The Writing Process That Brought My Copywriting Back to Life

I’ve been circling a sales page for weeks.
The client? A dream.
The offer? Killer.
The words? …Stuck.

And here’s the thing: I know copywriting. It’s literally what I do. I’ve written everything from launch funnels to websites to email campaigns. I know the frameworks, I know the psychology, I know the “rules.”

But sometimes, even the best writing process feels like slogging through cement.

So I did something that broke all the “best practices” I thought I was supposed to follow. And it worked.

Why Copywriting Isn’t Just About Frameworks

Copywriting is often taught as a formula: headline, pain point, benefits, call-to-action. And sure, those formulas are helpful. They give structure. They keep your copy pointed toward conversion instead of wandering into “cute but useless” territory.

But when you rely only on frameworks, your writing process can start to feel mechanical. The words tick boxes but lose their spark. And copy without spark doesn’t sell—it snoozes.

That’s where process comes in. Not the cookie-cutter process someone sold you. Your process.

My Old Writing Process (and Why I Went Back to It)

Long before I was a copywriter, I was a grad student. (Three programs, if you’re counting. Yes, I wrote a thesis. Yes, it was basically a book.) Which means I used to write a lot. Twenty-page papers like clockwork. Revisions upon revisions.

My process back then?

• Draft on the computer.

• Print it out.

• Attack with a fine-point pen. Scribbles in the margins. Arrows pointing everywhere. Entire paragraphs rewritten on the back.

It was messy, but it worked. Because my brain wasn’t editing itself into paralysis. It was just writing.

So last week, stuck on that sales page, I grabbed a notebook and a pen.

And instantly—the words came back. The personality, the flow, the rhythm. The kind of copywriting that actually sounds human, not like it crawled out of a template.

What That Taught Me About Copywriting

Here’s the big lesson:

👉 A good writing process isn’t about following best practices. It’s about finding the conditions where your creativity actually flows.

For me, it’s pen and paper. For you, it might be sticky notes, whiteboards, or voice memos. The point is: your process doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

Because copywriting that sells doesn’t come from rigid rules—it comes from words that feel alive.

Ways to Expand Your Writing Process (Without Forcing It)

Getting stuck is inevitable. But staying stuck? That’s optional. When I zoomed out during the Holistic Launch Summit, one theme kept showing up: creativity is a whole-body practice. If you want better copy, you can’t just wrestle with words on a screen. You have to widen the lens.

Here are a few tactics to shake up your writing process, outside the usual “open a Google Doc and stare until your forehead hurts” routine:

1. Change the Medium

The obvious one—and the one that worked for me—is pen + paper. But you can also:

• Use sticky notes to map ideas physically on a wall.

• Write on index cards and rearrange them into flow.

• Record voice memos and transcribe them later.

Changing mediums helps bypass the brain’s perfectionist editor and lets ideas spill out messier, faster, and more human.

2. Move Your Body

Some of the best copy ideas don’t come at a desk. They show up when you’re walking, in the shower, or mid-yoga pose. Movement shakes loose ideas your brain has been hoarding.

Holistic tactic: next time you’re stuck, walk your copy. Literally. Take a 15-minute stroll and talk your sales page out loud into your phone. You’ll be shocked how different it feels.

3. Curate Inputs (Not Just Outputs)

You can’t write fresh if you’re only reading the same “top 10 copy hacks” blogs. Feed your creativity with different inputs: novels, art exhibits, podcasts outside your niche, even conversations with people who know nothing about online business.

From the summit, we heard it again and again: what you consume shapes what you create. If your copy feels stale, maybe your inputs are too.

4. Use Story as a Shortcut

Humans are wired for story. But so many copywriters strip it out in favor of bullet points and “conversion language.” Instead, start with a story—personal, client, or cultural—and then translate it into copy.

This is where the writing process stops being a grind and starts being fun. Because stories are how your people see themselves in your work.

5. Play With Sensory Anchors

One of my favorite tools in brand voice work is building sensory story banks—pulling details about sounds, smells, textures, tastes, and visuals.

Try writing copy that’s rooted in a sensory detail, even if it feels silly at first. Suddenly, your reader isn’t just skimming words—they’re feeling them.

6. Give Yourself Constraints

Blank pages are terrifying. Constraints are liberating. That might mean:

• Writing 200 words in 10 minutes.

• Summarizing your entire sales page in 3 sticky notes.

• Forcing yourself to write without using certain buzzwords (“authentic,” “scalable,” “empowered”).

Paradoxically, constraints open doors. Because your brain stops overthinking and starts creating.

7. Treat Process Like Ritual

Process isn’t just mechanical—it’s ritual. Light the candle. Make the tea. Put on the playlist that tells your brain “we’re writing now.”

Your nervous system loves consistency. And when your body knows what’s coming, your creativity follows.

Holistic Copywriting = Better Copywriting

The biggest reminder from all of this? Copywriting isn’t just about the words you put on the page. It’s about the process you create to get them there.

Your writing process is part strategy, part creativity, part self-care. When you treat it as a whole system—not just “hammering out words until it’s done”—your copy doesn’t just sell better. It feels better to write.

And that matters. Because copy written with ease has a way of reading with ease. Your people feel it. They trust it. And they buy from it.

The Bottom Line

Copywriting isn’t just what you say—it’s how you get there.

So don’t settle for a writing process that feels like a chokehold. Try new mediums. Move your body. Feed your creativity. Build rituals. And, yes, break your own rules.

Because the best copy doesn’t come from “best practices.” It comes from the process that lets you sound like you.