Lex DeVille
Sweeping Shadows From Dreams
FASTLANE INSIDER
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Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
Day by day. Chapter by chapter .. I'm reading Unscripted a little at a time. And it occurred to me as I read there's more to learn from the book than what you take from the core message. It's something a lot of copywriters (or wannabe copywriters) could benefit from.
It's MJ's writing style.
The book has high ratings. A lot of people absorb into Unscripted like water to a sponge. Pulled like gravity toward a message that relates. So I wanted to talk about a few key elements I've noticed so far (bear in mind I'm only about 8 chapters deep) that can help you write better copy.
1. EVERY SENTENCE TELLS A MINI-STORY
Pay close attention to every word and every line, you start to notice a pattern. Notice how the words weave and flow like a Viper hugs curves at Nuremberg. Every sentence is a piece of the bigger puzzle. A mini-story within the story. As you read, (unless you listen) images form in your mind with every line. And the more you get into the book, the more the picture comes to life. Soon you don't just relate to MJ's words. You live his words, because it tells your story, and that's why you're compelled to break free.
2. EVERY SENTENCE IS FOR A SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE
Unscripted doesn't read quite like TMF . It's more sophisticated. More complex. The ideas and metaphors seem targeted toward an older audience. An aging audience who's sick of corporate prisons and life's traditional paths. Doesn't mean younger guys can't get something from it. But the audience is HIGHLY targeted and for that reason, Unscripted isn't scattered and all over the place. Instead, the message is tight, agitating reader pains like a thumb pressed into a bullet wound. It's the difference between a "spray and pray" machine gunner and a "one shot one kill" sniper. MJ is a sniper.
3. IT'S SUBTLE AND DOESN'T TRY TO SELL YOU
Unscripted isn't a direct response sales letter. There's no "Click Here for My Forum" or "Buy Membership Now!" (At least through CH. 8) Instead, copy tactics fly under the radar. Persuasive techniques abound, but they're hidden under an invisibility cloak. For instance, when MJ first mentions the forum, there's no link. It doesn't need one. It's just a seed. Planted in your mind so you can think about it later. Unscripted is like food for the starving man who's adapted to being hungry. He doesn't realize how hungry he is until he takes the first bite, then another, and another, and soon what was empty is now full. This isn't just about being subtle, it's about not having to push the sale because the material, like food, is valuable.
There's a lot budding copywriters can learn from Unscripted . Copy isn't just about persuasion and direction. It considers the audience and their story -- the one they want to read, and the one they secretly tell themselves on the inside. It hits home because it's truth, and it shows a path to something greater.
Anyway, I thought it might be a cool discussion.
So what else can you learn from Unscripted about copy? Thoughts?
It's MJ's writing style.
The book has high ratings. A lot of people absorb into Unscripted like water to a sponge. Pulled like gravity toward a message that relates. So I wanted to talk about a few key elements I've noticed so far (bear in mind I'm only about 8 chapters deep) that can help you write better copy.
1. EVERY SENTENCE TELLS A MINI-STORY
Pay close attention to every word and every line, you start to notice a pattern. Notice how the words weave and flow like a Viper hugs curves at Nuremberg. Every sentence is a piece of the bigger puzzle. A mini-story within the story. As you read, (unless you listen) images form in your mind with every line. And the more you get into the book, the more the picture comes to life. Soon you don't just relate to MJ's words. You live his words, because it tells your story, and that's why you're compelled to break free.
2. EVERY SENTENCE IS FOR A SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE
Unscripted doesn't read quite like TMF . It's more sophisticated. More complex. The ideas and metaphors seem targeted toward an older audience. An aging audience who's sick of corporate prisons and life's traditional paths. Doesn't mean younger guys can't get something from it. But the audience is HIGHLY targeted and for that reason, Unscripted isn't scattered and all over the place. Instead, the message is tight, agitating reader pains like a thumb pressed into a bullet wound. It's the difference between a "spray and pray" machine gunner and a "one shot one kill" sniper. MJ is a sniper.
3. IT'S SUBTLE AND DOESN'T TRY TO SELL YOU
Unscripted isn't a direct response sales letter. There's no "Click Here for My Forum" or "Buy Membership Now!" (At least through CH. 8) Instead, copy tactics fly under the radar. Persuasive techniques abound, but they're hidden under an invisibility cloak. For instance, when MJ first mentions the forum, there's no link. It doesn't need one. It's just a seed. Planted in your mind so you can think about it later. Unscripted is like food for the starving man who's adapted to being hungry. He doesn't realize how hungry he is until he takes the first bite, then another, and another, and soon what was empty is now full. This isn't just about being subtle, it's about not having to push the sale because the material, like food, is valuable.
There's a lot budding copywriters can learn from Unscripted . Copy isn't just about persuasion and direction. It considers the audience and their story -- the one they want to read, and the one they secretly tell themselves on the inside. It hits home because it's truth, and it shows a path to something greater.
Anyway, I thought it might be a cool discussion.
So what else can you learn from Unscripted about copy? Thoughts?
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