 | |
| |
Writing Information & News
| |
|
|
|
 Starting a Freelance Writing Career (or Thoughts About Taking the Plunge)
Nike's ad has taken on new meaning for me of late; "Just do it!" runs through my mind like a mantra. Although my dreams have nothing to do with athletic shoes and little to do with athletics (unless you count the long list of ideas I have developed which revolve around my sons and their activities), I have spent a long time avoiding the one thing I've always wanted to do - write. Writing has actually been a part of my work life for a very long time. I've written and edited in the business world. I've taught writing to high school students. I've written countless lesson plans, activities, etc. I have never tried to get any of my work published, until now. Making the decision to write for a living was actually one of the most difficult obstacles I needed to overcome. ("Overcome" is probably too strong. I am still scared to death that I won't be able to pay my mortgage.) I never doubted my ability to write, but I did doubt my ability to write for a living. My former employer helped me make the decision by firing me. (They actually called it a reduction in force, or RIF for short.) After avoiding the application process for weeks, then staring at an online application for close to an hour, I finally had to come to terms with myself and my goals for the future. While I love teaching, I am tired of the politics that accompany teaching. I can't face it any more. I need to pay my bills and be financially responsible, but part of raising my children involves being a role model. I don't want them to be afraid to take a risk that could help them realize their dreams because they watched their mother play it safe. Having said that, I must admit that my new found bravery faltered when I wrote two checks totaling $1100.00 for two children to play travel soccer next year. Nevertheless, I developed a game face and hid my fears from everyone. I even fooled myself for a while. As the school year ended, my colleagues began asking me about my plans for the fall. I answered - with confidence that I only partially felt - that I planned to write. After repeating this statement to the tenth person, I began to feel somewhat guilty. After all, I was making it sound as if it were a done deal, when I really had barely started. I had a bunch of "how to" articles stacked in my home office that were conflicting and sometimes confusing. I had not even read some of the articles yet. Many of my well wishers countered with questions that unintentionally poked holes in my game face. "Write what?" they asked. "For whom?" they asked. The answers to their questions involved explaining the vast quantities of research through which I had only recently begun to sift. I felt my courage failing because I could not adequately explain the process I was only beginning to understand myself. That insidious self-doubt began to erode my courage. But I persevered. As I plodded through articles about query letters, marketing skills, and copyright I began to see opportunity in the mountains of material. That opportunity belongs to the writer who can stick it out. As I delve into some of the markets listed online and read about their requirements, I now think: "I can do that!" A torrent of ideas spouts out of me as I work, as I sleep, as I drive car pool. I have several pieces started, a myriad of sticky notes hanging from shelves in my office, and a legal pad with several pages of notes. My game face is back and for the first time it is supported with real confidence. Looking back on the those first weeks and months, I realize what I have accomplished. I have taken the first step - I made the decision to write for a living. I have learned that writing query letters is the standard and expected practice for pitching ideas to potential markets. I have learned what information should be included in a query letter. I have learned that Writer's Market is the best place to find those markets. I am now taking the next step: I'm looking for appropriate markets and writing query letters to pitch my ideas. We'll see... Michele R. Acosta is a writer, a former English teacher, and the mother of three boys. She spends her time writing and teaching others to write. Visit articles.TheWritingTutor.biz for more articles, writingeditingservice.TheWritingTutor.biz for professional writing and editing services, or TheWritingTutor.biz for other writing and educational resources for young authors, teachers, and parents. Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Writing Tutor & Michele R. Acosta. All rights reserved.
MORE RESOURCES:
Heartless traffic agent Daniel Chu STILL writing off drivers after scuffle ... - New York Daily News
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Beginners Guide to Freelance Writing The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would like to write for magazines, newspapers, and e-zines. Journaling How many of you take the time to really write down your thoughts?Do you know that journaling not only lets you "work" out problems but releases tension and gets the problem off your mind.I started journaling about 10 years ago right after I had my first son. Sharpen Your Writing With Structure At some point, every serious writer is forced to sit down and conclude that there is something seriously wrong with their work. It wanders; it is pretty in some spots and horribly ugly in others. Kick-Start your Juices Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale price and your book's retail price. For example, a book with a cover price of $10 and a wholesale price of $5 has a 50% retail margin. Writing for Local Veterinary Hospitals Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He loves animals so much, he crafted himself a new career. Know Your Editing Choices Each author has special editing needs. To save yourself time and money, look at the choices below and decide which kind of editing suits your needs. 5 Ways to Break the Story Spell You sink back into your favourite chair with a new book in your hand. With a barely perceptible sigh of anticipation, you turn to the first page. Top Ten Reasons Its Great To Be A Writer 10 - You will always have a job. As long as people want to read, other people like us need to write. Writing Technique: The Restaurant Syndrome Picture this scene.Your hero is sitting in a bar. Writing Without Style Style manuals are all well and good, and in fact, highly desirable for newspapers. The average reading level of newspaper readers is the sixth grade. Home Business Writing Made Simple Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever written an outline for any project you were about to start? What about a shopping list? If you have, and I imagine most have, you can then write focused, brief, content articles for your online home business.Why write? Well, of course you can spend lots of money to drive traffic to your site with absolutely no guarantee that you will obtain a single sale. Keep your Book Dream Alive Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in its early stages? Do you want to know how to promote it with ease and low cost?Maybe you have already tried other methods to sell you book and felt tired of?- Submitting unseen or unheard media releases- Chasing book reviews that yielded small negligible results- Selling only a few books at your book signings- Exerting a lot of effort to travel, to speak, only to reap mediocre book sales- Experiencing radio and TV talk show low book sales results- Wondering why your bookstore or distributor has stopped selling your books- Worrying about who will promote your book now that your publisher has stopped- Feeling dismayed your book isn't giving you the ongoing, passive income you hoped for- Feeling discouraged about all the wasted time and money you have spentKeep Your Book Dream AliveJust like you, I wrote Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market your Book Online because as an author, just like you, I was tired of the old ways to get my books sold. Lackluster sales and chasing a low-results pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I turned to the Internet four years ago. Spiritual Journaling Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just wantto add your spiritual postings in your regular journal, youwill want to read this.Personal journaling supports our development and growth. Is The Theme Reinforced In The Ending? Creative Writing Tips -By now you should have an idea that your theme has to reach its conclusion just as your story does. But our theme has to do more than reach its conclusion - it has to be reinforced in the end and by doing this, it will strengthen all that we have said in our story. Write That Down! Compulsively Collecting Content for Your Writing Have you ever read someone else's writing and thought one of the following things:Where did he get such great stories?Why can't I think of examples like that?How does she always develop amazing illustrations?The answer is: content.In writing, content is KING. Starting a Local Writers Group My husband is no poet, so when I offer my carefully pruned poetry for him to review, I get the usual and unsatisfying reply: "That' nice sweetie." Furthermore, he could care less about whom the Poet Laureate is and why I love his smoke pit conversation type poems. Benjamin Franklin: His Ageless Writing Tips If Ben Franklin were alive today, he would be.. The Write Habit: How to Strengthen Your Writing Muscle Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in shape.I realized how true that saying is when I took what I called "a well-earned break" after I finished my first novel. Frequently Asked Questions from Writers 1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you have to prove in your novel.
|
| © Writing Information 2010 |