Headlines and Headaches

I think I might have a mild case of writer's block. I was asked to write a headline for a print ad campaign today, and I thought I came up with some pretty good lines. And I was told I did, but they just weren't “there yet.” I've been taught in class that you might have to write 80 headlines before you get to the winning one. But I've never actually experienced that until now. Even in my Advanced Copywriting course I never struggled this much with a headline. It seemed like my initial ideas were always on the right track, and the final headline came from those first ideas. But right now, I feel like I can’t get to that perfect (or at least close-to-perfect) headline.

I took a break from thinking about the unfinished line for about two hours, but then I got back to racking my brain for the solution. I think I've written more than 30 lines at this point. I've tried variations of existing lines and ideas or thrown those out for new ones all together. I’m not even sure I will know if I do write that one headline that stands out from the rest.

It might sound like I’m complaining, but this is actually a good thing for me to experience. Bosses and clients aren't going to like my first few ideas every time. Those ideas might only be good and not great. This is the first time I have been asked to push past those first 20 headlines or concepts. It’s not easy. It's actually rather frustrating at the moment. But it’s a challenge. And a welcomed one at that. This is exactly the kind of experience I wanted to get out of my internship. There is a reason people really want a Liggett internship. It’s about real work, which isn't always easy.

Now, time to write more headlines. I’m not backing down from this challenge.

Isabelle J.

Creative Intern