There are times when seeing the “P” word in an article or tweet or Facebook post makes me want to tear my hair out. We all know we need to be productive. We know that being productive as a remote worker is more difficult than working in a corporate setting (or am I wrong?).
Why do we have to keep on talking and reading about productivity when we can be using that time to do some work? [Read more…]
Do you realize that all great literature is all about what a bummer it is to be a human being? Isn’t it such a relief to have somebody say that? – Kurt Vonnegut
It is a bummer to be a human being, and it is such a relief to have someone say that. Life has its awesome moments, but being human (as compared to other species) has a lot of disadvantages, not the least of which is having the capacity to think and feel intensely – sometimes with reason and emotion clashing with each other like two gladiators fighting for their lives in the pit.
Everyone has his own coping mechanism, but I think that in this matter, we writers have one thing we can always fall back on: writing! [Read more…]
I’ve written about the benefits of occasionally working outside, and recently, I have been thinking about it again. It’s probably because I haven’t gone out to work in a while.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but you probably work at a coffee shop (as opposed to a restaurant or pub) when you don’t work at home.
What I’d like to share with you today is what to bring when you work at a coffee shop. It may seem like a no-brainer, but there may be some things that you haven’t thought of. Based on my experience, here are some things to do/prepare before you go to work at a coffee shop.
Having a dedicated bag for your mobile office, as I like to call it, serves two purposes.
One, you do not have to dig around your regular bag for your laptop, charger, and other things you need for work. Your personal items like your wallet stay in your regular bag. Things are more organized and easier for you.
Two, your devices are more protected. There are bags that have compartments that offer protection for laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and other electronic devices.
I used to laugh at this idea – until I struggled with finding an available socket. When that happened, I got a small power strip (2-3 sockets) that I use when working at a coffee shop.
The brilliant thing about having this strip is that when there is a lack of wall sockets, you can easily ask the other people near you if you can plug the strip and then offer to share sockets with them. If you’re lucky, then you might even make friends, contacts, or potential clients.
Earphones may not be essential for some writers, but in my case, I am more productive when I am isolated from the noise around me. Sometimes, even writers who do not really care about the buzz of chatter in a coffee shop may get distracted by unusually loud customers. That’s when earphones come in handy.
A notebook. Pens. Business cards (if you have them).
You never know when you might need them, and as they say, better safe than sorry.
What items do you consider essential for working at a coffee shop?
…a list of things. 😉
In about a week, we’ll be celebrating the biggest holiday of the year, and the frenzy is at its highest. I don’t even dare go out these days due to the heavy traffic and hordes of shoppers in the malls. But one can wish for gifts this Christmas, right?
I was thinking about the past year in terms of freelance writing as a career, and I thought it would be fun to make a freelance writer’s Christmas wishlist.
This particular freelance writer would be happy to get all of the above for Christmas. What do you want for Christmas?
Editor’s note: Haley Osborne is a freelance writer and contributing blogger at EssayTigers.com. Writing is her job and hobby, so she investigates the ways to improve writing skills, follows latest blogging trends and shares expert writing tips. You can find and follow her on Twitter.
Writing is both a craft and a curse. Writers are well known for celebrating their work and, at the same time, lamenting how rigorous it can be. For every comment or quote about the frustration and pain writing brings, there are a dozen more about the joy it brings, the relief and, above all else, the incessant need to continue. As a result, there are numerous essays and quotes about writing expressing controversial ideas and points of views. Why do writers write for writers and about writing? Does writing about writing make any sense? And what is most important – does writing about writing help to improve your writing?
Explaining the Role of Writers to Society
“If a nation loses its storytellers, it loses its childhood.” (Peter Handke)
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” (Ernest Hemingway)
When writers write about their daily routine, their understanding of talent and the profession of writing, they are consciously or subconsciously trying to show society the importance of their mission. They have the need to be appreciated and estimated as representatives of any other crafts and professions.
Who can understand writers better than the writers themselves? And who can explain better the importance and the hardships of the writer’s work than those who are actually struggling through these tasks every day? So, by writing about writing, the authors give other people a glimpse of the creative process. They also show potential writers what they should expect if they want to dedicate themselves to writing.
Sharing Writing Motivation
“Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything. … It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.” (Enid Bagnold)
It is the writer who might catch the imagination of young people, and plant a seed that will flower and come to fruition. (Isaac Asimov)
Writers share the reasons they write and what makes a real writer with fellow writers and those just beginning to break into the game. Thus, writers want to explain their desire to write, or inability to stop writing. Books and essays on the craft of writing help those who read them find their feet, but they also help authors to take the time and examine their own work, find their own motivations, and become more confident of their aims.
