It takes more than desire

The more problematic set of people are the ones who want to be writers, but don’t write. They like to read books and think about writing one. They like to watch movies and think about being a screenwriter. They have the desire, but they do nothing with it. Even if they do write that novel or screenplay, they don’t really see it through to completion. They don’t edit it until it is perfect. They don’t write a second one to build up their skill. They have enough willpower in them for one work, but not enough to make writing a career.

Easy isn’t always good

Willpower and persistence matter more than talent in most fields, and especially in writing. In fact, having a natural skill can sometimes be a hindrance. When a skill comes to a person naturally, that person often has less desire to improve. When I was in elementary school I was a math wiz. I could add, subtract, multiply and divide in my head easily and always got the best grades. When it came time to take algebra though, math suddenly became hard for me. At that point, I needed to try much harder, but I was used to not having to make an effort. I got average grades and moved on to other things. I wasn’t looking for a challenge. I just wanted to be good at it.

Sooner or later it gets tough for everyone

The same is true of people who are great at the basics of writing. A person with perfect grammar and an excellent vocabulary can write well, at first. It gets hard for them though, when they actually have to put 70,000 words together into a novel that makes sense and engages the reader. It gets hard when they have to write a heartfelt poem. It gets hard when they have to write a direct-mail advertisement that brings in customers. It gets hard when they have to write a one-hundred page guide to using a piece of software. People who have had to work at their writing though, and know they need to improve, are more likely to be up to one of those challenges. They know going in that it is going to be hard.

Writing is only the first hard step

To embrace writing as a career you need to be persistent. The pay isn’t always great and the work isn’t always interesting. Writing 70,000 words is hard. Editing 70,000 words is excruciating. Having somebody tear apart those 70,000 words and tell you it is not good enough is devastating. The career in writing belongs to the person who gets up the next day and gets back to work, either improving what they have or creating something new.

Building a writing career

If you want a career as a writer, you need to push yourself. You need to write when there are a dozen distractions, both pleasant and unpleasant. You need to see projects through to completion. You need to bounce back from criticism and even learn from it. You need to care about writing enough to stick with it through a hundred bad times, or you need to let it go. There is no shame in writing strictly as a hobby. There is no reason you can’t write for fun. There are easier and even more rewarding careers out there. If you want writing to be your career though, be prepared to push through the difficult parts and see where your path takes you.

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Don’t worry. I’m sane. I took a FaceBook quiz that told me so. The voice in my head is me. It isn’t the logical part of me although it sometimes pretends to be. It is more of the observer of me. It looks at what I’m doing, or what I want to do, and it judges it. The voice is both a positive and a negative thing. It is a troublemaker, but deep down it wants what is right for me, even when it is wrong about what that is.

For example, when I was working for my last employer, the voice told me I didn’t want to be there. It insisted in fact. Every day, it told me that I was wasting my time, spinning my wheels, slowly dying in a fate I did not choose. Clearly this voice is overly dramatic, but it had a point. There were things I liked about my job, but it wasn’t really what I wanted to do.

Nonetheless, I resisted the voice. In fact, in my final months at that job, I made my strongest possible effort to make things work out. I replaced my polo shirts with button ups and a tie — even a suit jacket. This may not mean much in some places, but in the 110 degree summers of Arizona, it means a lot. I decorated my cubicle with motivational posters. I pushed myself to be more organized and more on task. I tried not to say anything negative, even in the face of major cutbacks at work. I monitored my “Rightsteps” and made sure I was exceeding every goal my boss had set for me.

It didn’t matter. I was fired anyway.

The voice in my head was relieved, but now it had a whole new set of things to obsess over. It second-guessed every move I made after I got fired. No matter what I was doing, it told me I was doing it wrong or that I should be doing something else. My inner voice had a vision of who I should be. It was a wonderful vision of me, totally independent, writing what I wanted and making a great living at it without any real struggles. It was a vision a great life, and it was keeping me from being happy.

Eventually, I had to deal with that voice. I had to listen to what it wanted and acknowledge that I wasn’t moving toward what my true hopes and dreams were. On the flip side, I had to make that inner critic understand that it was getting in my way as much as it was helping me find my way. You can’t be critical of everything, or else you won’t accomplish everything.

Finding a balance was no easy task. For me it was all about lists. I made lists of what I wanted and what I needed. I wrote down all of the things that I wanted to accomplish and all of the things that were holding me back. I made choices about the things I wanted, realizing that some of my dreams would have to be set aside for another time. Eventually, I came up with a plan that I can work with, but one I will keep track of. My inner voice is still there, but it has stopped shouting about my wrong choices for now. I know that if I get too far off track though, it will get louder again.

