The headline probably has you scratching your head and wondering where on earth I'm going to go with this.  I'm training for a marathon, you can read about it at  www.yourmarathontraining.com, and as I grunt out each mile, I am reminded of how similar the process is when you're struggling with a sales letter, and article, or a simple AutoResponder.

When you're writing you have one goal - to write a polished piece of copy.

When you're training for a marathon you have one goal - to be able to run 26 miles. 

Both tasks are much easier to accomplish if you break them into manageable steps. 

You can't go out and run 26 miles right away and you can't always sit down and write a perfect piece of copy.  During the difficult days, when putting one foot in front of the other, I deal with it by breaking the run into stages.  I'll run to the fence line. I'll run to the next stop sign, I'll run to the end of the block…you see the pattern.  Small steps. 

The same holds true if you're struggling with writing your copy. 

A letter, article, and even an email require:

• A headline
• An intro paragraph
• Relevant key points or benefits in the body of your copy
• A closing
• Occasionally it requires a signature or bio

These features of your copy are easy small steps you can take to make the project more manageable.   And don't forget to take breaks in between each stage of the process.  Over training will burn you out!  You'll lose focus and enthusiasm.  The same thing happens when you're writing an important piece of copy. 

Happy writing!