Writing when you would rather not

I know for me, writing was a dream job. I used to dream of being able to stay at home and do the one thing I loved to do more than anything else; write. The first few months of being an independent freelancer was great. Every new assignment felt like an adventure. Like anything else in life, the honeymoon ended. I had days where the inspiration just was not there. I had other days where I just didn't feel like writing.

Writing is like any other job. Despite the days when you'd rather be watching Oprah, you must force yourself to work on your writing assignments. Well, ok...it can wait until after Oprah, but it must be done! You may struggle with the words and the end result may seem a bit clunky, but that is how it is in real life. If you want to get paid, you have to work. Some days are more productive than others. Some days are more creative than others. If you want to keep your clients, you will push through the rough days when writing is downright tough. The good news is that those days are few and far between if you truly enjoy writing. So, do what must be done and prove you have the stuff that real writers are made of. Push on through the not so fun jobs and look forward to the ones that stir the creative juices. Write on!

Finding work writing

Thank goodness the opportunities to find writing jobs online are increasing, but you have to sift through a lot of crap to find the good ones. As mentioned before, some people have the gall to offer $1 for 500 word articles. Some even have the ignorance to require 20 such articles a day. Blink. In any event, scattered strategically through these crap ads are some good ones. I recently picked up 2 good jobs through get a freelancer (there is a list of some of their jobs on the right of this blog post).

I am going to be putting together newsletters with leads on finding some decent writing jobs so look for the sign up box! I'll also be adding tips and tricks to landing the jobs that you bid on at these different sites. There are writing jobs out there, it is just a matter of knowing where and how to look for them.

A Writer's World

Even though writing is a profession for many of us, we are confined with restrictions. That is why it is nice when the opportunity and the venue comes along through which we can release the torments of our mind and the joys of our soul. Any process which the average person thinks through a thought is not complete for the writer until it is written down in some way, shape or form. Our minds fill with paragraphs unwritten and prose unread. We simply are not complete in our thoughts until it is in concrete word form.

That is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much as Squidoo. It allows me to create a lens on virtually anything that is on my mind. It can be serious or silly; it can be a deep thought or a whimsical fancy. Once I got started at Squidoo I could not stop. Since then, I have gone on to create over 100 lenses and I also create lenses for businesses. Now, I am coaching those who are trying to become Giant Squids (50 lenses).

If you haven't yet...give Squidoo a try. Go, create, release and have some fun!

Excuse Me?

I actually saw this listed in one of the Freelance job sources:

Long term copy writers needed. Excellent English skills required. Must be able to delivery 20 500 word original articles daily, Monday-Saturday. I pay $3 per article and I pay once a week. All articles must pass copyscape. No article spinners!!!

Um, excuse me? While the pay is actually higher than a lot I see on there, let's do the math. They want (20) 500 word articles, daily. That comes to 10,000 words. It takes even a good writer about 15 minutes to do one 500 word article. That means a possible 4 articles an hour if you do not stop at all. To complete 20 of them would take 5-6 hours. Are you with me so far? Good. Now, for each of these articles, he/she is willing to pay a whopping $3. $3 times 20 per day is $60 a day. That sounds pretty good (and as I said, it is higher than a lot of ads that I see) BUT realistically, is it work you would do for $10 an hour? Many of you will say yes and some will say no. Coming up with 20 unique and fresh articles in one day on ONE topic can be difficult. Personally, having done this for a while, I can tell you that although the money sounds good, by the time you are finished writing 10000 words on Bass Fishing Boats, you'll reconsider if you are being paid enough. Also notice, you only get 1 day off a week. In any giving week you will be writing 60,000 words.

I'm not here to tell you what jobs to accept and what jobs not to accept. For some, the above job may be great, particularly to gain experience and freshen up skills. No one is judging you. However, for those who have a steady background in writing, the above ad is akin to seeing the following ad for help:

Wanted: Brain surgeon for local hospital. Must have had no fatalities, must be willing to work 6 days a week, for minimum wage.

How many physicians do you think would be hopping onto that band wagon?

Only you can decide which jobs you are willing to take and the good news is; no one says you have to sign a life-long contract with these people. Do what is right for you, but NEVER let anyone underestimate your value as a writer!

Note: Along the right side of this blog is a list of jobs available at Get a Freelancer. It IS worth checking into, just know that you have to separate the good from the bad on there. I have picked up a couple of decent jobs through there, so it is worth a shot to make a few extra dollars.

A Writer's Life

Whether you are an article writer, a Squidoo lensmaster or a book author, you know how grim the prospect is when considering doing anything BUT writing. Those of us who literally spend hours per day slaving over a hot keyboard know how frustrating it can be to

1. Complete a project
2. Find decent paying jobs
3. Juggle writing and all of the other necessities of life

Only someone who has tried to (or IS making) make a living by writing knows the joys and frustrations that go along with it. Personally, I am a freelance writer (mostly articles) and I also create Squidoo lenses for myself and for different businesses. I am very involved with Squidoo not only as a lensmaster, but also as a coach for those trying to become Giant Squids (Those are people who have over 50 lenses. Members of the Giant 100 club have over 100 lenses). I also have my own business taking on clients for whom to write articles on various topics.

What do or would you work for? Do you think you would charge per word? (most do for article writing). Do you realize there are people on legitimate freelance boards who offer a mere .50 for a 500 word article? That is ridiculous! However, for some who only want to make a few extra dollars, you can find jobs that pay, for example $2 for 300 words. That is still under what I charge, but I do this on a regular basis.

Depending on your needs and situation, there are jobs that can be had to provide you with a regular or extra income. I am hoping to start my own group of writers soon but for now, like everyone else, I scour the freelance sites looking for decent paying jobs.

Join me here as we talk about different topics of interest to writers, some places where you can go and find freelance jobs and much more. Welcome to A Writer's Rights!