Freelance Writer and Social Worker

When Are You a Writer?

"What do you do?" Whenever you meet someone new, you can expect this question to pop up early in the conversation.

Do you tell the people who ask you this question that you're a writer? If not, take a few minutes to think about why. What would it take to make you a "real" writer? There are many common reasons why even highly skilled writers are afraid to claim the title.

"I don't have a degree in English or creative writing."

Neither did Mark Twain, but that didn't stop him from writing some of the cleverest books in the English language. There's nothing wrong with studying writing, of course. If can help you learn new techniques and give you a basic knowledge of different styles and traditions. It is not necessary, though, to obtain a degree before calling yourself a writer. 

"I don't make my living as a writer."

Which are you the most passionate about, your writing or your day job? If you love them both, then claim them both. ("I'm a freelance writer and a hospice social worker.") Otherwise, simply tell people the truth that is in your heart. You are a writer.

"I haven't published anything yet."

Wait a minute. Are you sure you haven't published anything? What about an editorial in your local newspaper, an article for the PTA newsletter, or a blog post? Any of these things--and others like them--count as publications. And anyway, you don't have to be published to be a writer. As long as you have written something, the title is yours.

"I've never won a writing award."

It's nice to have your talent recognized by others, but you can't let your identity depend on the opinion of a panel of judges.

"People will ask me what I've written."

Some people assume that every writer pens novels, short stories or at the very least, magazine articles. If those items aren't your niche, just explain what you do write. ("I ghost write books on senior care." or "I write blog posts about sales and marketing.")

By now I suspect you're getting the idea. A writer is a person who writes. I was a writer from the moment I first scribbled a two- or three-sentence short story in first grade. I was a writer long before my first piece of work sold. (I was in high school. I got paid a few bucks for submitting a blooper I'd caught on my favorite soap opera.) I'm a writer now, and I fully expect to be a writer for the rest of my life.

What do you tell people when they ask what you do? 

How Often Should Freelance Writers Blog?

When you started your freelance writing blog, you probably struggled with the question of how frequently to post.

Back when I began my first blog (It was called "Confessions of a Keyword Concubine"), the prevailing wisdom was that writers should post every day, or at least every week day.

The Daily Approach--Pros and Cons

There were some pros to posting daily. First, the daily posts proved to clients that you were capable of maintaining a rigorous schedule. Second, thinking of new things to write about every day was an excellent form of self discipline. Finally, offering a fresh post daily was a great way to draw regular readers to my site. They would drop in several times a week just to see what was happening. Many of them left encouraging comments which were music to my newbie blogger's ears (well, eyes). 

Daily blogging wasn't all paradise, though. There were some significant cons. It was really hard to think of something new to say every single day, and it was all too easy to start regurgitating my own posts or ideas from other websites. 

Another problem was the time factor. As I started to get more paying gigs, I had less time to devote to coming up with daily blog posts. I decided it was time to try a new method.

Freelance Writing Tool: Toggl

A few weeks ago, I was reading a book on time management and came across a familiar piece of advice: track your time so that you know where the minutes and hours are really going.

I'd tried doing that exercise in the past with pen an paper. I usually kept at it for a couple of hours. Then the time sheet would get lost (Have I mentioned I have a cluttered desk?), or I'd switch activities and forget to record the change over. Anyway, I always gave up by noon at the latest. Sometimes closer to 10:30. 

This time I decided to try something new and change my tracking tool. Instead of reaching for my pen and notepad, I did a quick Google search and found a time-tracking tool called Toggl (https://www.toggl.com). 

Toggl's basic services, the only ones that really interested me, allowed me to enter a project name and track how long I worked on the project. There was no software to download. When I was ready to go, I entered the project name and clicked start. When I was finished with it, I returned to the Toggl screen, clicked stop, and entered the next project on my agenda. It was so simple, even I couldn't manage to muck it up.

People who want access to more reports and analysis can upgrade their service for $5.00 per month. 

