DING.

A brief arrives in your inbox.

The brief is to write an ad. Let’s say a 30 second TV commercial. For old times sake.

You're going to try and come up with the best script you possibly can, right?

A humdinging, pencil winning masterpiece.

But what if you try and write something boring instead?

Like a VO that says - in the simplest way you can muster - why the audience would benefit from having the product in their lives. Over a static shot of the product.

No bells or whistles, no frills or thrills; you just tell it like it is.

Now why would you do that?

Well, writing a humdinger is always going to be tough. And the longer you wait for a brilliant idea the more desperate you become, and the more desperate you become the less likely it is any kind of inspiration will arrive.

By getting something down on paper, even it is a little vanilla, you’ve got the ball rolling. The muses will notice you’ve shown up.

If nothing else comes, you have something in the bank that you can give to the client. Maybe it won't blow anyone's mind - but it won’t get you sacked either.

And to write 30 seconds of VO you’ve got to think hard about what makes the product different. You’ve got to interrogate the brief. You’ve got to find a tone of voice. You’ve got to do a bunch of stuff that will prove invaluable should that longed for humdinger finally show.

Plus, if my experience is anything to go by, a script that starts out as route one can quickly acquire a charm and simplicity that turns it into something special.

So next time you have to do some writing - a TV ad, a speech, an article, hell, even a book - by all means aim high.

But try aiming low first.