When I am reading a great book, I can’t help but wish I wrote it! I don’t get up in my head with impostor syndrome about my writing abilities. Instead, I find inspiration in their words. I hit the computer (or notebook) with eager fingers and try to reverse engineer that great writing with copywork.

Retrace the Past

Many authors out there try to build their writing skills by “retracing” another author’s work. I heard Celeste Ng (“Little Fires Everywhere”) call it this during a podcast with Adam Grant. Other people call it copywork (not copywriting which is something else entirely).

Copywork is exactly what it sounds like — copying another piece of work word for word. The copy can be handwritten or even typed. To be clear, this is not an exercise in plagiarism. No one should ever pass off someone’s work as their own. EVER. Whatever is copied is for you and your eyes only.

Benjamin Franklin. Jack London. Robert Louis Stevenson. Hunter S. Thompson. Malcolm Gladwell. All did copywork to give their writing a boost.

When you read through a text, you tend to do it quickly. A lot more quickly than you could write it down. By taking the time to copy words from your favorites works, you are more likely to slow down and appreciate them. You get into the mind of the author.

Reverse Engineer the Now

Copywork allows you to retrace great works of the past but it does so much more. It allows you to analyze and digest those sentences and paragraphs. You start to look closer at sentence structure, rhythm, and cadence. You see how the author incorporates subtext and builds on themes and other literary devices. Because you are not doing the heaving lifting of the creative work (your carpal tunnel begs to differ!), you can really focus in on the craft.

What works and why?

Now, as any writer knows, those great sentences and passages likely didn’t happen on a first draft. That should not be your expectation. A first draft is just getting your ideas on the page. What copywork shows you is how you can end up with great writing that moves the story forward.

As you read more and do more copywork, you become more familiar with what works and what doesn’t. Now you can incorporate that workflow into your own writing. It’s a type of reverse engineering.

Envision the Future

Before the printing press, the written word relied on copywork. Other than word of mouth, there was no other way to share these works with other people. Today, you have access to more writing than ever! Copywork is not an essential part of life — or is it?

Some people may be hesitant to give copywork a try, thinking they may start to incorporate another author’s voice into their own. They want their creativity to stand on its own. It’s easy to avoid a pitfall like that though. For one, you can do it for brief periods of time or you can choose works from a number of authors you admire, not just one.

Personally, I turn to copywork when I experience writer’s block or if I need a new perspective on my own manuscript. I limit myself to a chapter or two from a work I admire and do it for minutes a day until I reach my goal. It gives me just enough time to get into the groove and analyze the style and flow of the writing. It really is enlightening!

The goal of copywork is to inspire you and sharpen your own writing skills. It lets you slow down and smell the roses. Really hone in on the craft of writing. Then dive in and start writing for yourself. What do you have to lose but a promising future?

 

Copywork: 8 Surprising Benefits for Bloggers. (2021). The Chris Chan. https://chrisdismissed.com/copywork-8-surprising-benefits-for-bloggers/

Copywork – An Effective Method For Improving One’s Writing. (2016). ThoughtSpace Ug. https://thoughtspaceug.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/15/

Hess, J. (2018). What Is Copywork (and How to Use It to Establish a Daily Writing Routine). Craft Your Content. https://www.craftyourcontent.com/copywork-daily-writing-routine/

How Celeste Ng Writes Fiery Prose (Transcript). (2022). TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/podcasts/how-celeste-ng-writes-fiery-prose-transcript

McKay, B., McKay K. (20121). Want to Become a Better Writer? Copy the Work of Others! The Art of Manliness. https://www.artofmanliness.com/career-wealth/career/want-to-become-a-better-writer-copy-the-work-of-others/