Oh, the lovely struggles of a writer’s life — bloodthirsty deadlines, toxic clients, lack of inspiration… These things come with the package, whether you like it or not. But did you know that you are the greatest enemy of your own work?
Out of hundreds of excuses — bad days, the dreaded writer’s block or simple laziness — you, as a writer, bear the sole responsibility for whether words appear on the page or not. It took me a while to acknowledge this and improve (a bit). Now I want to make it easier for you.
Take a look at these four signs and see whether you’re making the same mistakes!
Why? Well, long story short, it’s because I’m now a full-time content editor for Syed Balkhi’s Awesome Motive, and I simply didn’t have time for BAFB anymore.
However, five years as a Managing Editor is a long time. Especially in the fast-paced online world. Five years can feel like a decade, especially where learning and experience comes into play.
There‘re so many things I wish I’d known before starting my career as a professional Editor. I learned, of course; but fumbling around using “trial and error” tactics was brutal at times. I desperately wanted someone “in the know” to tell me “THIS is what you should expect, and what you should do…”
But, hey! Now I’M that “in the know” person. And I have the power to tell YOU what you should expect, and what you can do.
What’s the most important piece of paperwork in your freelance arsenal?
The contract, right?
It’s that little piece of paper that outlines the scope of work, ensures your client is legally obligated to pay you, and is the official start to all new working relationships.
But here’s the thing.
If the contract is the start, then what’s the end of your agreement? What is it that ties off the agreement and lets all parties involved know that the job is, officially, complete?
The answer is your invoice.
Your freelance writing contract and invoice are the book-stops to the job you’ve agreed to take on. They’re the hard start and stop for each job. And sure, contracts might get more love in the freelance advice world, but these two should always go hand-in-hand.
The invoice you send to the client doesn’t just officially close the agreement (pending payment of it of course), but it reminds the client of the payment terms and work completed.
In my humble opinion, the invoice is almost as important as your freelance contract, but its one of those elements that gets very little coverage online.
Do you know what happens when you allow fear to take up ownership of your life?
DOUBT, HURT, WHAT IF’S
Some define F- E- A- R as False Evidence Appearing Real
You know that all too familiar fear when you your client likes your pitch and now-you-have-to-put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is fear.
I struggled with fear management for two years, every time I decided to write something I would stare at the screen for hours at a time and produce absolutely nothing.
What happened when my fears tried to get the best of me?
I developed 6 ways to manage my fears and it turned around my freelance blogging career.
I’m NOT saying it’s the solution to all your freelance writing fears.
Becoming an efficient blogger with a productive way of working is crucial to success.
It’s unlikely that your blog will fail from a lack of love for your topic. After all, you took the time to get started. That’s more than most people with an idea will ever do.
It’s more likely that life will throw curveballs that make it difficult to stick to your original vision. Unless you treat your blog as a priority, a ‘must’ rather than a ‘should’, it’s easy to let it stagnate and die.
If you want to give your blog every advantage, read on to discover:
How tech can help you stay focused while blogging
How mapping out your creative process can help you stay productive
How a strict schedule can make your blog resilient to life’s challenges
You have been blogging for a while and you think it’s finally time. You want to stretch your wings and fly into the world of freelance blogging!
You’re not sure what to expect though, or if you’re even qualified to be a freelance blogger.
I can almost hear you now…
“What are people going to expect from me?”
“What if they don’t like what I write?”
“What if I get rejected?”
These are all questions I asked myself (and, just between you and me, sometimes I find myself still asking them!).
I know you are scared, and thinking about how hard this is going to be. Basically talking yourself out of even trying.
It’s ok to be scared, but you need to stop thinking about how hard it’s going to be. Just start writing. It’s that easy.
Do you love to write, and do research, for your articles? Do you love being able to reach out and connect with your readers? I know you do, or you wouldn’t be here looking for the help you need to get your butt moving.
So, you’re interested in blogging? You’ve never written anything before…and you are no longer considered young. How’s that going for you? Tough isn’t it?
Brain Ache
‘When I get older losing my hair, Many years from now’ …so goes the opening line of The Beatles song, ‘When I’m 64’.
Though I’m not quite 64; even though it sometimes feel like it; no seriously, being middle-aged everything hurts or creaks, and I mean everything – even my brain at times, entering the ‘Blogging Arena’ later in life can be hard work.
You need to get the right head on.
Millennials VS. Generation X
It’s a young persons game isn’t it? All that technology and stuff that never existed until the late 1990s – by which time some of us were already fully-formed adults with kids of our own and probably set in our ways.
“In my day…” comes the desperate, confused and, quite frankly, moany response from the non ‘Millennials.’ I’m Generation X; post Baby Boomer, pre Millennial; what was once described as the ‘alienated youth’.
Staying productive and on task when you work from home can be super challenging, but, if you’re a freelancer and your home is also your office you absolutely need to nail this if you want to succeed.
Getting everything done just as you want it and on time can be one of the hardest things to get right when transitioning from office life to working for yourself at home.
When I first started working from home I’d get up just before I needed to be at my desk and then spend the morning working in my pyjamas.
I’d make regular trips to the kettle, potter around the kitchen, and, before I knew it, it was 11am which meant time for a break. I’d eat biscuits, stick on Netflix then sit at my PC to work without focusing on anything in particular.
Soon enough it’d be 3pm and I’d done pretty much nothing.
I did this for two weeks before realising I was getting nowhere and would be back in a ludicrous 9-5 office job in no time if I didn’t get my act together, pronto!
You like to write, you like to explain yourself, you like to describe things, but you just don’t know what to write about or how to write about it.
You continuously struggle with not being able to grasp what you are truly passionate about because you are just following what everyone around you does – what all the “big name” writers write about.
I’ve been there. And I can help.
It’s time stop living – and writing — like that. You have to discover what YOU are passionate about!
If you’ve been searching for meaning in your writing, and longing to find your perfect niche, but have always been too scared to take the next step: now is the time to take it.
