In his book, "Achieving Financial Independence as a Freelance Writer," Ray Dreyfack, a full-time freelancer for 30 years, suggests that writers "ease" into full-time writing while maintaining their day jobs. If you're following this advice, either by choice or by necessity, you know that it's not always easy. Obligations to jobs and families tend to take priority over writing. It's easy to lose focus of your writing goals when you have so many distractions in your life.
It is possible to pursue a career as a freelance writer, even though you can't commit yourself to it full time. All you need are three things: time management skills, desire, and a day-planner. If you have the first two, you can get the third after you read this article!
Schedule Your Week
As in any part-time job, you must determine your hours of availability. Every Sunday evening check your calendar for the upcoming week. Schedule yourself "off" for the days filled other obligations. Establish what your work hours will be before you do anything else. Write your work days and times in your planner.
Writing Goals
Most experts promote the practice of setting writing goals. However, plans such as, "write something everyday" or "research on Mondays, write queries on Tuesdays," (you get the picture), are too vague for writers operating on a time crunch. What happens if your child has a band concert on Tuesday? Not only will that throw you off course for this week, chances are, it will also set you back the following week. These disruptions in such a loose plan can cause frustration and weaken your writing resolve. For greater productivity, set your goals on a weekly basis, after you've determined your hours of availability. Plan what you will do at each work session, according to the time available, and write it in your planner. This way, you'll be focused the minute you sit down, instead of trying to decide what you should do.
Create A Secondary "To Do" List
This list is separate from your weekly plan. It contains tasks that require a small block of time to complete. Organizing files, writing greeting card ditties, sending out reprint offers, and researching markets are some examples. This list is where you turn when you unexpectedly find yourself with extra work time. It will also come in handy on those days when your work time has been unavoidably reduced. Without this list, you may end up spending this precious time trying to decide what to do with it. Designate an area in your planner for this list. Remember to cross off your accomplishments and add to your list as needed.
Organize Your Supplies
Keep everything you need in one area. Nothing wastes time like repeatedly getting up to retrieve items you need. If you have an office or work area, keep your most important tools of the trade close at hand. If you don't have an area designated for your writing, a bin with everything you'll need works just fine.
Use an area in your planner to keep track of your writing supplies. Make a list of everything you use. As you begin to run low on any of the items, make a note to replenish your stock as soon as possible.
Show Up For Work
This is probably the most difficult part of all, because there are always going to be reasons for not writing. After you've made your schedule, do everything in your power to stick to it. No employer in their right mind would pay an employee who always makes excuses for not showing up. If you want to get paid for your writing, you must plan time to write!
Karen Bianchi is a freelance writer who also holds a part-time "day job." She has 4 kids and is the editor of http://www.awesomemomsnetwork.com
What am I going to write about?Which topic is the... Read More
Did you know that your back cover information is, after... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions... Read More
Despite the widespread use of e-mail in commerce today, traditional... Read More
Have you heard the term 'ghostwriter' and wondered what they... Read More
Writing is a personal and introspective process. To share with... Read More
Long ago, movie directors mastered the technique of creating a... Read More
Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to... Read More
My dad was wrong. I just discovered that I am... Read More
Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult... Read More
Summer's here and the time is write for dancing in... Read More
The works you've written are numerous, ranging from short stories... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
Bookcoaching clients come to me at different stages of writing... Read More
Finding the time to write a novel is one of... Read More
As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More
DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale... Read More
LATER, LATTERLater means afterwards; latter is the second of two... Read More
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More
Op-ed articles, also known as opinion/editorial articles, are a great... Read More
Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sketchandtravel and bookpleasures is honored... Read More
Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Time... Read More
Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More
Writing technical articles is a challenge. There you sit, surrounded... Read More
Plagiarism has been condemned lately by all types of experts,... Read More
I've noticed a big shift away from traditional horror recently,... Read More
Writing is hard work, and like all hard work, one... Read More
There is no doubt that a staff writer enjoys advantages... Read More
Rudolf Flesch, a specialist in writing skills, ran classes... Read More
Ah, writing. For those of us who love to play... Read More
The big question. Do you submit directly to the publishers,... Read More
So you want to learn to research well, and not... Read More
Just about every marketer on the Internet claims to be... Read More
The process of developing a working title for your nonfiction... Read More
So, you want to freelance as an editor, writer, copy... Read More
List-making is a favorite journaling technique and is often used... Read More
BAITED, BATEDBaited usually refers to traps or snares. When the... Read More
The writing community is a strong one, with many new... Read More
Back in the mid to late 1980s I was a... Read More
Anyone who has read any of my articles on the... Read More
The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More
This article is to help identify which style, technique or... Read More
Your query letter can be a deal maker or a... Read More
If Ben Franklin were alive today, he would be...uh, very... Read More
When we write stories, with the purpose of sharing them... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
No user manual? Surely you jest!It may seem comical, but... Read More
If you are a serious writer who wants to publish... Read More
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you... Read More
What am I supposed to give Anthony as a wedding... Read More
Writing |