, "What if…?" What if you had to explain it without words? What if it were a movie scene? What if it were told from a customer’s perspective? This forces your brain to think creatively and generate fresh writing ideas.
28. Write a Bad First Draft on Purpose
Perfectionism kills creativity. Give yourself permission to write an awful first draft—just to get words on the page. Once you have something down, editing is much easier than staring at a blank screen.
29. Study How You Talk
Record yourself explaining an idea out loud, then listen back and write it down. Spoken language is naturally engaging and conversational—something many writers struggle to capture on the page.
30. Try the "Rule of One"
Great copy focuses on one big idea, one audience, and one clear call to action. If your writing feels scattered, ask yourself: “What’s the one thing I want the reader to take away?” Cut everything that doesn’t serve that purpose.
31. Use the PAS Formula (Problem, Agitate, Solution)
One of the simplest and most effective ways to structure copy:
1. Identify a problem your reader has.
2. Agitate it by showing the consequences of not fixing it.
3. Offer a clear solution (your product, service, or idea).
This formula works for ads, emails, sales pages—pretty much anything.
32. Pretend You’re Writing to One Person, Not an Audience
Mass messaging feels impersonal. Instead of writing to “your audience,” picture a single reader—someone specific. Your tone will instantly become more natural and persuasive.
33. Find an Angle No One Else is Using
If a topic has been covered a thousand times, find a unique spin. Challenge a popular opinion. Share a personal story. Compare it to something completely unrelated. Uncommon angles make content stand out.
34. Use Power Words to Add Emotion
Words like effortless, shocking, secret, devastating, unstoppable create instant emotional reactions. If your writing feels flat, swap in a few high-impact words to make it more compelling.
35. Turn Bullet Points into Full Sections
If you’re stuck, take a list of bullet points and expand each one into a full paragraph. This is an easy way to develop ideas without overthinking—especially for blog posts and emails.
36. Write the Ending First
If you don’t know where to start, skip to the end. Write your conclusion or call to action first, then work backward. This gives you a clear direction and makes it easier to fill in the middle.
37. Use an AI Tool for Idea Generation
AI won’t replace great copywriters, but it can help generate prompts for writing when you’re stuck. Use it to brainstorm headlines, angles, or content structures—then refine and improve them with your own creativity.
38. Describe Something in Vivid Detail
Pick an object near you and write a paragraph describing it in as much detail as possible—how it looks, feels, smells, sounds. This sharpens your observational skills and makes your writing more engaging.
39. Turn a Boring Topic into a Story
Great copywriters can make anything interesting. Instead of writing a dry, straightforward piece, wrap your message in a story. People remember stories far more than facts.
40. Study Old-School Ads
Modern marketing is noisy, but old-school print ads had to sell with just a few powerful words. Study classic ads by David Ogilvy, Eugene Schwartz, and John Caples. Their timeless techniques can teach you more about persuasion than most modern courses.
41. Remove the First Paragraph
Most first paragraphs are just warm-ups. If your writing feels slow, delete your opening and see if the second paragraph is stronger. It often is.
42. Set a Word Count Limit
Challenge yourself to explain your idea in 100 words or less. This forces clarity, cuts fluff, and improves your ability to write concisely—a crucial skill in copywriting.
43. Read Your Writing Out Loud
If something sounds awkward when spoken, it’s probably awkward to read. Reading out loud helps you catch clunky phrasing and makes your writing more natural.
44. Swap the Medium
If you're stuck on a blog post, turn it into an email. If your sales page isn't clicking, write it as a Facebook ad. Changing the format can give you fresh perspective and unlock new writing ideas.
45. Take a Break and Do Something Mundane
Step away from your screen and do the dishes, take a shower, or go for a drive. Your brain will keep working on the problem in the background, and often, the best ideas hit when you’re not actively trying to think of them.
46. Write as Fast as Possible for 5 Minutes
Speed forces clarity. Set a timer and write as quickly as you can without stopping. Don’t worry about typos or making sense—just get words on the page. You’ll often surprise yourself with what comes out.
47. Ask Your Audience What They Struggle With
If you’re out of ideas, ask your email list, social media followers, or clients what challenges they’re facing. Their answers will give you writing inspiration straight from the people you’re trying to help.
48. Use the Opposite Approach
Take a common piece of advice in your industry and flip it. If everyone says, “Long-form content is king,” try writing about why short-form converts better. Contrarian angles grab attention and make readers think.
49. Pretend You Have to Teach It in a Workshop
If you had to explain your topic to a live audience, how would you do it? This forces you to organize your thoughts in a way that’s clear, engaging, and valuable.
50. Just Start—Even If It’s Terrible
The simplest but most effective tip: start typing. Even if it’s bad, even if you don’t feel inspired—momentum beats motivation every time. Writing creates writing inspiration, not the other way around.
Writing inspiration isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you create.
With these 50 tips, you’ll never have to stare at a blank page again, waiting for ideas to magically appear. Whether you’re freewriting, studying legendary copy, or flipping a common idea on its head, there’s always a way to spark creativity and start writing.
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20 Portsmouth Avenue, Stratham NH 03885, US | jeremy@jeremymac.com | (207) 517-9957
Jeremy Mac © Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Refund | Terms of Service