ellen de vries, copywriter
This month at The Copy House I’ve been working on:
- Copywriting articles on technology and energy for Uswitch.com
- Brochure copy for Freedom Food the RSPCA standards label.
- Editing a large document for the University of Brighton Arts Department
- Postcard concepts and copy for Friends of the Earth (SEFS Brighton)
As a copywriter I believe in:
Being practical and scientific – It can be tempting to get fancy with language – but sometimes it gets in the way of getting the story across. Two milestones in my career that helped me to learn the science were my Masters degree in Writing (non-fiction) and working with the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Being refined - Not many people know that I once worked as a communications trainer and training course writer for the Dutch Police Force and Royal Airforce – where being succint is, of course, critical.
Collaborating and learning – I spend a few hours of my week working for free with creatives, new media specialists and people from other walks of life. I do this because I love to learn from other disciplines, expand on what’s possible, investigate trends and find new, interesting ways of doing things.
Being inquisitive and a chameleon – People often ask ‘How do you know what to write?’ I use research, discovery workshops and creative techniques with clients to find out as much as I can before writing. I have dealt with a huge range of concepts that were quite alien to me – from anaesthesiology, to accountancy and even wrestling!
Where did it all start?
The Copy House is one year old now, I’ve been a freelance writer for over four years and I’ve worked in communications and training for about ten years.
My other site for creative endeavours, workshops and interests is www.ellendevries.co.uk and if you’re interested in my creative writing you can find out more at www.ellendevries.org.