If it’s your job is to create marketing copy, here’s a great tip from the weekly newsletter of Daphne Gray-Grant, a writing coach and one of my favorite wordsmiths. When you’re having trouble getting started on a writing project, begin by reading someone else’s work. And before you think I’m advocating theft, here’s what she means:

The main idea is to find a piece of writing that provides a suitable model on which you can base your own work. Not only is this not procrastinating, it’s not even plagiarism provided you’re not looking for content. Instead you should be looking for style and writing architecture.

Gray-Grant suggests building a “swipe file” – a collection of some of the best work of other writers – to use as inspiration when you’re starting a project. If it’s true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, any author would be proud to have you base your next ad or sales letter on their style.