WritingThoughts

Is fear affecting your freelance writing success? You may think the answer is “no.” Think again. Fear can remain hidden and affect your decisions without you realizing it. If you’re struggling to get your writing business going, fear might be the problem. In this post, I discuss some of the symptoms of underlying fears we […]

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Did you ever wish you could go back in time and let your younger self in on some of what you’ve learned? If we’re honest, I think we all wish that we could take we’ve learned into the past. It would be great to benefit early from our accumulated life experience. It isn’t possible to […]

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When I tell friends I’m a freelance writer, a common response is “Wow, you’re lucky. I’d love to avoid work-related stress.” People assume that I don’t have any work-related stress because I’m self-employed and work at home. They’re wrong. While I love freelance writing and enjoy the perks that go along with it, there are […]

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People often ask me how they too can become a freelance writer. How do I answer this question? Usually, I give would-be freelance writers a skills-based answer–somewhat like what I share in this post, Can Anyone Be a Writer? 6 Basic Skills that Writers Need. While that post gives a good answer, it overlooks the […]

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We freelancer writers are known for self-examination. To succeed, we must learn to make the best of our strengths and overcome our weaknesses. We must also persist in the face of likely rejection of our writing. And in the face of uncertainty. Nothing less than total honesty about one’s self and one’s abilities helps a […]

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We writers love to hate our editor. Saying “the editor goofed it up” is one way to escape the blame for a poorly written piece. In some ways, editing is the least favorite of the writing-related professions for many writers. Some writers hate editing even if they are asked to do it themselves. I’ve met […]

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Recently, I’ve seen another flurry of posts and even eBooks that claim to teach writers how to write more quickly. (Out of respect for the authors, who are some of my most admired professional colleagues, I’ve decided not to link to those posts and resources here.) I have to ask myself, is speedier writing really […]

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Writing can be a thankless job. Often, your immediate family doesn’t get it. Even if you do a fantastic job, no one seems to notice. It can feel like you’re all alone. Really, that’s what Chicken Soup for the Soul, Inspiration for Writers (not an affiliate link) is all about. It lists common challenges many […]

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The recent Internet uproar about a freelance journalist who was asked by a major magazine to revise one of his articles for free has mostly died down. But for many the question remains–is freelance writing a viable career choice? Can you really earn enough money from freelance writing to pay the bills?

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At the risk of seeming out of step with the spirit of Christmas, I thought I’d swim against the tide and share a few bad holiday gift ideas for writers. There are plenty of lists out there to tell you what to get your freelance writer friends for Christmas. I even agree with some of […]

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