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Make a list of tasks

The first step in task organization is to make a thorough list of all the tasks that you need to accomplish, want to accomplish, and hope to accomplish. It will be large list so don’t be frightened. Almost everyone has more tasks on their list then they can reasonably accomplish. You can achieve anything you want to achieve, as the saying goes, but you can’t achieve everything you want to achieve.

Set task priorities

After you have the list developed, you should go through and prioritize the list. There are plenty of ways to set priorities. You can list them as 1, 2, 3 or high priority / low priority, for example. What I do is break the list down into categories:

• Tasks I absolutely have to do
• Tasks I want to do and have the time and resources to do
• Tasks I should do soon
• Tasks I want to do but don’t have the time to do
• Tasks I am willing to put aside
• Tasks I am waiting for other people to do

You can pick your own categories, but it is important to have at least one list of things you aren’t going to do for now. This will get them off your mind as long as you make an agreement with yourself to review the list regularly.

Break tasks down into steps

Once you have your list, take the items that are your top priority and review them to figure out the steps you need to accomplish each task. Sometimes you can map out the whole process. Sometimes you need to settle for just listing the next step. Whatever the case, get clear on what you need to do or have in order to proceed. Be sure to keep special track of time sensitive tasks. Task management is different from time management, but it is still important to recognize that some things need to be done within a limited time span.

Pick tasks that are appropriate

Once you have your list completed, pick the item that you are most ready to do and proceed. Try to pick things that are appropriate for your available time and energy levels. If a step can’t be completed in the time allotted, you either need to break that step down into smaller steps, or pick something more appropriate for the time you have available.

Work through problems

Keep your list handy and review it as often as needed. Mark off your completed tasks and move on. If you find yourself avoiding a particular task for longer than you should, evaluate the task again. Chances are you’ve left out an essential step or requirement and are unsure of how to proceed. Some tasks, of course, are just plain unpleasant, but they are on your list for a reason.

Celebrate your accomplishments

As you complete the high priority tasks on your list, allow yourself to feel a sense of accomplishment. Don’t fret the fact that there are still more items on your list. There always will be. If you ever got close to finishing, you would think up more things to do anyway. Focus on what you do accomplish rather than what you don’t. Evaluate regularly and keep moving forward.

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Your life and your career start to meld

As a freelance writer, there is no moment when you are suddenly at work or off work, especially if you work out of your home. There is nobody to tell you when you are done working for the day, and if you sleep in and miss a couple of hours in the morning, there is no one standing over you telling you to get to work or to keep working into the evening to make up for it. This leads to a perpetual feeling that you really should be doing something other than what you are actually doing, whether you are working or relaxing.

Your are responsible for your own goals

In a job you may have been able to blame your boss or the company for your lack of career advancement or your low pay. As a freelance writer, your career is entirely your responsibility. You make the decisions and you live with the consequences. Instead of negotiating with one boss, you have to negotiate with multiple clients and each one may have their quirks or issues. Some may even be hoping to rip you off. That is the reality of the business. It isn’t as safe as a regular paycheck and it isn’t for people who are afraid to make decisions.

You create your own network

As a freelance writer, you don’t get to meet coworkers in the lunch room or gossip over cubicle walls. If you want allies and friends, you have to forge the connections and keep them active. It can be lonely sitting in a home office all day with only the cat for company. A feeling of isolation is common. Social tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help you feel connected, but there is no replacement for face-to-face contact.

Life becomes deductible

As a writer, you have to manage your own taxes. That means paying the government out of your own account once a quarter to cover both income tax and social security (in the USA). It also means that anything in your life that legitimately helps you write becomes a deductible expense. Some of the typical deductible expenses are books, classes, Internet access, phone, office supplies, business cards, and computer equipment. Depending on what you write about though, other things become deductible. Someone who writes about exercise might deduct their shoes and gym membership. Someone who writes about travel might deduct their vacation expenses. This is why it is important to track all of your expenses and make sure you can justify any deduction you take. It may be smart to consult a tax accountant.

Your income relies on your output

If you get nothing done all day at a regular job, you still get a paycheck. Some people manage to survive in corporate America for years without accomplishing anything. As a freelance writer you don’t have that luxury. If you don’t do the work to land new clients and produce new writing, you don’t make money. Everyone has an off day once in a while, but if your off days start to stack up it can seriously endanger your financial stability. This is especially hard for freelance writers because people respect your time less than they do if you work a regular job. The friend or relative who would never call you at work won’t hesitate to call you at home. If you give in to these distractions, you have no one to blame but yourself. You are your boss.

