tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274316172009-10-05T01:08:31.569-07:00A day in the life of a freelance writer. Helpful links, writing resources and more to get you started on your career!Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-65468192028321676542007-12-11T08:54:00.000-08:002007-12-11T08:56:06.627-08:00

Recent events have forced me to take a look at my goals for next year, and let's just say I have a new perspective on the fragility of life.In light of these recent events, I'd like to ask you: What are your goals for next year? Are you finding that you have to reevaluate what you planned, or are you content with what you want to accomplish?I'd love to hear your feedback.Thank you!Denise

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-74289671566350984432007-12-07T11:17:00.000-08:002007-12-07T16:34:15.095-08:00

Good morning, fellow freelancers. I'm currently running on about 5 hours of sleep (in the past two days, I mean). I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm finding that I just can't get to bed!In any case, I apologize in advance for typos, grammatical errors or anything else that detracts from this post. Onward!Latoya from Writer's Brew wrote an excellent post about how to ask your clients for a

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-60853515480799718442007-12-05T10:20:00.000-08:002007-12-05T10:45:47.871-08:00

When applying for any writing job, it's important to read the advertisement very carefully. If you don't, you might miss pertinent information about the position or application process.Only apply to the jobs that you are qualified for. If the job lists very specific requirements that you do not possess, there's no sense in applying. Your application will be summarily rejected without another

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-2180374591354814942007-12-04T10:55:00.000-08:002007-12-04T11:06:08.486-08:00

A recent post at a forum I belong to happened to catch my attention earlier this morning. I want to write about it not only to voice my opinion, but to get your feedback on the matter as well.A writer was accused of plagiarism, and the webmaster who hired this particular writer was very unhappy. The rates were fair, he said, and the writer blatantly copied and pasted in an attempt to pass off the

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-1999529219332493892007-12-03T12:35:00.000-08:002007-12-03T12:55:14.354-08:00

I hope all of you had a terrific weekend, fellow writers! :)This week's question: How do you manage to stay sane while working from home? While working at home offers a number of benefits, oftentimes it can be just as stressful - if not more so - than a standard 9-5.So, allow me inside your head, writers! What secrets, tips or tricks do you employ in order to not go postal on your friends and

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-13916843410405273052007-11-30T10:09:00.000-08:002007-11-30T10:20:30.218-08:00

Good morning, fellow freelancers! Catch up on your weekend reading and take a look at some of these great posts from fellow writers in the blogosphere.This great post from HR World details 100 resources for web workers. Scroll down to the section specifically for writers and bloggers. They seem to have some pretty nifty things worth a look.Deb Ng from Freelance Writing Gigs wrote a great post

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-15515531680261494222007-11-29T11:10:00.000-08:002007-11-29T11:18:55.593-08:00

It's not always easy saying no to a client, especially when we don't always know where our rent money will be coming from at the end of the month.I was very guilty in the beginning of my freelance career of taking on every project that came my way. If a client contacted me, I couldn't say no - not only did I need the money, I was also scared that if I said no this time, I might not get a second

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-37694284487016695422007-11-27T15:40:00.000-08:002007-11-27T15:42:07.826-08:00

It's almost Christmas... how about leaving me a virtual gift? I think it's cute :) Leave a notice in the comments if you leave a gift and I'll be sure to thank you.(Hey, it's something to do to break up the monotony of my day!)Denise

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-15844465638136055352007-11-27T11:06:00.000-08:002007-11-27T11:21:52.772-08:00

From an outsider's perspective, working at home seems like an ideal situation. Little do they know that working at home requires intense motivation, self-discipline and the ability to avoid distractions.If you want to maximize your productivity while working from home, there are several important things you need to do.First and foremost, you need to set up a working space that won't allow for

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-46672269112602454172007-11-26T10:08:00.000-08:002007-11-26T10:11:21.012-08:00

Good morning, fellow freelancers. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!This week, I'd like to talk about your workload during the holidays. Does it tend to slow down? How do you plan for a decrease in workload around the holidays?I generally notice a decrease in the amount of available jobs during the holiday season, but thankfully I have a few long-term clients on the back burner that

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-56608125073948905572007-11-19T08:03:00.000-08:002007-11-19T08:08:42.665-08:00

Happy Monday, fellow freelancers.This week, I'd like to initiate some feedback regarding your writing schedule. How early do you wake up each morning? Do you schedule your work in one large block of time, or do you work a "split-shift," so to speak?Today, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed at 7:00 in the morning. I don't normally start my day until 8:30 or 9, where I proceed to work from my

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-41959316370778660292007-11-16T09:58:00.000-08:002007-11-16T10:14:25.867-08:00

I've decided I'll spread the love around and link to some of my favorite posts from other writer's over the past week.Anne Wayman wrote an interesting post on writer's block and what she believes causes it. Check it out, it's well worth a read.The insightful and informative Allison Winn Scotch of Ask Allison wrote about breaking into the national print markets. Great information for newbie

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-35562234855404459492007-11-12T10:35:00.000-08:002007-11-12T11:48:46.737-08:00

Good morning, fellow freelancers and a happy Monday to all of you.While I'm fortunate to love all of the clients I currently work with (sounds amazing, but it's true), there have been several in the past who were... pushy, to put it mildly.I'm sure you know the type - the client who demands countless revisions, changes the entire scope of the project, or constantly badgers you via e-mail, IM or

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-69634344325891106372007-11-08T11:20:00.000-08:002007-11-08T11:24:51.448-08:00

I've never entered a writing contest - not because I didn't want to, but simply because I don't have time!What's more, I'm not sure how beneficial writing contests are in the scheme of things.What do you think? Have you entered a writing contest before? If so, how did it help you and/or your career?I'd like to know both positive and negative experiences you may have had with writing contests.

