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? 

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?

 

10 Sources of Inspiration for Writers

I'm usually a pretty steady writer. I enjoy the process of putting words together until they sound just the way I want them to, and I'm very grateful that I can make a living doing something so close to my heart.

But sometimes I just hit a wall. The words stop flowing, and each phrase that pops into my mind sounds crappier than the one before it. The well has officially run dry.

Unfortunately, the hours and minutes until my deadline keep right on ticking away. I have to get my inspiration back, and fast!

But how?

1. Read something that's very well-written.

Depending upon my mood, my favorites are Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Victor Hugo, and Edna St. Vincent Millay. If they can write prose and poetry that sings like that, I tell myself, I can surely slog my way through one more blog post.

Keep a Gratitude List in Your Writing Workspace

I'm lucky enough to be one of the 5.7 million Americans living with bipolar disorder. Although it is usually well controlled by medications and lifestyle choices, I do cycle through episodes of mania and depression from time to time.

When the depression hits, I spend a lot of time thinking about everything wrong with my life. I've found that the best way to deal with these thoughts is to force myself to change focus and acknowledge everything that's right in my life. I call this my gratitude list, and I keep it right in front of my computer in my workspace. It brings me comfort during hectic days or days when I feel a little down.

If I'm having a bad day, I also challenge myself to add at least one new item to my gratitude list. It may take some creative thinking, but I'm always able to come up with something.

Writing and Depression

The alarm beeps and I slap my hand over it to stop the noise. I feel as though a rock is sitting squarely on top of my chest. Although I know I have work to do, and lots of it, I cannot think of a single reason to get out of bed.

"You suck at this," I tell myself. "Whatever made you think you could be a writer? You might as well just stay in that bed...loser."

Ah, the charming screech of depression. As a person living with bipolar disorder, I've been dealing with depression in one form or another for most of my life. Depression, I've realized, has one goal: to take your hope away and leave you swimming in a dark sea of failure.

If my depressed voice had its way, I would spend the rest of my life huddled in a corner of my bed feeling too empty to do anything but stare at the wall.

But I can't let my depressed voice have its way. I have projects to write and editing to do and besides, I don't want to spend the rest of my life looking at a wall.

So most days I stumble out of bed, shower, dress, eat some protein, turn on my computer and start writing.

What allows me to fight off depression long enough to complete these tasks? Lots of tricks that I've learned over the years.

Writing 101: Recognizing Your Blind Spots

My 12-year-old cat, Achilles, has a problem: He doesn't realize that his tail is supposed to be permanently attached to him. On most days, he chases it until he is dizzy. Then he tries to walk away with dignity, hissing in frustration as the tail follows right behind him.

A few days ago, he jumped up on my writing desk where I had a candle burning. Busy with a tough editing project, I shooed him away. He angrily slashed his tail back and forth over the open flame...and set it on fire!

I screamed and grabbed his tail with both hands. In the end, his fur got a little singed, but the fire never touched his flesh. I was left with a tender red spot on my left palm.

And the funny thing is, he never realized for a moment that he was in danger. In fact, he scratched me for pulling his tail.

Talk about a blind spot! And yet, I know I have blind spots at least that big.

10 Items Writers Should Never Leave Home Without!

Last month I went to a craft fair. While admiring the jewelry at one of the booths, I started talking to another woman and was delighted to hear that she was also a writer. She handed me one of her cards. Red-faced, I dug deep into my purse until I finally came out with a pathetic-looking, dog-eared card of my own. Even though she took it with a smile, I was almost ashamed to give it to her.

Since then, I've visited with my other writer friends about times when they got caught with their literary pants down, and I've--well, we've--put together this list of 10 necessities writers should always have with them.

1. Business cards. There's no excuse for not having a business card, especially when you can make them on your own computer or get them practically free from Vistaprint. While you're buying cards, take time to invest in an inexpensive card holder so that your cards will always be at the tip of your fingers and in mint condition.

2. Brochures. Always try to carry at least two or three business brochures along with you in case you run into a potential client. Like business cards, low-priced brochures are available at Vistaprint.

3. Copies of books you've written. Have you ever lost a sale because you didn't have a copy of your book immediately available? I have, but I'm never going to let it happen to me again. Now I always carry at least two copies of Hospice Tails and Visiting Grandma. If you've written a lot of books, bring along copies of your most popular ones and your newest ones, and if you e-publish exclusively, get some postcards (I won't tell you where) listing the titles and a brief summary of your works.

4. Cell phone. Indulge me on this one. I didn't grow up with cell phones, and I'm all to adept at leaving mine on the charger or under a desk or chair--wherever the cats have batted it. But that's not smart. You can't afford to be cut off from client communications when you leave the home, so make sure to stick it in your purse or briefcase.