Think about these realities before you jump into a freelance writing career. Full-time freelance writing is not for everyone.

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Sit down at the beginning of each day and look at your current assignments. If you don’t have any assignments, make marketing your assignment for the day. Make a list of the three things that you most want or need to move forward on that day and decide what steps you are going to take. Tackle those items as soon as possible, before the day gets in your way.

Make a daily don’t do list

Make a list of the things that you aren’t going to do that day. This is for your peace of mind. Write down any of those nagging tasks that you think you need to do but know you won’t do. Get those items on paper and off of your mind.

Throw away everything you don’t need

By throw away I mean throw it in the trash, recycle it or give it to someone else. Everything in your office that you don’t need is a potential distraction. Yes, you are welcome to have art and other things that aren’t entirely necessary but make life better. Just get rid of the junk, and realize that most of the things in your office are probably  junk.

Keep track of the ways that you waste time

If you stop working to log on to Facebook and read your messages or play Viking Clan, write it down. If you stop to check your email, write it down. Make yourself list all the ways that you waste time. It will keep you honest.

Log your thoughts and ideas

Keep an open text file, a notebook, a smartphone or an audio recorder. Whenever you have a thought that seems valuable or won’t get out of your head, record it for later. You can review these thoughts at the end of the day to determine their value and any ways that you want to move forward.

Apply the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 rule, which applies to so much of life, is simply this. Twenty percent of effort results in eighty percent of results and benefits. Review your time and your projects and determine the most valuable way to use your time. What do you do that actually results in income, and what do you do that doesn’t result in income.

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Focusing on your projects and your days

When you track projects as a freelance writer, you need to keep your eye on both the big picture and the details. On one end you have to keep track of deadlines and milestones. You must be able to report your progress to a concerned client or editor, and you must feel comfortable with your own progress. On the other side, you need to set your tasks each day, making sure that you are setting aside the proper amounts of time per day to keep moving forward on those tasks.

Setting an Editorial Calendar

On the big picture end, you should set up an editorial calendar. Your editorial calendar tracks all of your projects, both for clients and for yourself, on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis. For smaller tasks such as short articles or brochures, you may only need to track the due date and put a reminder to work on it for a date that is somewhat ahead of that deadline. For long articles, books, reports or web sites, you may need to break up the editorial deadline with milestones on which you intend to accomplish certain tasks such as a draft, a section or a chapter. The editorial calendar isn’t meant to tell you what you should accomplish every day. It is simply there to keep you apprised of the big picture.

Setting Daily Goals

On a daily basis, you need to set your short-term goals. These short-term goals can be managed by time or by task. If you use a time management approach, you might set a goal to spend four hours on Project A, two hours on Project B and two hours on Project C. If you use a task management approach, you might set a goal of 1500 words on Project A, write draft of second chapter on Project B and finish article for Project C. Either method works. A task approach makes it easier to set specific goals, but an hourly approach might work best for projects that pay by the hour.

Setting Priorities

It is a good idea to start the day with your highest-priority item. Distractions can come up no matter how organized you are, so try to get the important things done before any distractions have time to present themselves. At the end of the day, assess your progress and make adjustments to your schedule. Some days are better than others and you may find yourself ahead or behind schedule on a particular project. Reviewing your editorial calendar daily is a good way to keep yourself on track.

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Eliminate the paper

The first and most important step in creating a peaceful office is to get rid of the things that you don’t need. This can be difficult because we are good at fooling ourselves. We think we need things that we simply don’t need. I used to keep several hundred books in my office. I considered them a reference library. The problem was that I never used them. Most of the books were ones I had read and would never read again. Others were books that I hadn’t read and never would. I was fooling myself.

I reduced my library from hundreds of books to about two dozen. Most of those were books of poetry, which I enjoy reading and are great for taking a break. The books fit on a single, three-foot tall bookcase. It was painful giving away my other books, but I really haven’t missed them.

Other items I have gotten rid of include my file cabinets. I now have a single plastic file box that I keep all of the most necessary paper records in. Everything else I either scanned into my computer or threw away. I was convinced I needed all of those notes, fliers, old articles and such but I really didn’t. I haven’t missed them either.

Get furniture you can use as storage

For most of the items that I did keep, I chose to hide them efficiently. I invested in two ottomans that open up to provide storage. My cat likes to sleep on top of them.

