Here be dragons.
How do you make yourself go into work on a day you really don’t want to? What do you do to trick yourself into not missing a day? If you work from home, writing or another business, how do you discipline yourself to sticking to a work routine?
I’m trying to just not think about it and follow along the routine of getting dressed, groomed and out the door for the bus.… Read the rest
What brings you stress? Kids, your job(s), spouse, parents, deadlines, or any of a hundred other things. For me, people give me the most stress. Also, one that will seem odd, my name. You will think it odd that I’d stress out over my name but I do. I gave up my maiden name when I married, the husband wanted me to and I did it to make him happy.… Read the rest
Deadlines sound like a fisherman’s term for a bad day.
How do you handle deadlines? Are you a procrastinator, like me? Sometimes I do get started early, with all the passion and enthusiasm for the topic I’m undertaking. But, I get too caught up in the research and the ideas. The actual article doesn’t start taking shape until I suddenly realize the deadline is looming over me like big black clouds over a tiny fishing boat on the lake.… Read the rest
Not everyone can decide to freelance write and then go out and buy up a storm. Likely those are very few and far between. So, for most of us we are looking for ways to cut corners without leaving out something or making ourselves feel we are second rate.
First, consider what you really need versus what it would be nice to have.… Read the rest
Clutter! There, I said it! Are you cringing just thinking about it? I do. You see, I am a clutter bug.
Sitting in front of my computer I am surrounded on nearly all sides with a clutter of my own making. It’s 90 per cent paper, biodegradable eventually, if I let it sit in the same spot that long.… Read the rest
When did you last buy/ get a new dictionary? How about a thesaurus? Maybe you splurged and got a rhyming dictionary too?
I especially like playing around with my thesaurus. But, tonight, I discovered how out of touch my trusty dictionary is. In fact, good old trusty is down right rusty. There is no ergonomics in my dictionary.… Read the rest
I started reading “Guerrilla Marketing for Writers”. One thing that struck me as was this: “You can show your involvement with your fans by being cordial when you contact them, by being helpful to them, and by asking about them.”
Almost no one does that any more in the great big, fast, condensed world of email.… Read the rest
Lovely, luscious readers, tonight I have two, count them, two great, sensational, momentous ideas for you! Can you tell I’m kind of enthusiastic tonight? !! Too much coffee I fear. But it was GOOD coffee!
Anyway, idea number one. Next time you need to write a short bio for yourself pick up a magazine. Have you ever read the bios they print for the contributing writers.… Read the rest
From the book – How to Start a Home-Based Writing Business by Lucy V. Parker, these are sixty key assignments for home-based writers:
Advertising copy
Anniversary materials for corporations, organizations, institutions, municipalities
Annual reports
Articles for employee magazines
Articles for single-sponsor magazines
Articles for trade journals and small magazines
Brochures
Calendars
Capability brochures
Catalogues and product sheets
CD-ROM/ Interactive media writing
City and newcomer guides
Collateral materials
Conference and trade show materials
Consultation
Contributing editor assignments
Critical reviewing
Direct-mail packages
Directories
Editing
Employee benefit materials
Environmental materials
Family histories and genealogies
Flyers
Fund-raising materials
Ghost writing and collaboration
Greeting card writing
Indexing
Industry-specific writing
Instructional materials
Investor-relations materials.… Read the rest