Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Erica Horstmeyer of EricaHorstmeyer.com.

Don’t be afraid, we’re just like you. We have our hang-ups, preferences, and caffeine needs. So, after you and your writer have fueled up, compared likes and dislikes on the iPhone, it’s probably time to get to work and meet that deadline of yesterday. Here are a few tips:

#1: Have fun.

Let’s face it, we all got into creating because it beats digging ditches. So as you and the writer figure out all the work that needs to be in done in no time at all, keep a sense of humor.

#2: Game plan.

Discuss how you like to work. Do you want to concept together for a while and then each go off and do your thing? Or vice versa? It may sound simple, but just discussing this will save hours of “WTF is he doing?” later on.

#3: Respect.

It’s the basis of all great relationships. And for better or worse, you and your writer are indeed married to this project and each other for the next few hours/weeks/months.

#4: Lunch.

We all work better when we’re not running on empty. Have lunch together on the first day so you can communicate about other stuff besides work. Who knows what great ideas may spark from the road trip story you share over a burger.

#5: Lose boundaries.

If you’ve got some visual ideas, bounce them off the writer rather than just asking for a headline with a limited word count. It’s pretty amazing where ideas can start and then blossom with a little back and forth.

#6: Have some more fun.

At the end of the day, your ideas may live or die. In this business, we just never know the life expectancy of our ideas. But if you have fun creating them, if you laugh ‘til it hurts, then you know you had a good day at work. And ultimately, good fun leads to good work.

---

Erica Horstmeyer is an award-winning writer who has worked all over the country on all kinds of accounts, ranging from luxury cars to hotels to yo-yos (worked with plenty of those too). You can check out Erica’s work at ericahorstmeyer.com.

Illustration by Jay Bernasconi.