Write Dumb- Writing Better By Thinking Less

by James Dowd

  Once they wrote it, with that simple line on the page, I then asked them to add some flare to it, some humanity, like an inside joke, an emoji, or a reference to their last conversation. Boom, two things on the page with little thought, and that was it. When they reread what they put down, they realized that that was it. A little Head with a little Heart for flourish and it was the email they wanted to write all along, but it only took a minute, not an hour. Why? Because they always were overthinking it. They were worried about so many things that even if they thought of a good email, it soon became clouded by fear and anxiety — “How will they respond? Am I coming across as too robotic? Not robotic enough? Am I being too personable? What will my boss think if they see this? Oh, crap, I forgot what I was going to write.”

  By finding their One Thing, they were no longer overthinking it, or drafting it in their mind where they consistently lose it. They put it simply on the page and they were done. The day before, they averaged one email an hour. The day after, they would be able to average sixty emails and hour, if they wanted to or needed to write that many. By opening up that time, they could focus more on building the account, finding new accounts, or exploring their own creativity more.

  Start with the one thing you’re doing with your writing. What’s the one thing you absolutely want to get across, say, or ask? What story are you trying to tell? What message do you want the reader to receive? Don’t overthink it. Ask yourself what success looks like in this email. If it’s to get a response, maybe feedback on some work, then your One Thing is directly asking for that feedback and/or offering the results of not getting that feedback. Don’t overthink it. Start with what you need, what success is, or what failure is, and just put it on the page. Work from there. Consolidate it down into one thesis, or comment, or demand, or question, or kickass line, but always get it down to one single simple sentence, or you’re still overthinking it.

  Dumb Writing Tip #10: Write your one word.

  If you’re in a hurry, the One Thing Speed Dump is a solution, but when you’re exploring the full Braindump for all its glory, you still want to find your One Word. It’s the heart, and soul, and magic running through your work, because this Dump is a place for your Heart to play, so your One Word will help represent all the things that you feel about this thing you’re writing. One single word, and when you look at it, you just get what you’re doing and why. It should be that powerful, to you at least.

  To find your One Word, collect the words already out in the world that inspire you and that makes this work special — quote, lyrics from your favorite songs, lines from great movies. Collect them all in your Dump.

  Visit the greats, like Tennyson, Shakespeare, Sorkin, Whitman, and Thompson — anyone who moves you. Anyone who was a master of the craft of language expression, those with very different styles, will be the ones worth exploring. Reading authors from different cultures, times, and mediums will expose you to different rhythms and patterns, and it will make your word timeless, not trendy.

  Give yourself time to explore these works. Capture everything that moves you in any way, every word, and absorb them. You, as a Writer, will benefit, I promise. Put your favorites in an all-time Dumpsheet. It’s the all-star of Braindumps that you can use on any project. Fill it with quotes from your favorite Writers, or your favorite pieces by them. Let it be your guide every damn day.

  With all of these collected words, find the one thing that reminds you of this thing you’re writing. It doesn’t have to be exactly One Word. It can be a few — a short phrase or line that lights you up inside. Just know as you search your Dump sheet: It’s in there somewhere, if you’re opening up your soul even a little bit. And, if you’re open to it, it will just jump out at you. It wants to be found. It’s the thing that sounds similar to what you’re feeling, except you could never quite put your finger on it before. It’s the thing that just feels right now that you’ve found it. Use the Heart, not the Head here. It doesn’t need to be logical. You gotta have fun with it, put your heart and soul into it, or the reader never will. The one thing that speaks to the soul of the work is always my first step. Most of the time, whether it’s within a poem, a quote, or musical lyrics, when I find that one single word that captures what I’m trying to day, I get excited and want to share. But, no one ever feels it the same way I do, which is fine. That’s why I’m writing this and not them. This is my one single thing. It’s meant to move me, not them.

  Too weird? Too bad. Let’s look at an example: Working with brands requires the use of these heartfelt words and lines. In a world where humanity, authenticity, and approachability are demanded of brands, my work in advertising, as well as brand development and strategy, is fueled by these core, foundational creative elements that inspire greater things. When building a brand, the first thing I always do to find this hearty, powerful, intentional work is to break the brand down into just one word — one single word that expresses what this brand is, and who it’s people are, and why they all exist in the world. That One Word becomes my beacon, my North Star guiding my whole Dump and subsequent works.

  Then, with that One Word, I read quotes containing that word. Brainyquote.com and Goodreads.com are much-used bookmarks for exploring quotes, and as I find them, I copy and paste them into my Dump. I make them big and bold, because I want them to imprint in my mind every time I scroll past. Pro Tip: don’t just choose great quotes, choose personalities that can back-up the quote in case it so heavily inspires the work that people can see it, or if the client asks where the thought came from. Because, if you end up moved by some Austrian guy named Hitler, it doesn’t matter if you leave his name off. The essence of his quote has the chance to peek through, and yes, I have had other writers recognize what inspired me. Though not a single phrase was used, a fellow writer once read an ad of mine and said, “You read Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena right before writing this, didn’t you?” I had, and there are minds like that out there, so don’t get caught being inspired by Hitler. You can use that piece of advice for things other than writing, if you’d like.