5 Phrases You Don't Want to See in Freelance Writing Job Ads

Okay, I admit it. I look at the freelance writing job ads on Craigslist. While many of them offer ridiculous terms or are just flat out scams, I have actually found some petty decent gigs there, too. The trick to making it worthwhile is to avid spending too much of your valuable time separating the good from the not-so-good.

I, for instance, used to spend 15 or 20 minutes poring over each ad, trying to decide whether it was a) legitimate, and b) worth my time. 

I solved the problem by developing a short list of phrases that I look for in freelance writing job ads. The second I see one, I'm out of there and on to other prospects.

1. Gain exposure. This means that you get a byline and very little else. And please don't fall for this one even if you are a new writer looking for your first clips. There are better ways to get clips that will impress editors more. Look at it this way. Having your name written on the wall of the sleaziest bathroom in town is exposure, but probably not the type you're looking for. 

2. Student or intern preferred. This innocuous sounding little phrase all but guarantees that you will be unpaid or grossly underpaid for your expertise. Leave these jobs to the students and interns and apply for gigs that are seeking (and are willing to pay for) professional freelance writers.

3. No experience necessary. Make no mistake about it, the people who post these freelance writing job ads want experience. They just don't want to have to pay for that experience, hence the disclaimer.

4. Write about anything you like. I've gotten some pretty sweet deals from editors over the years, but I've never had one offer to pay me for writing about anything I wanted to. These gigs usually involve income share or revenue share. You write your heart out and end up getting a few tenths of a cent for each page view. Unless one of your articles really takes off and goes viral, it's a heck of a lot of work for some pretty small rewards.

5. Must be able to write multiple articles per day. This one adds insult to injury. You'll probably only get paid a couple of bucks per article, AND you'll be so busy churning out work for this company that you won't have time to look for a better gig.  

Do you look at online freelance writing job ads? If so, what are the phrases you hate to see?

 

Book Review: Blogger's Block: How to Get Rid of It Now! by Mick Michaels

I really enjoy blogging. In fact, I've been known to spend too much time on it when I should have been working on other projects.

Last November, though, something unusual began to happen when I sat down to work on my blog. My flow of ideas slowed to a trickle. I couldn't think of a thing to say about writing, usually my favorite topic in the entire world. 

My blog started to gather dust as I missed days and then weeks of posts. My small but loyal following started to fade away. Not good.

I had almost given up on myself when I was browsing on Amazon and found a book entitled Blogger's Block: How to Get Rid of it Now! by Mick Michaels. It is available only in Kindle.

The book is short, direct, and has you answering questions about your blog and making lists of topics from the first page on.

Michaels starts by encouraging you to develop a clear, over-arching "core" idea of what your blog is about. Just as importantly, he asks you to describe what you want to accomplish with it (entertainment, instruction, breaking news, and so forth).

Once you have your core idea in mind, Michaels takes you through the process of narrowing your core idea to a series of categories. For instance, my core idea, writing, could spawn categories like freelance writing, fiction writing, writing bloopers, writer's block, reviews of books about writing, nonfiction and...well, the list could go on forever.

You can then review each category and come up with a list of specific blog topics that fall under the umbrella of the category. If you can come up with ten categories and ten blog post ideas for each category, you'll have a hundred new posts to keep you occupied.

Michaels also suggests using online aids such as the Google AdWords Keyword Tool to help you out if you get stuck.

Blogger's Block is available for just 99 cents, a more than fair price for the material offered.

Less than two weeks after I purchased it and read it, I was back on my regular blogging schedule and enjoying each and every post. I guess you could say I'm a very satisfied customer.

Where do you turn when you get stuck for ideas?  

10 Leisure Activities That Make Me a Better Freelance Writer

Do you remember the scene in The Shining where hapless wife Wendy Torrance sneaks into her husband, Jack's, writing room to try to get a glimpse into his troubled mind? 

Jack, who is supposed to be working on the Great American Novel has typed over and over, "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy."

A couple of scenes later, our "dull boy" has taken to chopping down doors to terrorize his wife and kid. 

