Freelance Writing

The Loneliness of a Long Distance Writer

Are words best written alone?

I’m pretty sure that my title is not an original one. Writing requires concentration and effort especially if like me, writing has been something to do as part of a job rather than something performed for pleasure. The truth is that as a professional writer, and by that I mean I write for a living, my working life is spent alone with no colleagues to bounce ideas around and joke with at the coffee machine. I never get to see my clients as they are dotted around the world as far afield as North America, the Far East and Australasia, so email and Skype are the communication tools.

Does any of this matter with your writing?

Unless you are a hermit by nature, the straight answer is “Yes” it does matter.

Write With Passion, Not Complusion!

Writing is an art that you will learn to develop with time and effort (if you’re a beginner, then the latter may be a bit of hard work). There are certain tools and techniques, which you can pick up in order to master this art. Constructive criticism, feedback, and valuable tips can help writers to develop their talent and write brilliantly.

Creative Writing

In order to write creatively, it is important that you write about something that has some meaning to you. Write about something which interests you, and not about something because you are compelled to. Write about something which you feel deeply about. If you do this, your words will certainly touch other people’s hearts and (hopefully) not bore them to tears, making them throw your manuscript in the bin. The truth is, we are all born with the same characteristics, and if you write something with true emotion, it can strike a chord with anyone who reads it. So, don’t write just because you have to, write because you want to make a difference!

Blogging for Pay

Blogs are a steady source of income for a new writer

A blog is an online diary crossed with a dynamic web page and the word “blog” is actually a contraction of “web log”. The practical result is a web site that allows a user to post their content and at the same time use web site functionality. A blogger can include links to other web pages, insert pictures, audio and video as well as a host of other features without the need for specialist web programming knowledge. From a commercial perspective, company and marketing blogs are the primary tool for promoting websites which need fresh, updated content on a regular basis.

They offer a great opportunity for novice writers to cut their teeth and earn a regular income at the same time.

My initial writing projects consisted of short articles, usually no more than 500 words long; however, once you have completed a batch of articles that’s it, you’re back to square one looking for the next paying project. A blog needs updating frequently, usually on a daily basis, so there are plenty of opportunities to post to blogs for a weekly or monthly fee. I quickly latched on to this and now I regularly post to a stream of blogs that form the core of my writing income and provide me with some financial stability. We’re now going to take a look at setting up a blog for you, as a showcase for your services and your work which will also get your hands dirty with blogging.
[Read more…] about Blogging for Pay

Manage Your Time, Your Writing Environment and Yourself

Writing for profit is a serious business

I’ve learned by experience that when I’m in writing mode there are certain things that have to be done.

Go to my quiet room;
Turn off the TV and music so there are no distractions;
Have a cup of Earl Grey;
Take a cigarette break every hour for a few minutes and rest my eyes; and
Write for no more than 8 hours a day unless there is an urgent deadline to be met.

A Mathematical Approach to Writing

With due acknowledgement to Professor DJ Higham

University of Strathclyde

For many years I have used mathematics as a hobby for intellectual stimulation and as something I was not very good at while in school, I find it a challenge. It came as something of a surprise that I found what has become for me the simplest of tip sheets for writing. Professor Higham’s list of tips is also proof that mathematicians have a sense of humour and are not square..

The full list of tips is available by clicking on the link above, but some of them are so good they deserve a more detailed consideration.

“1. Every sentence should make sense in isolation. Like that one.”

This seems blindingly obvious; however, you will find that writers do not follow this simple rule. I must confess I am one of them, as my thoughts race along faster than my typing speed and the result becomes “run on sentences”. These are overly long sentences that do not have a proper structure and do not contribute to making my point. If you’re not sure about a sentence that you have written, my basic rule is to split it into two sentences and see how that reads.

“6. A writer needs three qualities: creativity, originality, clarity and a good short term memory”

Americanisms Suck! Unless They’re Your Audience…..

Know Your Audience

The majority of my work targets an American audience and that means Standard English has to blow this particular pop stand. When I take on a piece of work I always ask for the language to be used is specified. If the piece is for British, European or Australasian consumption then my Mother Tongue is used, however if the work is for a North American audience then you need to be able to Americanize your spellings.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned for writing for American readers; Supaproofread have put together a short writing tip on the differences between British American English wording and spellings.