David L. Deutsch is an A-list copywriter, mentor, and teacher of the craft.

Please enjoy his 169-word Micro-Interview:

Thanks, David.

Let’s get started:

1) "Do you have a work routine?”

When possible, block off times for deep work and stick to it. That seems to be the only way real writing gets done.

2) "What do you wish you'd known about your work when you first started?”

Don't try to "write." Just talk to the prospect. And really get to know the prospect deeply. Through research, talking to them, and surveys.

3) “What did your biggest professional failure teach you?”

Not to assume I know.

4) “Has anything helped you shorten your craft's learning curve?”

Starting at Ogilvy. Working and studying under writers who were better than I was. Studying crafts outside copywriting: Persuasion, storytelling, argumentation (plus improv and clowning).

5) “Do you have a book recommendation?”

Eugene Schwartz' Breakthrough Advertising

6) “Any parting piece of advice?”

Writing is hard. But finding out stuff is easy. So know more than your competition... about your prospect, about the market, about the history of what has gone before, about writing and about marketing.