"“I can bring tears to your eyes and resurrect the dead. I form in an instant and last a lifetime. What am I?” - Edward Nygma, The Riddler (Gotham)" Oh, Edward, he really does try too hard.
Edward Nygma (or The Riddler to you and me) has an incredibly sharp intellect and believes his brilliance is unmatched by any and all that surround him. The problem is, he feels the need to continuously prove it. He has a constant need for validation, not just from Batman, but from the whole world at large. But behind his brilliance lies a deeply insecure individual who’s desperate for recognition, and it’s this need for validation that prevents him from truly achieving his lofty goals. More importantly though, there is an extremely valuable lesson in there for us to learn too: As a copywriter, your worth is proven by ONE THING and ONE THING ONLY - sales. Never forget this. It is all too easy for new writers to succumb to their own inner Riddlers and feel the need to prove their worth in entirely the wrong way. Witty metaphors, clever similes, and words that would score you big on the scrabble board. Oxyphenbutazone may score you 1778 points, but unless your target audience are pharmacists, “an anti inflammatory drug” will do just fine. Can you imagine working in retail if everyone who wanted your help tried to prove how intelligent they were? “I require an apparatus that proficiently exploits resistive heating phenomena to engender a delectably toasted texture upon bread-like comestibles.” “So, a toaster then, sir?” It would be ridiculous. Hilarious to witness, but needlessly complicated. So, remember, don’t be like Edward. Don’t try too hard. Keep it simple, keep it to the point, don’t waste time with words that do not need to be there, and your audience will understand you loud and clear. Before I go, did you solve the original riddle? “I can bring tears to your eyes and resurrect the dead. I form in an instant and last a lifetime. What am I?” If you didn’t, I’ll give you a clue: Forget your need for validation, or your goals will never become more than Edward’s. A dream. - Mr Easy
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