He wrote a great blog entry a year or so ago about finding the hook. He said, "You'll know it when you find it".

He wasn't kidding!

I freaking LOVE finding the hook, but I hate NOT finding it when clients are breathing down your neck. See, the letter can't cook until you find the hook.

Anyway, I'm struggling with the hook on this short deadline deal. I'm laying in bed last night, trying not to force it. I'm reading "Confessions of an Advertising Man" by Ogilvy.

And I stumbled right over my hook when I wasn't even looking for it. But, I knew that moment that I had it.

What he said, in the chapter on How To Illustrate Advertisements" was, "Before and after photographs seem to fascinate readers... So does a challenge to the reader to tell the difference between two similar photographs as in, "Which Twin Has The Toni?"

Those two sentences and I had my hook. And the neat part is, my hook doesn't really do either of those things exactly, but they were enough stimulation to give me the idea.

Link to Carlton's Blog Entry:
John Carlton’s Big Damn Blog » Blog Archive » Fishing For Hooks

Great point Bruce.

Sometimes I get ideas from talking with friends or even movies which can become headlines or hooks for a project I'm working on. It can happen when I least expect it too.

I remember talking with you once and you were telling me about a copywriting contest where someone had a strong competitive advantage that was like "bringing a gun to a knife fight".

That night as I'm writing copy... damn if that line wasn't perfect as headline for the sales letter I was working on then.

Later,

Mike

Great point Bruce, and something to consider when booking projects.

There is just a certain amount of time you have to give yourself and your subconscious to make those connections. That probably varies with each person but if you short circuit the process, you're not going to do the best work. Although if you're in a time crunch, nothing beats a good swipe...

Bruce,

You know I tell you this all the time, so I won't beat a dead horse (at least not in public)... but stop promising those quick turn arounds.

Who was it that said, "You want it fast... you want it good... and you want it cheap. Now pick 1."

It still kills me that you take those "I'm launching Monday, gigs."

Relax, Vin. This is easy money. It's not a "full blown" sales letter. It's a simple 5-6 page rewrite/retarget of a good converting OTO. I'm done with rush jobs on long sales letters, believe me.

Couldn't agree more, Andy...

True inspiration requires some percolating. Long walks are good. My hooks inevitably arrive in the shower. Then it's the challenge of keeping focus through the obstacle course of "Daddy, Daddy" and ringing phones on my way to the computer. My wife knows the "hook look" now and blocks for me best she can.

Hard part about the swipe is the inspiration always seems to come the next day after I give into it - then it's time to rewrite.