The schedule of a freelance writer...
Trial and error in becoming an organized creative.
When normal people ask me when I am NOT writing, I give this quizzical look…
I legit don’t understand the question. I mean, seriously, when was the last time you were awake but NOT texting, typing, emailing, sending a memo, writing a reminder note, or any manner of conveying words to someone else? Don’t worry - I’ll wait.
Ok, so I tend NOT to write every 31st of Nevuary. On that day, I eat cake!
When you’re a freelance writer for a number of individuals and clients who are off building, creating, and living their fabulous lives, there are few times when it feels safe to put the pen down or log off. And, there’s a lot of good reason why.
Us freelance writers pretend like we’ve got banker’s hours. Thank God for auto-send at a normal time of day or night. But most of us are creatives at heart.
In real life, I write when the story comes to me, or the editor, or the source, or the company is in need of help. Email rules everything around me.
And then a flash of “aha!” comes at an inopportune time and sends glitter through my brain. I live for that spark.
Then, there’s the biz of writing - the contracts, the invoices, the DocuSign! I need to be in a special kinda mood to gear myself up for that.
This is the life of a creative-preneur. I have moments when I’m feeling ready to adult and send out professional emails and follow up on late payments.
And I have others when it’s all about getting creative - learning what new products are out there, reading through Men’s magazines for new trends I haven’t come across (yes, I really do this), and binge-watching reality TV shows for signs of what “young people these days” are doing with their lives. (Bet you can’t guess my fave!)
Then, I am ready to pitch!
When I was looking up “how to become a freelance writer,” everyone told me to set up a neat schedule and take breaks. Write every day for a certain amount of time or a certain amount of words. It was good advice, but…
Tried it. Hated it.
Now, I’m over here free spiriting my way through life. Time freedom is a major part of why I became a freelance writer, and I’m not giving up on that dream any time soon.