  In terms of boiling brands down to a word, you might choose Win for Nike. For Casper mattresses, it’s Simpler. For Harley Davidson, it might be Gang, or Tribe, or Freedom. For a gourmet gift basket brand I was helping to develop, I chose Napa, not because it made sense to anyone else, but because I was using Napa Valley wineries for my beacon. Napa Valley’s tasting experiences, their labels, their language, their mood, their colors, their music — these were all things tied to this premier and tangible industry that helped me guide this emerging brand into existence. And, it was for me and me alone. It was meaningless to anyone else. But, for me, it was my Heart side looking for how things felt, whether or not it was logical. With that word, I Googled, and browsed, and read the lyrics and quotes. I watched videos of vintners, which is a weird word. I read what they talked about reading to get into their hearts and minds. Along the way, I came to the quote that further inspired me from inside my Dump:

  “To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars, birds, babes, and sages with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.”

  -- William Ellery Channing

  Seemingly dumb because it wouldn’t make sense for others, and therefore was never offered to the client, or the team, it was always there for me. It was mine. It was a part of my Dump, inspiring me whenever I saw it. With it, I could feel the brand, and just by seeing it, I was once again reignited with inspiration and possibility, connection, and understanding. They spoke gently and never hurried, but instead were graceful and poised, while still being connected to the Earth and healthy, organic foods. They were elegant, not luxurious, and therefore stood out from all th
e competitors who had to remind people that they were luxurious.

  My mind didn’t need to remember this quote, or even remind me of it. It was always accessible to me, guiding me when I needed to revisit it. Later, anything the brand would do or say, I could feel Napa in it. I could see Napa. It wasn’t always wine in the baskets, but for me, opening a basket would always be a Symphony. It would feel elegant and refined, as guided by the quote powered by Napa — my One Word. From there, the work would be all Heart.

  Not feeling it? No worries. You can straight-up steal the word from someone else. When working with clients, account people, or other creatives, do not hesitate from stealing words and ideas from them. Their thoughts and opinions are more palatable to your creative mind when they come forward as ideas and not critiques. So, ask questions early. Capture what they say and steal it because they probably don’t even know they’re saying it. The One Word might be in their Head or Heart already, you just have to dig for it. That way, you are instantly aligned. They agree with you on the One Word, and they don’t even know you’re stealing it, let alone that it exists.

  As an example, many years ago I was helping a startup define their brand for the world. Its founder was a hands-on, opinionated entrepreneur, so I knew that whatever I offered he would tear it apart, because he didn’t build it himself. My challenge was to articulate his baby to the world for years if not decades, so it had to be perfect, not just as a representation of the brand but as a reflection of him and everything he’s built or will build in the future. So, long before I wrote a word, I went for a walk with him. I let him talk about the heart of the business and brand he created. In this conversation, he spoke from the Heart, revealing the underlying truth and beauty of it all, which he could never express otherwise because he was always selling it, not speaking emotionally about it. Particularly he said one word over and over. They always do. (In fact, every time he said it, he would turn to look at me as if he was putting emphasis on it) It was the One Word, the one thing he was trying to do beyond make money. If you find that word, or phrase, and steal it, then use it throughout your work, they’ll see it. They’ll see themselves in it, whether they realize it or not. They’ll feel it, and somehow know it’s right, because they see their vision in it. In the case of the startup, I used his language and One Word throughout, but built on it. I made it more dynamic and functional as a consumer brand. But, at its heart was his expression. He was the one who gave it to me, he made my job much easier, he just didn’t realize it.

  So, if you use the One Thing and break your work down to one single sentence, which is hard enough, you can then break it down to one single word. What is the One Word that speaks to the soul of your work? For a brand, what do you feel when you consider or interact with them? If you wanted the reader to walk away with one word, what would it be? If you can’t nail down one word, guess what? Yep, you’re overthinking everything. This is your time to try different things, so pick the first word that stands out to you and explore it. Find music that sings about the things you’re feeling. Find your favorite writers writing about it already. Collect everything, even if they aren’t clearly connected, and put it all in your Dump. You don’t have to use it, but once it’s in there, it’s there for you in case you want it. There’s no harm in putting it in there, but if you don’t, it will eventually cease to exist inside your mind, and therefore offers no value to you or your writing. One Word. It’s not all that hard.

  Dumb Writing Tip #11: Call it what it is.