Giving Advice on Writing Progress
“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.” (Philip Roth)
“Keep a small can of WD-40 on your desk … to remind yourself that if you don’t write daily, you will get rusty.” (George Singleton)
“Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.” (Larry L. King)
Writers with experience are more than aware of the challenges their fellow writers face when it comes to the creative process, organizing their work and thoughts, and finding inspiration. Ask any successful writer about their writer’s routine and they’re bound to mention free writing, brainstorming, literary doodling or some other euphemism for just ‘messing around’. It’s the same kind of work artists do when they sketch out new ideas – a way to clear the cobwebs from their brains and get those creative juices flowing.
Writers themselves often hang on to these early morning free writing records or notebooks with random scribbles or bolts of inspiration as a way to review their thoughts, organize ideas and simply exercise their minds and flex their creative muscles. Sooner or later, each writer comes up with some tips that are helpful for them to overcome writing challenges and raise productivity. Though such tips depend on the individual and can’t work for everyone, writers are willing to share them as valuable wisdom that might help fellow writers deal with the difficult craft.
Expressing the Writing Emotions
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” (George Orwell)
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” (Ernest Hemingway)
Anyone who says writing is easy isn’t doing it right.” (Amy Joy)
Writing is not a smooth process, and the creative, sensitive souls of writers experience the complications even more painfully. One book can cause a storm of indignation, irritation, drama and heartbreaking despair. Writers are usually never completely satisfied with the results. No matter how many articles, books, novels, short stories, screenplays or other works one produces, no writer ever feels done and it sets off a cycle of grousing about the writing process that, in fact, is the only thing that brings them joy.
Honing Writing Skills by Reflection
It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous. (Robert Benchley)
“The most beautiful things are those that madness prompts and reason writes.” (Andre Gide)
“I do not over-intellectualize the production process. I try to keep it simple: Tell the damned story.” (Tom Clancy)
Examining the writing life is about examining the foundation and the work, aside from and independent of any final products. It’s an attempt to focus on the journey as opposed to the destination. When authors turn their attention to the craft of writing, the focus is almost always on the grunt work involved – the brainstorming, the pounding of keys and the endless revisions, edits and cuts that come with the territory. Simply put, writing isn’t an easy vocation to have and authors who embrace the pain and difficulty of the process are able to produce their best work.
Examining the writing life isn’t easy, especially when writers themselves put the craft under the microscope. Dissecting what they do and attempting to explain the methods behind their madness is difficult at best. Still, authors turn their attention to their craft and vocation to encourage other writers overcome challenges and develop their writing talent.
Final Line
“Writers live twice.” (Natalie Goldberg)
As writers craft their stories, it’s impossible for them to avoid thinking and writing about the work itself. Authors who’ve run the gamut from classic literature to pop-culture masters have given their proverbial two cents on the craft of writing and each one has offered new insight into writers’ routines, habits, and rituals. For some, it is the way to help other writers find their way but for the majority, it’s about living the examined life in the hopes that by taking a closer look at what they do, they can improve it. Writing about writing is not about self-indulgence. Writers share their stories, techniques, and rituals as a way to show others it’s not an easy craft, but it’s worth the trouble, doubts and throes of creation.
Recently, I wrote about kicking writers’ doubts in the bum. I hope that it helped those of you who are experiencing some sort of crisis in your freelance writing career.
Today, it occurred to me that it would be even more helpful to identify some specific doubts that may plague writers. Based on experience, here are some common doubts writers have.
I might not meet the client’s requirements.
This applies when you’re doubtful about applying for a job. Sometimes you may see a freelance writing job ad that you think is a great fit for you, but you are still unsure about whether the client will actually see things in the same way.
What to do?
This is where reading the requirements carefully comes in. If the ad says a certain requirement is non-negotiable, and you don’t meet that, then don’t apply. If, however, it is not explicitly stated, why not give it a try anyway? The worst thing that can happen is that you get a no.
My new client might not like my work.
There is only one way to find out, isn’t there? You just need to do what you do best: write high quality content.
Do your research if necessary. Cite reputable sources. Give clear examples if needed.
Also, before you even start, lay down the ground rules on both ends. Make sure you know exactly what your client is expecting, and make sure your client knows what you are offering. Get the details right – down to the word count, style, linking, and images.
Additionally, when you have submitted your first piece, ask for feedback. Let your client know that you welcome his feedback and that you are willing to take this into consideration. You might even want to offer to make revisions.
My blog readers might not like what I write and bash me in the comments.
This happens to the best of us. There are always two sides to a story, and as they say, “haters are going to hate”. More so, the Internet has made people bolder when it comes to expressing themselves, so you are going to get comments that are negative.
Expect it. Get used to it. Reply as politely and logically as you can, and leave it at that.
One final note: Don’t feed the trolls.
I might not get enough work to make a living.
Taking the leap to go freelance full-time is not to be taken lightly. That is why I always advise my friends to not immediately ditch their day jobs until they have enough savings to last a couple of months or so AND have enough clients who can offer a steady stream of income. I can’t give you numbers, unfortunately, as this will vary from person to person, but the idea is to start freelancing on the side and slowly ease into it till you can be sure you can handle the uncertainties of freelance writing full-time.