The Care and Feeding of the Freelance Writer

If I asked you to name your most important business asset, what would you say? Your computer? Your printer? Your iPhone? What about you?

Yes, you. Your computer can always be replaced, even if it has a major meltdown and zaps half of your documents into oblivion (three words: external hard drive). Printers and iPhones, too, can be fixed or replaced within a day or two of crapping out.

You, however, cannot be replaced. If you're too sick or stressed to write, your whole business grinds to a halt until you feel better. That's why caring for ourselves is so important.

So, even if you're sure you are Super Writer and that you don't have time for special care, take just a minute to think about the following suggestions. You may be surprised at how a small amount of comfort and care can send your productivity skyrocketing.

Remember GIGO

For those of you who have never taken a programming class, GIGO stands for "garbage in, garbage out." It doesn't matter how sophisticated your program may be--it the data you enter is garbage, the results you receive will be garbage as well.

The same thing is true with your body. The more you stuff yourself with caffeine and sugar to keep your tired brain churning out ideas, the more your writing will suffer. You'll start to make mistakes, first small ones, then bigger ones that can hurt your career. The only answer is to stop the cycle of garbage and give your body the rest, exercise, food, and fluids it needs to keep the brain in top shape.

Escape from the Cave

Sure, our ancestors may have slept in caves and sought shelter in inclement weather, but they were smart enough to know that the human body was never intended to remain inside 24/7. Take a page from their book, and get out as much as you can. Take a break and walk around the block, or bring your laptop to a park and work on your projects there. Even if it's snowing, you can still get outside for a few minutes. Try doing something fun like building a snowman or making snow angels.

Why a Waiting List Can Be a Good Thing for Your Writing Business

As most of you know, I trained as a social worker, and while I'm now a fulltime writer, I have many friends who are still in the social work field.

I was talking to one of them a few months ago. She's a clinical social worker in private practice, and she told me that when she's contacted by a prospective client, she always sets the first appointment at least two weeks away from the date of first contact, even if she has availability before then.

"Why?" I asked.

She smiled. "Because I want to let them know that I'm a therapist who is worth waiting for."

After we spoke, I played over her idea in my mind. Would a similar tactic work for writers? I didn't see why not. In fact, I saw many advantages to not dropping everything to chase after a new client.

First, having a waiting list projects an air of confidence rather than desperation. If you spring at any hint of new work and bend over backwards to get the gig done sooner than immediately, your behavior communicates that you are willing to do just about anything for paying work. This gives him or her the upper hand in negotiations and all but guarantees a series of low-paying quick turnaround assignments. I don't think that's what any of us are looking for.

 Second, having a waiting list allows you to maintain control of your schedule and your work/life balance. If taking on one more project this week will push you to the point of overwhelm, simply let the client know that you'd love to work with him/her but won't have any time on your schedule until next week. Most clients are impressed by the fact that you're in such high demand that they won't mind the wait.

How Keeping Track of Your Writing Accomplishments Can Make You More Productive

Have you ever had one of those days where you worked your tail off but still couldn't check many items off your "to do" list? I've had several days like that, and I hate looking at that list feeling as if I've gotten nothing done; worse is the vague feeling of failure as I carefully copy all of the old items onto the next day's list. It's not exactly a ticket to leaving your workplace in a terrific mood.

The last few days, I've been trying something a little different. Right next to my "to do" list, I keep another list entitled "accomplishments."

Every hour or so, when I get up from my desk to stretch my legs, I take a little time to think back on how I've spent the previous 60 minutes. What have I gotten done? The answers to that question go on my "accomplishments" list.

That list has been a lifesaver for me in a couple of ways. First, it is visual proof that I have not spent the day leafing through magazines or sunbathing on my patio. I actually have gotten things done, even if those things don't happen to be the ones written on the almighty "to do" list.

The second benefit of keeping track of my accomplishments is that it allows me to see exactly where my time and energy are being directed. A couple of days ago, for instance, I realized I'd spent a large part of my day reassuring an anxious client. The next day, I prioritized her project and completed it. Problem solved. (And the next time that client contacts me, I guarantee my schedule will be "too backed up" to deal with her project.)

Finally, my "accomplishments" list is a great early warning system that lets me know when my work schedule is getting lop-sided. For instance, if I see that I'm spending all my time working on current assignments and no time pounding the pavement to find new ones, I realize I need to adjust my priorities.

Most of all, though, my "accomplishments" list allows me to end the day with a little rush of success instead of the disappointment of not completing all the items on my "to do" list. I find myself going into the personal aspect of my life in a much better mood, which puts those around me in a better mood, as well. Always a good thing! 

Do you keep an "accomplishments" list? What accomplishments are you proudest of completing this week?