Freelance Writer and Social Worker

A Freelance Writer's Guide to Dealing with Burnout

My pen flew across the room, narrowly missing my 14-year-old cat who had chosen that moment to stick his head out from behind the sofa following a long nap. I cursed. I was sick and tired of writing self-help articles. I'd been writing several such articles every day for two or three weeks. The tone of my writing was beginning to change from sympathetic to sarcastic, and I found myself having to self-edit more and more severely.

I was seriously burned out, but what to do about it? I needed the money. Since I had to keep writing, and I couldn't keep beaning my cats with pens, I had to find a way to deal with my burnout. Fast. Here are some ideas that worked for me.

Work on Something Different

Sure, it was a bit of a pinch, but I reduced the number of self-help articles I was writing and started working on some projects I wanted to publish on Kindle. I also took on some editing projects. Branching out didn't solve the problems entirely, but the variety did help take the tedium out of writing the self-help articles.

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. 

10 Writing Goals I want to Meet in 2016

OMG. It seems like just yesterday that I was watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and anticipating a nice afternoon of football. Now we're finished with Christmas and it's almost time to think about those pesky New Year's Resolutions. Maybe I'm masochistic to make them at all, since they often fall by the wayside along about February, but somehow I just can't seem to resist. So, anyway, here they are, the 10 things I want to accomplish as a writer in 2016.

1) Get a New Computer. I'm not saying that my computer is old, virus-ridden, and slow, but the "Original Property of Thomas Edison" welcome message must mean something. Seriously, my technology is so far out of date that I can't even Skype, and my memory is strained to the breaking point with out of date files and pictures I'll never use again. It's time to upgrade.

2) Publish. In this new world of online publishing, "publish or perish" isn't just a phrase for academics anymore. Right now I'm working on two books: one is a book of Halloween/horror stories for lesbians, and the other is a nonfiction compilation of lists for writers. My goal is to publish both of these books by the end of March. Then I'll start on two more.

4 POSITIVE Personality Traits That Can Lead to Procrastination

Do you routinely experience problems with procrastination? If so, you may have been told that you were lazy, disorganized, lacked a sense of responsibility, or were otherwise flawed. Before you slink off hanging your head in shame, however, stop and reconsider.

There may not be anything wrong with you at all. In fact, you may be procrastinating as a result of what's right with you instead of what's wrong with you. Consider these possibilities.

Perfectionism. Your clients, editors, and readers appreciate your close attention to detail. You've probably even landed jobs because you are so thorough. Unfortunately, it's easy to take perfectionism too far. Some perfectionists put off starting projects for fear they will make a mistake. Others can't bring themselves to finish the project and hit the "send" button for the same reason.

There are a few tricks that can help ease the burden of perfectionism. Carol Tice, one of my writing coaches taught me to let go of the need to be perfect by deliberately inserting a small error into the copy. Once perfection was off the table, it was easier for me to embrace the concept of "good enough."

Another idea is to set strict time limits so that you don't spend countless hours editing or poring over your notes for the perfect quotation.

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. 

10 Writing Tasks You Can Complete in 10 Minutes

We all know the 10-minute demon. It's those pesky 10 minutes between appointments when you don't have anything else to do. It's that 10-minute wait at the doctor's office or the bank. It's the 10 minutes you're on hold when "all customer sales representatives are busy."

Ten minutes is an annoying time span, too much time to waste, but not enough to jump headfirst into a new project. So what do you do with that time?

I actually have a section on my "to do" list of tasks that will take only a few minutes. These are some of the items that show up frequently.

1. Return Phone Calls. 

When you think about it, ten minutes is a perfect length of time for most phone calls. It's short enough that you know you need to get to the point, but not so short that you have to forego a little friendly small talk. And if the call starts to turn long and rambling, you have the perfect out. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go now. They just called my service number."

2. Check and Return Email

Take a few minutes to check and respond to new email messages. If you do it now, when you have a few extra minutes, you won't have to worry about making the time to do it later.

3. Brainstorm

Are you stuck on a story or an article? If so, use your time to brainstorm possible solutions.

5 Secrets to Tackling a Long Writing Assignment

In June, you get a contract to ghost write a book. The rough draft is due in September, three months away. Nothing to worry about, right? You spend the next month or so keeping up with projects that have tight deadlines. After all, you've still got three months. Except now it's more like two months, and in a few weeks, it will be one month, and a couple of weeks after that, you know you're in serious trouble.

Have you ever done that? Do you still do it sometimes? When I started out as a writer, letting long projects slide until it was too late to do anything with them was my time management disaster of choice. It cost me I-don't-know-how-many sleepless nights, tears, migraines, and stomach upsets.

In fact, it made me so miserable that I knew I had to change, so I put together a plan for taking on lengthy assignments. This may not work for everyone, but it's certainly made my life a lot easier.

1. Assess Immediately

When you get a long project, it's easy to stick it into a corner of your desk, and/or into a computer file, and forget all about it. Bad idea. The moment you get the assignment, go over it with a fine-tooth comb. Be sure you know what your part entails and that you understand what the client really wants from you.

2. Break It Down

Sure, that's standard time management advice, and do you know why? Because it works! Think about writing 300 type-written pages and your brain is likely to go into overwhelm mode. Now imagine doing just four pages a day. If you can commit to that, you'll meet your 90-day deadline with room to spare.

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?

My Favorite Freelance Writing Posts

Isn't it a shame that when you write a blog some of your best posts slip away into obscurity. (Then, of course, there are the posts that truly should slip away into obscurity, but that's a different story.)

Anyway, this week I was feeling a little nostalgic, and maybe a little lazy as well, and decided to rerun some of my favorite posts from the last year or so. If you missed the originals, I hope you'll find something amusing or something informative in these selections.

1. 25 Strategies for Smashing Through Writer's Block. No, I'm not going to take the time to argue about whether there is any such thing as writer's block. Whatever we want to call it, most of us have had times when we're simply stuck, and these tips can help.

2. Freelance Writers: 7 Tips for Caring for Your Hands, Wrists, and Arms. We may not be professional athletes, but we still rely on our bodies to make a living. If you aren't already, start treating those hands with kid gloves.

3. Dear Debra - A Letter to My Sixteen Year Old Self. My personal favorite blog posts. I just wish someone really had been around when I was 16 to give me that advice!