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-76104214320297103442007-11-05T11:04:00.000-08:002007-11-05T11:13:08.466-08:00

Albeit an old post, I'm constantly referring new writers to Jennifer Mattern's "Crunching the Numbers" post at the All Freelance Writing Forums.Many newbie writers don't understand or don't know how to set their rates to actually make a decent income without burning out.Freelancers have to account for additional taxes, medical insurance, business expenses, etc. That's why it's so important to

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-3057117736349479612007-11-02T09:42:00.000-07:002007-11-02T11:30:47.456-07:00

If the quality of this post leaves something to be desired, I am apologizing beforehand. My dog I've known and loved for 16 years was put to sleep yesterday. He lived a good life, but I am still processing everything. I apologize now, and hope you still enjoy the post, for what it's worth.Yesterday, I wrote about the price of quality and asked for your opinions regarding how much quality costs in

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-66396839040576646992007-11-01T11:51:00.000-07:002007-11-01T12:07:03.888-07:00

When I first began trying to freelance I have to admit - I was clueless.My first gig was writing various articles about wedding favors. I had to focus each article on a specific keyword, and write 50 articles all essentially about the same thing.At the time, I didn't realize I could be doing much less work for MUCH more money. I was just happy to be doing something I loved and getting paid

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-35243345778692374242007-10-31T11:54:00.001-07:002007-10-31T11:56:21.975-07:00

I won't promise I've returned... at least, not permanently - yet.But, after evaluating my life and my goals, (writing-related and otherwise) I've decided I really want to take a stab at bringing this lil' ol' blog back to life.If it even CAN be brought back, that is - hey, are there any readers even left?Happy Halloween, everybody. Here's hoping to more posts in the coming weeks, eh?

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-48951809336182924152007-06-18T09:13:00.001-07:002007-06-18T09:15:36.998-07:00

Happy Monday, fellow freelancers! I do hope your weekend was teriffic, and to all the father's out there, I hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day.This week's writing question: Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what kind of music helps you relax and get into writing mode?If you don't listen to music, why not? Does it prevent you from concentrating?I'm very interested to hear your

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-38577353688769744302007-06-13T11:04:00.000-07:002007-06-13T11:08:14.641-07:00

It's barely mid-week and I'm exhausted. The new puppy loves keeping me up during the middle of the night... he doesn't realize that it's not play time at 3 am.So, my question to you this week (I've missed a few weeks, I know. Sue me?):What are your writing goals? Have they remained the same since you began writing professionally, or have they evolved into something different?I'd love to hear your

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-40260661235098960412007-05-28T11:40:00.001-07:002007-05-28T11:58:00.248-07:00

No, I haven't updated. And I'm not apologizing for it.But I did want everyone to know I am still alive, in case you were wondering. I'm starting to, slowly but surely, get my writing life back in order. I have a few new prospects on the horizon, so I'm crossing my fingers those pan out.Additionally, I'm starting to take more time for personal writing (or rather, I am attempting to.) I've realized

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-59732842051646067272007-05-15T10:54:00.000-07:002007-05-15T10:56:05.182-07:00

Good morning, fellow writers.This weeks writing question comes from a bit of personal soul-searching I've been doing for the past few weeks.As a writer, do you ever feel like giving it all up? If so, how do you cope with the feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, and stress? How do you force yourself to start writing again?Not only will this question enable me to see a few different perspectives on

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-62644774073766169692007-05-08T10:52:00.000-07:002007-05-08T10:59:08.603-07:00

It's been awhile, but happy Tuesday everyone!This week's writing question: Do you keep a journal? Perhaps you still have one of those old-school diaries with a lock on it that you've had since you were a kid (I do!) Maybe you have a personal journal online that you use to vent, or simply keep a spiral notebook to jot down your impressions of the day.As writers, I think keeping a journal is an

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-22237355147537502092007-04-30T12:06:00.000-07:002007-04-30T12:27:49.431-07:00

If you haven't already heard about Allen Lee, I'd be quite surprised. Since the 18-year old student's arrest, there have been varying opinions about the response to Lee's essay - media hounds and bloggers alike have expressed their views on Lee's predictament.You can read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.To make a long story short, Allen Lee, an 18-year old senior attending Cary-Grove High

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27431617.post-38314017852868984182007-04-23T11:14:00.000-07:002007-04-23T11:16:31.695-07:00

Happy Monday, fellow freelancers. I hope your weekend proved enjoyable!This week's writing question: When did you actually decide you wanted to be a writer? Did you suddenly have an Aha! moment, where everything seemed to fall into place - or was it more of a gradual process? Perhaps you've always known you wanted to be a writer, and managed to take the leap.Whatever the answer might be, I want

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16276813762560798312noreply@blogger.com5