Beyond reducing clutter, I have painted my office a peaceful blue. I have one piece of art and one calendar on the walls. I rarely notice them though because when I want to look at something besides the computer, I like to look out the window.

Keep a simple desk

As for my desk, I have reduced it to my laptop computer, an additional monitor, my printer and a notebook. I keep my office supplies in my closet because I need them only occasionally. I sit in a very comfortable recliner and I do my work. I also have a fan and a garbage basket. That is it for my whole office. It is simple and peaceful. For me, that is what works best.

Additional Reading

• Creating a minimalist workspace — from Zen Habits
• I Hate Filing: Everything You Need to Get Organized for Success and Sanity at Home, on the Run and in the Office

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It is OK to Talk to Strangers

Fear of strangers is one of the most common fears in the world. Your parents talk you into this fear as a child. They tell you not to talk to strangers. They tell you not to take candy from strangers. A good parent drums a fear of strangers into their kids in order to keep them safe. At five years old, this is a very good idea. As an adult, it is time to put this fear behind you. Sure, the stranger in the dark ally may be a threat, but the one behind the desk or on the phone is the one who can make good things happen for you.

Rejection is not worse than a missed opportunity

The primary fear people deal with when talking to strangers (and even people they know) is the fear of rejection. They don’t send a query letter or call for an interview because they might be rejected. No one likes to be rejected. It is a blow to the ego. In the end though, a rejection is no worse than a lost opportunity. If you pitch a new client and you get rejected, you are still in the same situation as before. You may have lost some time and effort, but you’ve also gained a little experience. In the end, the worst that can happen is usually nothing. Nothing happens.

Good things happen

If you do make the pitch though, one of three good things can happen. The first is the most obvious. They give you what you asked for. The second is also good, they give you something else. They offer a different assignment, a different job, or even just the phone number of another person who might be interested. The third thing that can happen is a little rarer, but still more than a little possible. The person may give you what you want and more. You ask for an article, they assign you a series. You ask for a job and they give you a better job. It happens. It has happened to me. The key is, you have to ask. You have to face the stranger. You have to have the uncomfortable conversation. These are the keys to your success.

Prepare your pitch

One of the best ways to reduce your fear of rejection is to properly prepare for the conversation. Work through your presentation so that you go in knowing what you are going to say. At minimum you should have a specific goal in mind.

Be realistic about the risks (there aren’t many)

There are very few make or break conversations in your life, and I am telling you right now that calling a potential client isn’t one of them. One of the primary ways that people sabotage themselves is by catastrophizing. Catastrophizing occurs when you expect the worst to happen, especially in situations in which the risks are moderate or low and the reward is worthwhile. This can result in a sort of paralysis, keeping you from taking on new challenges or assignments because you can only conceive of failure. All of the negative possibilities stack up in your mind and seem realistic no matter how improbable they are.

If you find yourself doing this, stop and write down the worst thing you can reasonably expect to have happen from a single rejection.

Calm yourself down

Here is a very quick relaxation exercise that you can do anywhere without attracting attention.

1. Expand your stomach
2. Take a deep, long breath
3. Hold your breath for about three seconds
4. Exhale slowly and completely as you let your shoulders and your jaw drop
5. Picture pleasantly cool water flowing from your neck and shoulders down your arms and legs

Remember that success happens too

Take the time to remind yourself about the benefits of having your uncomfortable conversation. Whatever your goal is, picture how it will benefit your life if you make it happen. There’s a reason why you want to have this conversation.

For Further Reading

• Getting Past Your Fear of Pitching
• How To Cope With Rejection As A Freelancer
• Writers and rejection: don’t give up!

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Determine what your boundaries are

Most people never proactively think about the behaviors and events that test their boundaries. Take the time to evaluate, in writing, what you believe your personal boundaries are or at least should be. To put it simply, decide what bothers you. Boundaries may be based on such things as physical contact, emotional abuse, improper requests, time wasting, inappropriate information, or abuse of position.

Determine how well you have been enforcing your boundaries

Once you have figured out what your boundaries are, evaluate how well you have been enforcing those boundaries. You probably are better at enforcing some boundaries than others. Figure out which ones need the most work. Think of actions you can take to improve the situation.

Figure out who your main violators are

Make a list of the people in your life that you feel violate your boundaries. In many cases this will be specific people. In other cases it will be classes of people such as clients or editors. Figure out where the violations are coming from.

You must change your own actions

Protecting personal boundaries is your own responsibility and comes from your own actions. When someone attempts to violate your boundaries, you need to be the one to tell that person or show that person that you will not tolerate their behavior. This means getting used to saying the word no. It also means following through on any statements you make. Often, someone who is used to violating your boundaries will be reluctant to change their behavior. They may try to escalate or they may try to test you in other ways. It is up to you to stand firm.

