Is it a good thing for copywriters to have their own distinctive writing style? Jim Davies We’re supposed to be these chameleon-like creatures, who can swallow our personalities and switch (tone of) voices like Alistair McGowan. Though we all have a natural writing style, some of us are better at getting into character than others. …more

Do we still need ‘correct’ spelling? Martin Lee It’s preferable, but we probably need mutual tolerance of shortcomings more. John Simmons I’m forever saying in workshops “don’t worry, this isn’t about spelling”. And I don’t think writing is about spelling. On the other hand, if I read a piece of writing that’s full of spelling …more

What’s the strangest place you’ve ever ‘done it’? (Business writing, that is.) Rishi Dastidar The National Maritime Museum, writing slogans for a Scandinavian financial services brand. Were the options ship shape? I thought so. But they sank without trace. Heather Atchison This isn’t technically business writing, but I once ran a tone of voice development …more

How do you go about unblocking writer’s block? Fiona Thompson The best way to cure writer’s block is to have a deadline in half an hour. Roger Horberry I’m not at home to Mr Block. Rob Self-Pierson Where do I start? No, really, someone tell me. Severe writer’s block is only remedied by distance. If …more

Is it possible to write brilliant copy for a brand you hate? Roger Horberry No. I don’t care how professional you are, if you’re not at ease it’ll eventually show. But then if you hate it you probably don’t care. Mike Reed Of course it is. Unless you’re incredibly lucky, or have been in the …more

There were no digital entries in the 2009 D&AD Awards Writing for Design category. How do you account for this, and can you think of any worthy contenders? Jim Davies, totalcontent A piece of print is a finished object. Websites and blogs are constantly being tinkered with and added to, often by the client after …more

Copy by committee – is there any place for teamwork in writing? Matthew McCracken You can tell when something’s been written by committee because it feels like being in a room with lots of people talking at once. There’s plenty of noise, but it’s often hard to understand what anyone’s actually saying. Kasper de Graaf …more

Whose line is it anyway? When does ‘borrowing’ become plagiarism? Roger Horberry, Alp Associates “It’s not where you take things from, it’s where you take them to”. Thus spake Jean-Luc Godard. Seems about right to me. Nick Asbury People often justify blatant plagiarism by arguing there’s no such thing as ‘originality’, which I always think …more

From a professional wordsmithing point of view, what would be your dream project? Tim Rich Last year I finished leading a two-year writing programme for an international professional services organisation. We had some fun along the way, we really developed their language, made the leadership team sound inspiring and helped a lot of employees communicate …more

‘In these straitened economic times, what will you be cutting back on?’ Tom Lynham Crates of Bollinger, the Roller will have to go, I have already sold the yacht and the mooring in Monaco, the private jet was getting a bit past it anyway, as I don’t go to meetings any more, I donated the …more

‘What’s the perfect stocking filler for the business writer about town?’ Roger Horberry, Alp Associates Sorry to be so obvious, but I do love my iPhone. The music app from Brian Eno (‘Bloom’) is worth the price of admission alone. And the rather fine maps mean the business writer about town shouldn’t ever get lost. …more

Which sporting manager would do best in the business world – and why? John Simmons Obviously, I’d say Arsene Wenger. He actually manages his club Arsenal in every aspect. He understands the brand and operates as a very savvy brand manager. Everything is geared to supporting the central activity, the football on the pitch, so …more

Most 26 members are in the business of using language as a persuasive tool. What lessons (if any) can we learn from the two US presidential campaigns? Phil Collins From McCain we learn that the US electorate do not just want a VP who looks like them. They want a VP who both looks like …more

What’s the most essential reference work on the commercial writer’s bookshelf? Mike Reed, Reed Words Mine are largely the obvious ones. As far as dictionaries go, I’ve abandoned print and subscribe to the OED online (http://dictionary.oed.com). It’s the entire dictionary at your fingertips, with all the added ease of searching, clicking, etc. Invaluable. I also …more

Gadgets and gizmos: which pieces of technology most benefit your life as a writer? Fiona Thompson I love my Griffin iTalk. It’s a mini voice recorder that plugs into the top of my iPod and makes it a doddle to record interviews, conversations and Important Thoughts. Jamie Jauncey I discovered (by accident) that the humble …more

How useful is an English degree for a career in business writing? John Simmons I’ve got an English degree and never regretted it. Not because it’s given me particular skills that have been useful as a business writer but because it gave me three years reading the works of great writers. Having said that, I …more

What advice would you give to a young graduate starting out in copywriting? Fiona Thompson I’d start by making friends with project managers in design companies, as they all seem to know each other, and will pass your name on if you do a good job for them. They’ll also take you with them when …more

Could you forgive a great campaign idea if it was badly written? Roger Horberry, Alp Associates No. In fact I think you’d be hard pressed to say if something was a good idea if it was genuinely poorly expressed. John Simmons In 1997 we all forgave some awful writing. It seemed that it was enough, …more

Even if they were paying top dollar, who wouldn’t you work for? Heather Atchison Even if they were paying me handsomely, I wouldn’t work for Kerry Foods. They produce brands like Cheestrings, Wall’s and Porkinson Bangers. I find it hard to stomach their approach to food (sorry) – from what they put in their products …more

Writing awards: are there enough of them and do they mean anything anyway? Martin Lee, Acacia Avenue There’s definitely a hole in the awards market for another niche prize. I’m thinking of the ‘2008 Fascinating Proposal for an Unfinished Manuscript Written by Martin Lee Award’. The size of the prize would be sufficient to allow …more