Freelance Writing Strategies For Avoiding The Crazy Writer Stigma
Last time around, I talked about maintaining your sanity as a freelance writer by taking care of your body.
After all, your mind is no good to your writing if your body isn't in proper harmony.
Next piece of the puzzle deals with the mind itself.
I used to know this guy named Matt who told me he would never want to be a writer because it's a solitary craft and he feared being alone.
While having a freelance writing career means you won't be having tons of friends over partying with you while you work, it doesn't mean you have to be stuck in a dark little hovel all by yourself.
1.
Your Spirit: + No News is Good News: You might hear something repeated frequently by marketing gurus - cut news from your life.
The reason they repeat this is because it's true.
Honestly, what are you really getting from reading the paper every day.
If you don't read the news on a given day, will it really change your life that you didn't read about a suicide bombing in the Middle East, a local kidnapping or a corrupt politician being charged with fraud? Yes it will - for the better.
News sells largely on the grounds that it shocks and shock is most easily achieved with negativity.
+ Buddies: Isolation is not considered a healthy human trait and feeling lonely can lead to unhealthy lines of thinking.
If you are on Facebook, use it to find other people in your field.
Arrange to work with them from time to time.
This is especially true for writers.
Though writing is a solitary craft, there's nothing to stop two authors from working in the same apartment, where they can take breaks together or make coffee and prepare snacks for one another.
2.
Your Mental Health: + Be Lazy Once in a While: People aren't machines.
Some of us can naturally excel better than others.
Sometimes, however, we are so focused on the prize, we lose sight of the purpose - to create a life of quality.
You don't have to wait for success to enjoy life.
Give yourself a night off once in a while.
Though you need to apply yourself to your endeavours, do not continuously come home from work and throw yourself into your projects.
Sometimes you owe it to yourself to rent movies, dump yourself on the couch and have a couple of glasses of wine, and not feel guilty about it.
Turn your mind off and watch the screen.
If your mind start wandering to your work, rewind the scene of your movie and re-watch it.
+ Turn work time into positivity training: Do you have a job that allows you to listen to music on your iPod or computer? If so, ditch the music and start listening to audio books on time management, business modeling, how-to's related to your given field or interest, or interviews with mavens of your industry.
Will Beyonce help your book get published or your product patented? No, she won't, so why are you listening to her for all those hours? Like I've said before, freelance writing presents many opportunities, but you will have to master the hurdles that all other writers face.
After all, your mind is no good to your writing if your body isn't in proper harmony.
Next piece of the puzzle deals with the mind itself.
I used to know this guy named Matt who told me he would never want to be a writer because it's a solitary craft and he feared being alone.
While having a freelance writing career means you won't be having tons of friends over partying with you while you work, it doesn't mean you have to be stuck in a dark little hovel all by yourself.
1.
Your Spirit: + No News is Good News: You might hear something repeated frequently by marketing gurus - cut news from your life.
The reason they repeat this is because it's true.
Honestly, what are you really getting from reading the paper every day.
If you don't read the news on a given day, will it really change your life that you didn't read about a suicide bombing in the Middle East, a local kidnapping or a corrupt politician being charged with fraud? Yes it will - for the better.
News sells largely on the grounds that it shocks and shock is most easily achieved with negativity.
+ Buddies: Isolation is not considered a healthy human trait and feeling lonely can lead to unhealthy lines of thinking.
If you are on Facebook, use it to find other people in your field.
Arrange to work with them from time to time.
This is especially true for writers.
Though writing is a solitary craft, there's nothing to stop two authors from working in the same apartment, where they can take breaks together or make coffee and prepare snacks for one another.
2.
Your Mental Health: + Be Lazy Once in a While: People aren't machines.
Some of us can naturally excel better than others.
Sometimes, however, we are so focused on the prize, we lose sight of the purpose - to create a life of quality.
You don't have to wait for success to enjoy life.
Give yourself a night off once in a while.
Though you need to apply yourself to your endeavours, do not continuously come home from work and throw yourself into your projects.
Sometimes you owe it to yourself to rent movies, dump yourself on the couch and have a couple of glasses of wine, and not feel guilty about it.
Turn your mind off and watch the screen.
If your mind start wandering to your work, rewind the scene of your movie and re-watch it.
+ Turn work time into positivity training: Do you have a job that allows you to listen to music on your iPod or computer? If so, ditch the music and start listening to audio books on time management, business modeling, how-to's related to your given field or interest, or interviews with mavens of your industry.
Will Beyonce help your book get published or your product patented? No, she won't, so why are you listening to her for all those hours? Like I've said before, freelance writing presents many opportunities, but you will have to master the hurdles that all other writers face.
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