  Whatever you’re using to Braindump, actually title it Dump, not a draft, a Dump. Write it at the top, literally. Yeah, it’s simple, it’s maybe stupid, but it works. This allows you to drop thoughts and ideas and words here without worrying about it being something it’s not. It gives you the freedom to explore, not to write. This is not the first draft. I repeat: This is not the first draft. This is a Braindump. The draft comes later, so don’t make it be something it’s not, or you will only trip yourself up. You’ll look at this massive pile of random words and thoughts and you will think you’re nowhere, when in fact you are right where you need to be in the long process that is writing.

  Dumb Writing Tip #12: Believe.

  At this stage in your journey, things could look bleak. I mean, really, if you look at it, you have nothing but a whole lot of notes. It would be easy to give up now. After all, there’s such a long way to go still. There’s so much work to be done. It can be overwhelming. That’s why you just have to tell yourself that you’ll get it done. Believe in yourself and your abilities or no one else will. Remind yourself you’ll get there, say it out loud and believe in it, because the whole path getting there is going to be complicated and confusing and scary. Writing is not easy, ever. But, you will get it done. Solutions will come. Language will flow. You just have to believe.

  Write Crazy

  “Writer’s block results from too much head. Cut off your head.

  Pegasus, poetry, was born of Medusa when her head was cut off.

  You have to be reckless when writing.

  Be as crazy as your conscience allows.”

  -- Joseph Campbell

  With your One Thing, your One Word, and your collection of others’ great writing to inspire you and reflect the soul of what you’re writing, you have to write madly, openly, and freely — in an unabashed frenzy, free from strain or structure. You’ve started the engine, so now it’s time to hit the open roads and drive the hell out of that damn car. Don’t think, just write. Write your thoughts and feelings, not a blog post, or a script, or an email. There is no structure yet. This is your time to infuse creativity, and emotion, and passion, and energy, and pure shit, because shit is good at this stage. Shit should be celebrated! You can fix bad pages, but you can’t fix no pages, so shit away! Put something on the page, anything, and you can work with it later. If you need one good line, write a few bad ones and consider what makes them bad. The truth is that by writing in multiples, you’re likely to accidentally write one you like. This is why, in advertising, creative directors demand 50-100 headlines and taglines from their copywriters. It’s not to be mean. Well, sometimes it’s to be mean. But, mostly, it’s to get their ideas out onto the page so they aren’t trying to write in their own heads. If they write 100 headlines for a print ad and actually write them down while doing it, only about five will be any good. If they try to write five in their head, it’ll probably take the same amount of time, and maybe one single good one, maybe, will even be remembered. The difference is in being able to see what’s on the page — what’s good and what’s bad? What’s working and what isn’t? What can you build on or deconstruct? These questions can only be asked when you’re working with more ideas, not less. The Head needs something to work off of, and that means the Heart must deliver some magic. So, write away. Write freely, with no bounds.

  Even try just writing single words. Literally, just single words stacked on top of one another. Use word association and write every word you can think of related to your topic. Spend time in a thesaurus and write out synonyms for the words you come up with. See what journeys that takes you on. The more words you write, the more you have to work with, so why limit yourself right from the start?

  Use the dumb tips before and after this, fill the page with everything you got, and don’t watch the clock. Remember that to get to a handful of good ideas, you’re going to have to write a hundred, and that’s okay. In this Dump, bad ideas are good. Bad writing is great, because now is not the time to worry, stress, think, or edit. You’re free to suck terribly, no one is watching.

  Still feeling stuck? Ask yourself questions, have an idiotic conversation with yourself for fun, and create similes and metaphors to allow yourself to see things from different sides, adding depth and different perspectives to your point of view, while also adding some creative flavor.

  Example:

  What do I want to express with this book? I want people to not overthink their writing so they write more, better, and fa
ster.

  How does it make you feel? Worried that I’m actually under-thinking it all, and everything I do that I think is clever is all just crap advice, or not as insightful as I imagined, and is therefore going to be torn apart by this person right here reading it. (Yeah you.)

  Make connections based on that. What is that like? This book might be like toilet paper still on the roll. I think it’s useful, but people are still probably going to shit on it.

  Now I’m worried you’re using too many poop puns. I thought you were a professional? How dare you! That’s just a shitty thing to say, and what do you know anyway!?!?

  I’m you, dummy. Yeah, well, you’re a real asshole.

  Much like explaining it to yourself like you’re an idiot, having a conversation with yourself adds a fresh perspective, albeit a weird one, which allows you to see your work differently. It’s similar to how someone new to a project can immediately see the mistake or a way to make something better as soon as they walk in the room. It’s incredibly annoying but it always happens and it’s always helpful , no matter what you’re working on (even if you don’t like to admit it). Those people have a magical power to see what you can’t see because they’re not trapped deep in the weeds like you are. They’re swooping in with fresh, unbiased eyes — something you’re preventing yourself from doing despite the amazing ability for your creative mind to shift perspectives in a moment. So, remember to find new ways to shift points of view. Review your own work by asking questions, explaining it to yourself in dumb ways, and just get it onto the page where you are more likely to catch mistakes and improve your own writing before someone else can annoyingly swoop in to do it for you.