These doubts writers have may or may not apply to you, but if one comes up, I hope that you’ll have the courage to overcome them. Do you have other things to add to this list of common doubts writers have? Let’s hear them in the comments!
Everyone experiences self-doubt now and then. It’s part of being human, and writers are not exempt from this. In fact, I would go as far as to say that writers probably experience self-doubt more than other people. This is because we create things by transforming abstract ideas into concrete, readable words; and this makes us prone to criticism – whether constructive or not.
Self-doubt may kick in in different situations:
Remember: self-doubt is normal BUT it doesn’t mean you have to let it take control and paralyze you.
When self-doubt kicks in, I’ve learned that there are certain things one can do and/or think in order to get back on track, and that’s what I want to share with you today.
Go back to the time when you were first sending out queries and application letters. You probably had your fair share of rejection letters, but you got a break at some point. How much work have you done since then? How many clients have told you they are happy with your work?
Look for those self-boosting moments in your writing career, dwell on them, and watch self-doubt fly away.
If self-doubt still hangs around even though you’ve thought back on your successes as a writer, why not stop focusing on your work for a while? Ask yourself, what do you like writing about – just for the fun of it?
Maybe you like writing short fairy tales. Or maybe you like writing poems.
Whatever makes you feel good, write it!
Don’t think about your clients. Don’t think about what your peers would say. Just write, and have fun. At the end of it all, you’ll feel so much better that self-doubt will have no choice but to go away.
If you have been writing for some years (or even just months), and you experience self-doubt, then one way to deal with it is to find someone else who could use your help. Participate in forums for writers, Google Plus or Facebook Groups for writers, and similar venues. For sure, there will be at least one person who needs a mentor.
Offer your services, and share what you have learned. That writer will probably express his gratitude in a way that self-doubt gets a good kick up its bum.
Acceptance is the first part of any recovery. If you doubt yourself because of a recent failure, accept that it is simply part of life. Lows will occur. You will let others down. You will fail.
What matters, though, is that you accept that these things happen. When you do, you will get up more easily – and faster – and ignore self-doubt more efficiently.
Have you been experiencing self-doubt lately? How did you deal (are dealing) with it? Let’s help each other out by sharing your experiences and advice in the comments!
I could be wrong, but I think that many freelance writers – especially those who work mainly from home – are more introverted than extroverted. At the risk of stereotyping, many of us prefer to stay indoors, read books, browse the Internet, and watch (good) TV shows or movies/documentaries.
I’ve come to realize that the freelance writing lifestyle is not as healthy as one would like to think so. Sure, you avoid the pollution by having to commute to work every day. You also avoid the stress of having to deal with irritating co-workers face to face (although that is easily replaced by other stress factors at home).
On the other hand, even the most introverted person needs some social interaction. Staying within the boundaries of your home is not healthy, too. That’s why I mentioned before that it’s good to occasionally work outside.
However, there are bad days when one just can’t seem to get anything done, and even with the knowledge that changing one’s surroundings will help, one just can’t muster enough energy – or desire – to go out.
Today was one of those days for me.
The day started out pretty good, but by lunch time, I was running on fumes. I couldn’t get a single coherent sentence together. I couldn’t get my ideas to make sense. Heck, I couldn’t even manage to read an email without getting agitated!
Disclaimer: I’m sometimes over irritable/sensitive/anxious like that.
As usual, I tried to slug my way out of it. That’s how I roll. I force myself to stay in front of the computer and get things done. After an hour or so of fighting off a headache, trying to actually work, and about 5 cups of coffee, however, a thought suddenly occurred to me: maybe I should take a nap!
I don’t know about you, but as much as I love to nap, I try to avoid it during the work day simply because I want to finish my tasks as early as possible so I can enjoy a relaxing evening. This afternoon, my body and mind gave in. I didn’t even think of the consequences as I went to the bedroom, turned the AC on, put Vivaldi on, and turned the lights off.
An hour later, guess what?
I woke up, not feeling all perky and chirpy, but I felt so much better. I didn’t jump right back into work, but I did make myself another cup of coffee and a PBJ and settled down on the sofa.
After that, my focus was back, the looming headache gone, and my irritability levels down (somewhat).
I don’t know if you regularly take naps during the day, but I wrote this for those of you who may be like me who try as hard as possible to just keep working no matter what. I know there is always work to be done. There are clients to be satisfied, deadlines to be met.
If you do not listen to what you body (perhaps the mind, too) is telling you, though, you might end up burning out, and that’s definitely no good. The next time you feel really off, maybe you ought to consider giving yourself a break and taking a nap.
Oh, and if you think one nap’s just good as any other nap, here’s an interesting article about power naps that might just teach you a lesson or two.
How do you deal with “off days”?
