Page 116 - Hypnotic Writing - How to Seduce and Persuade Customers with Only Your Words

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IMITATION SUGAR IS SWEET, TOO!
Imitation isn’t only the sincerest form of flattery; it’s also a pow- erful way to quickly learn new writing skills.
Mark Twain learned how to write by imitating other writers. The great author, as a youth, used to set newspaper stories in type. This tedious printing process gave Twain the chance to imitate writers. As he slowly copied their stories, he became aware of the fundamentals of fine writing.
Steve Allen, the radio and television celebrity, learned how to write humor by copying jokes. Allen would go to the library, bor- row some joke books, and then copy all of the jokes onto index cards. Because Allen had to copy each word by hand, he, like Twain, learned the subtle inner formula for writing.
How does imitation work such wonders? Easy. You probably drive a lot. Have you ever walked down a street you normally drive? Did you notice that you saw, heard, and learned a lot more about the street when you were on foot? When you slow down, you pay attention to all the wonderful things you normally miss. The same thing happens when you copy the greats. You suddenly be- come aware of what you normally never hear or see.
I tell people in my writing classes to take a story they love and copy it word for word. This exercise gives them the same experience
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