Boundary setting statements

Some things you can say when you set boundaries:

• No
• No, thank you
• I can’t do that
• That is inappropriate behavior
• I will not be treated that way
• I will not be spoken to that way
• I am not responsible for your issue
• I don’t have time in my schedule to do that
• I am not the proper person to come to with this problem
• We need to stick to our original agreement

Other ways to set boundaries

Sometimes a statement will not do the trick. Direct confrontation is a proactive way to solve the problem, but it is not always the best answer. Some other things you can do to set boundaries are:

• Change your location. This can be as major as moving to a new office, or as minor as walking away.
• Become unavailable. Don’t answer the phone or check email when you are working on something important. Limit the opportunities for people to contact you.
• Delegate. Suggest that another person is better for the task.
• Use silence. This works very well on the phone and it works well in person if you are good at maintaining eye contact. When an inappropriate request comes, don’t say anything. Let the other person realize that they have made an error and in many cases they will change the situation on their own. If they don’t, now is the time for a simple no.

An immediate response is best

The sooner you set a boundary, the easier it will be to enforce. Sometimes, you will want to set boundaries in advance, such as informing people what hours are appropriate for contact or writing down a clear definition of the work to be performed.

Cutting off contact

As I said previously, some people will not respond well to the boundaries you set, especially if it is a new boundary or one that they are used to violating. Most people will adjust to boundaries quickly, but sometimes people simply won’t stop. The best thing to do with these people is to cut off contact. Stop talking to them. Stop responding to their requests. Drop them as a client. If it is an employer or co-worker, you may need to get human resources involved or even find a new job. These are difficult choices, but sometimes uncertainty is better than continuing in an unhappy situation.

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Here are five tips to help you increase your writing productivity:

Set Aside Specific Time in your Schedule to Write

Productive writers set aside specific times to write and they use that time. One of the differences between an amateur writer and a professional is the way they treat their writing time. If writing is something you do in your spare, unscheduled time, your productivity will suffer. Most people never allow themselves to have spare, unscheduled time. If they do, they wind up sitting in front of the television set because they are exhausted and they need to relax.

Reduce Your Overwhelming Project to Manageable Pieces

Productive writers like progress they can measure. Novels are intimidating. Sitting down to write a novel is a daunting task. Sitting down to write a chapter is a little better and sitting down to write a scene seems much easier. Large projects aren’t finished in one session or even a dozen. Setting daily goals with specific targets allows you to control what you are writing. It also gives you a greater sense of accomplishment when you meet those goals.

Increase Your Accountability

Productive writers hold themselves accountable for their work. If you set a date for the completion of a project, or even a project phase, that deadline will help motivate you. Making that deadline public will motivate you even more. When it comes to writing, peer pressure is an excellent motivator. If you join a writer’s group it requires you to present and discuss what you have been writing on a regular basis. It gives you a reason to keep working even when the project gets tougher. If you find a friend who also needs to be more productive (it doesn’t have to be a writer) you can take turns reminding each other to get back to work. Accountability will keep you focused.

Find a Better Place to Write

Productive writers know that their environment matters. When your work space is also as your living space, it can create problems. People like to associate home with relaxation. When you introduce work to your home life, it blurs the lines between work and relaxation. This often results in less work and less relaxation. Find a space outside the home to write. If you can’t afford an office, try your local library or a restaurant/coffee shop that provides wireless Internet. You may not need to go there every time you want to write, but it’s good to have a place to go when you need to focus on your writing.

Pick the Right Type of Writing

Productive writers find ways to write. In many cases, people choose projects that aren’t suitable for the amount of time they have to devote. For example, a person who only has three hours a week set aside for writing, and who has to divide that amount of time into two or three sessions, is going to have trouble writing a novel. Novels are extended, time-consuming efforts and the delay between beginning a novel and completing it can make the entire effort seem wasted if something goes wrong. If you only have a little time, try writing poetry, short stories or personal essays. Those projects are manageable on a tight schedule and will give you a better feeling of accomplishment. When writing is going well, you often find more reasons to write. Eventually, you may be ready to commit the time necessary to write a longer work.

For Further Information

• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• How to Be A More Productive Blogger [And Add 37 Minutes to Every Hour!] at Problogger
• Top 30 Tips for Staying Productive and Sane While Working From Home at Zen Habits
• 5 Easy Ways to Start a Productive Day at Freelance Folder

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