Get Inspired To Write With Your Grandfather Clock

Get Inspired To Write With Your Grandfather Clock

You look outside the window and you realize it is raining. The wind is blowing hard against the oak tree out in your backyard and the tree dances with the tune of the wind. You pour yourself a cup of coffee and sit behind the desk of your study and find yourself staring at your grandfather clock, which stands across the room. You cast a glance at the keyboard of the computer in front of you and your mind wanders off into another place and another time.

Get in the Mood for Writing

Many people love to write and that is not just a mere fact. However, to write is no easy task. You need to know what you write and you need to feel what you write. Most of the time, there are just certain circumstances and moods that draw you to start scribbling or tapping those keys on the keyboard. Stories can just pop out of your head from the things you see everyday, things that when put together with the right setting and mood, could inspire you to write.

A grandfather clock exudes an aura of elegance, grace, and a certain ambient mood to any room it is situated in. With a grandfather clock and the right literary catalyst, you will find yourself transported in a world vivid with color and life, a world only your imagination can create and bring to life.

Give It Its History

When you stare at an object, you sometimes find your imagination starting to run wild with questions and small scenarios of things that you think relate to it, scenarios that you think might have happened well in the past that a thing had definitely bore witness to. Or it could also bring to mind memories that you had buried somewhere in your subconscious which only manifests itself when you let your imagination run loose.

Writers often write from memories, experiences of others, or from things. Many of the best writers have written stories about events and people that revolved around a certain thing. Nicholas Sparks wrote “Message in a Bottle” and “The Notebook”, and those two were worldwide bestsellers. There is a big chance that he was inspired to write such stories because he saw a story, some kind of life behind those ordinary things. Maybe you can do that too with the things that you see in your very own home like your grandfather clock.

Maybe the sound of the blowing wind and the oak tree dancing outside your window starts the ball rolling. Maybe those inspire you to write how your protagonist is, what his or her life is about, and what brought about this memory. Maybe you, as the writer, are looking through your character’s eyes as he stares out of his window and sees the event unfold before him. Maybe you, as you think like your character, remember a memory that happened, a memory triggered by the weather outside, the wonderful smell of steaming hot coffee, and the steady ticking of the pendulum in the grandfather clock. Maybe the steady ticking allows you to start a mental pace of the story as it unfolds in your head, a story that might be your very own bestseller.

BONUS : Get More Sales With These 5 Proven Headlines

It's important to realize that headlines work best when they appeal to your reader's interests (not yours). And not only can they *grab attention*, they can also make your message easy to read, convey your main selling points, and lead your customer to a sale.

Over the years copywriting pros have used several headline formulas that always work well. Here are my fab five:

1. The Question: "Are You Worried About Your Financial Future?"

A question headline automatically gets your readers involved in your message, because they answer it in their minds. Many people will read further into your letter, ad, or Web site copy just to find out what answer or solution you provide. Again, make sure the question focuses on the reader's interest, not yours. A bad example would be: "Do You Know What New Product We've Created This Year?" (No one cares but you!)

2. The How-to: "How to Get Thinner Thighs in 30 Days."

How-to headlines work very well, because people love information that shows them how to do something. (Thousands of book titles begin with "How to....") Think of the benefits your product/service offers and then try creating some "how to" headlines email newsletter.

3. The Testimonial: "Jane Smith's Consulting Is Pure Magic -- Our Sales Have Increased by 30%!"

Why not let your clients do the selling for you? Their commendations can go a long way in convincing others to use your services. Tip: To appear credible, always include your clients' full names and the cities they live in.

4. The Command: "Boost Your Business Today!"

Turn your most important benefit into a commanding headline, such as "Make More Time for Your Family," "Look Younger Instantly!" and "Get 7 New Clients This Month." (By the way, throwing a number into your headline is another good tactic. And readers seem to like odd numbers as opposed to even.)

5. The News: "Introducing Our New 'Rest-Assured' Tax Service!"

Caution: This only works if you truly have something big to announce that is of interest to the reader. (Something that will make her life or business better.) Don't try to make news out of something that's not.

Once your readers know you have something they're interested in, they'll take the time to read your entire article, brochure, letter, ad, e-zine, or Web page. So put some TLC into creating headlines that entice!