Get A Little Crazy

Writing needs a certain shock factor. It doesn't have to be disgusting or sexual to be shocking, merely unexpected. If you aren't doing it already, then get a little crazy with your writing.

Small businesses always have the best ads because they are free to let their writers get crazy. They don't have millions of dollars riding on every little decision, so they can do something out of the box that might fail. In general, that freedom ends up producing awesome results.

I wish I was an ad writer for a business that restored antiques. I would make up a mascot for them who would be an old timey boxer from the 1930s named Dishrag Pete. His catchphrase would be "Come to Antique Restorations. I'll clean your clock!"

I just made that up and thought it was pretty amusing. I wonder how many people saw it coming, too. That's the shock factor I am talking about. It's something that isn't revolting, but is notably strange. It makes you think twice in order to process what you've just seen.

Get a little crazy with your writing. Make something up that is understandable, but completely unexpected. If you want a push, start with two children who sneak into the back room of an ice cream store. We all know what they might expect to find (ice cream, dead bodies, a magical universe). But what's the least expected thing they could find there? What's the silliest or craziest thing they could find?