Freelance Writer and Social Worker

7 Healthy Activities That Won't Take Five Minutes of Your Time

Ah, yes, the glamorous life of the freelance writer. It you have a day job, like me, you stumble out of bed at the crack of dawn. Looking like something that escaped from Tales from the Crypt, you try to jolt yourself awake with caffeine while you commit a few hundred immortal (you hope) words to paper.

Eight and a half hours later, having spent your lunch break writing a query letter, you walk in the door, plop yourself down in front of your computer, and write until your eyes won't stay open another minute. The next day, you do it all over again.

This may be a productive lifestyle, but it's hardly a healthy one. However, all is not lost. There are several health-promoting activities you can engage in that won't take even five minutes of your valuable time.

Drink a glass of water. The average adult needs about eight glasses - or 64 ounces - of water each day. Staying hydrated will keep your joints loose, promote heart health, and help you stay alert and mentally sharp. 

My Three "Magic" Wishes

 

I've never had the good fortune of coming across a genie's lamp. It's probably just as well. If I did, I can see myself wasting my wishes on the usual crap - fame, fortune, exotic travels, perpetual youth, a gorgeous and intelligent partner...mmm, my mouth is watering. 

But suppose I wanted to use my three wishes to bolster my writing career? What three things would I ask for then? That's a little tougher, but after some thought, I've come up with the following three requests.

1. Skin as tough as rawhide. 

I could be wrong, but I believe at least all writers are at least somewhat sensitive people. We see things in a way others don't, and we use our words to share our unique perceptions. Any time you put yourself so far out there, you risk getting slapped down, and hard.

The ultimate question is how much the slap disables you. I know many writers who brood about rejections and negative reviews for months if not years and many others who can shake it off in the span of a few seconds. 

Me, I still remember phrases from my first rejection letter - and it was a form letter. Needless to say, that kind of tenderness makes it hard to write letters of introduction and pitch publications with ideas.

Therefore, my first wish would be to grow a tougher exterior so I can get out of my own way when it comes to approaching publishers. 

11 Tips for Conducting a Terrific Phone Interview

This year, I've started writing a few articles for magazines and journals. I got lucky on the first few--the editors were perfectly happy with emailed questions and answers. Then came the day when an editor requested I call a source and interview her.

Great, I thought. Now what? Somehow I had survived more than eleven years in the writing business with only rare phone contact with my sources.

I was sure I was going to make a complete ass of myself, but I didn't. Furthermore, the editor was right. The quotes I got from that phone call were far better than anything I could have pulled from a politely-worded email.

Since then, I've done many phone interviews with different types of experts. In doing so, I've stumbled upon a few secrets I wish I had known the first time I picked up the phone and nervously made my first call to conduct an interview.

1. Record the Call...If Your Subject Agrees

I love recording phone calls. They allow me to listen to the subject rather than scribbling incomprehensible notes to myself. The recording also gives me some piece of mind, in case there is ever a dispute about what was or wasn't said. Of course, I always ask before I turn on the recorder. Not one subject has ever refused consent once I explained that the recordings were for my own personal use and that I would delete them after the article ran.