Well, I can honestly say I've never gone after anyone with an axe or a knife, but I do become irritable and not much fun to be around if my writing days run so long that I don't have time to do the things I enjoy. These include

1. Reading. It makes me a better writer because I pick up factoids, styles, ideas, even hints of plot. 

2. Embroidery. After a long day of writing, it really helps me to sit down with my embroidery in my lap. I watch TV (see Number 3) as my hands deftly take over from my mind to create a beautiful image. As anyone who has ever wrangled with an embroidery knot can tell you, it's a great way to learn patience.

3. Television. Yes, I know television is the devil and we should all throw our TVs out the window. That's what some writers will tell you. I don't agree. Television helps me with characterization. Sometimes I'll see a performer in a bit role and just know that that's exactly how my character X would look and talk. Cheating? Maybe. But definitely effective.

Do You Have Writer's Burnout?

I'll never forget that Friday years ago when I hauled myself out of bed after only a few hours of sleep and stumbled to my computer for another full day of work. 

I sat there and stared at the monitor until my vision became blurry. My hands remained clenched in my lap. I simply could not bring myself to power the computer up for the day.

I didn't have writer's block. I had writer's burnout.

What Is Burnout?

According to Dictionary.com, burnout is "fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity."

The phrase was first used in the 1970s to describe the malaise of some people in the helping professions. Since then, mental health professionals have realized that people in just about any field are subject to burnout.

50 Things for the Freelance Writer to Tweet About

Yes, I know. Writers and other professionals are supposed to be active on social media sites. But do you ever just run out of anything to say?

Lately, I've been going through "Twitter Block," so I put together this list of topics to Tweet about. It's helped me, and I hope it will help you, too.

1. Promote your business. Sparingly. Sure, it's fine to Tweet about what you do, but every page shouldn't be an advertisement.

2. Reply to comments that interest you. Who knows, you might get a conversation going or even make a new friend. 

3. Retweet content you would like to share with your network. 

4. Link to blog posts that inspire you. The blogger doesn't need to be anybody you know, just someone whose work you admire.

5. Tweet your favorite quotations.

6. Share your personal updates, good or bad.  

7. Share a list of your favorite things. "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..." Okay, so it doesn't need to be that corny, but let people get to know you a little bit. 

8. Tweet industry news. One caveat here: Stay current. If your news is more than 12 hours old, it's probably already made the Twitter rounds. 

9. Share a helpful tip. It doesn't matter if it's about fixing a leaky faucet or writing good dialogue.

10. Post a link to your favorite charity. Maybe others online will join or contribute.

Beat the Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Women With These 21 Tips

My first blog post with LifeScript went live yesterday. Now that I'm caught up with that, I can go back to writing my own blogs. :-)

Beat the Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Women With These 21 Tips.

Fired! What to Do When You're Fired from a Freelance Writing Job

I've been a freelance writer since 2001. During that time, I've only been let go from projects a handful of times, but I can remember each and every occasion as if it had happened yesterday.

Sometimes being fired was completely my own fault, and I was able to accept responsibility for it and move on. Other times, the client and I reached a mutual agreement that things weren't working out. These rare occurrences were disappointing but not necessarily painful.

And then there were the last class of clients. (I can't believe I'm using these people and "class" in the same word.) They were hard if not impossible to please. They pushed boundaries, wanting far more work than the contract specified. And they usually walked away just before a payment came due.

I got blindsided by one of these types a few weeks ago. We had contracted for me to write a 20,000 word manual. Almost before the printer ink was dry on the contract, he upped the word count to 30,000 - with no extra pay.

I turned in the first section exactly as he had requested it. He paid me a pittance, then decided he didn't like my style after all. He disappeared, taking his business elsewhere. And that was that. Hours of labor and thousands of words gone to waste.

I wanted to cry. Instead I got to work on these damage control steps that you can use if you're ever fired as a freelancer.

1. Count to 10...or 100...or 100,000

Take some time to cool off, as much as you need. While flaming him to a crisp might sound like a good idea, remember that the freelance writing world can be a small place indeed. This client's input could keep you from getting a better job, so always try to respond like a professional.