Writing

5 Life Lessons Learned From Writing

1. Money influence people. When I first started freelance writing, there had been many times when I did not have any work to do = no income = no money to spend (because I was just new in the industry).

So when something happened unexpectedly – maybe something between life and death – I would be panic because I did not have enough money / perhaps no money at all.

That was when I would “almost do anything” for the sake of getting money. Low paying jobs were the only choices I had at that time. Now, my freelance writing business is getting better and I make sure I have some savings.

2. New Year Resolution is a waste of time. This is why I do not make any resolutions.

I always failed at following my own resolutions.

3. Just because someone rejected your work, that doesn’t mean you are a bad freelance writer. You have to keep trying unless you get a “Yes”. Don’t take “No” for an answer. Remember: everyone else can say “no” to you but you can never say “no” to yourself.

4. It is important to believe in yourself. You can achieve your dreams when you believe in yourself. I believe myself, therefore I manage to be a freelance writer (my ambition when I was a teenager). My husband didn’t believe me in the first place, which made everything else much more difficult but after some time, he showed his support because I believe in me.

5. It is best to have a notebook (a real notebook that you can write on using a pen or pencil) all the time. You never know when your next “great” ideas might visit you. When the idea is visiting you, it is best to be prepared. Once you have written your ideas, you can develop it.

Enjoy!

 

30 Ways To Love Writing

As the title suggests, let us explore 100 ways to fall in love with writing. Some of these might not even make sense but who cares? Might as well give it a try.

I work so hard to put this together. However, I do not guarantee that you will 100% fall in love with writing by trying any one of these recommendations.

Read at your own discretion.

  1. Write a sentence a day about yourself.
  2. Learn a new word and make a sentence out of the word every day.
  3. Write a journal of your life – diary (online diary or a book diary).
  4. Write a short story from your imagination.
  5. Read something fiction and write a fan-fiction about it.
  6. Write your own autobiography.
  7. Write about someone you love (family, friends, boyfriend, girlfriend)
  8. Write about your pet (cat, dog, anything else related)
  9. Read about authors.
  10. Visit bookshops and get something that you like.
  11. Get a book about writing your own novel.
  12. Get a magazine to inspire you to write for that magazine.
  13. Knowing the fact that you can earn money through writing.
  14. Join Triond.
  15. Join Bukisa.
  16. Join Squidoo.
  17. Join Hubpages.
  18. Explore Writing.com if you are interested in fiction.
  19. Learn about style guide.
  20. Listen to a podcast on writing – Grammar Girl.
  21. Listen to an audio book that you like.
  22. Get a writing prompt.
  23. Get a notebook and a reliable pen.
  24. Bring your notebook and pen everywhere.
  25. Be sure to write new ideas when they pop in your head.
  26. Search for [ “writing” “tips” ] on Google for more ideas.
  27. Start a blog and blog about your interests.
  28. Submit a guest blog post to any blogs that accept guest blogging.
  29. Join NaNoWriMo if you want to write a novel.
  30. Read Writing Consultation – this blog!

NaNoWriMo 2010

It is already September 2010. In 2 months, NaNoWriMo will hit the world once again. Are you ready for the challenge to write at least 50k words (for a novel)?

I have written about NaNoWriMo a long time ago.

Let me refresh you on what you should do if you want to be part of the NaNoWriMo movement.

1. Register on NaNoWriMo.

2. Check your email.

3. Log in to your account.

4. Read everything on the website – advices, stories and everything else related

5. Start writing on 1st of November.

6. You can write with other participants / write on your own throughout November.

7. Keep on writing until you reach 50k or more.

8. Upload your work on 30th November for official verification.

9. There is no win / lose. There is only satisfaction!

10. Congratulate yourself whether you reach the target or not.

NaNoWriMo is an excellent platform to keep yourself in tune with your writing (especially if you want to write a novel). Get focused on reaching the target and remember to start from scratch. No cheating, ok?

Prepare now, physically and mentally for the challenge.

Everyone (the participants) is a winner on NaNoWriMo.

Survival Tips for RM5 Freelance Writing Jobs

In Malaysia, it is common to come across freelance writing ads offering as low as RM5/article (or lower amount).

There are times when you just need to grab any freelance writing jobs you can find because you need extra money or because freelance writing is your career.

That would be a time when you can NEVER say no to low paying freelance writing jobs.

What do you do?

How can you survive with such low paying jobs?

1. When you come across such freelance writing ads, you need to read from the beginning to the end of the description. Look out for how many words, topics related and payment method. This helps you choose the best freelance writing jobs for yourself.

2. Some of the jobs are quite reasonable – RM5 for 100-200 words. Some of the jobs can be bad – RM5 for 500 words. Look for reasonable freelance writing jobs.

3. Try to do as many articles possible, if there is no limit. Sometimes, there might be a limit of 20 articles a week and you need to share the 20 articles with other freelance writers. Grab all 20 articles for yourself if you can handle it. This way at least you will get RM100 for yourself.

4. If you can’t grab all 20 articles for yourself, apply for more freelance writing jobs of similar tasks. You can work for two or three clients at the same time – without the guilt (you are a freelancer).

5. You don’t have to spend 30 minutes to complete an article. You just need 10 minutes – especially for 100 – 200 words. If you can get RM10 an article, then you should spend 30 minutes.

6. Apart from local job ads, perhaps you should expand to international job ads. Instead of earning RM5/article, try $5/article – if you are lucky.

7. If you are stuck at RM5/article for a very, very long time, perhaps you should try different clients or at least ask for a raise – maybe RM8/article, if you are good. If the client is not willing to give you a raise, leave!

8. Always put up an ad on Craigslist to let people know you are LOOKING for a freelance writing job – short/long term.

There are many clients out there. You just need to make the best choice.

Do You See Yourself as a Freelance Writer?

No doubt there are many people who love to write for a living.

Just how many of you have the courage and the skills to stay in the freelance writing industry?

Freelance writing industry can be a very harsh place especially for newbies.

Not only you get rejected, sometimes you get humiliated to a point that you would beg for jobs in forums (willing to do any writing jobs for a few cents!).

That is just so wrong but that is reality.

You can be a great writer or you can be one of those desperate writers, begging for jobs in forums like Digital Point.

So what type of freelance writers are you?

Do you see yourself as a freelance writer or are you just another so-called writer? (think Digital Point)

You know you can be a great freelance writer.

Which path are you taking?