When you're a creative, you need a creative place to work. Otherwise, how do you get your neurons firing each day? Maybe my workspace won't show up in a magazine, but it encourages my brain to function in the delightfully strange ways I love.
Tag: freelance
Continuous Education for Writers
No one should stop learning. Imbibing knowledge is what makes you a better person. You can always find different sources to feed your brain. And if you're a freelance writer? One of those places is the Freelance Writers Den. Which just happens to be open for membership for a few more days.
Carbon Copy
The internet makes life easy in plenty of ways. That's a good thing - and a terrible thing. Suddenly, lazy people feel they have permission to snap wholesale sentences, paragraphs, and even entire articles and submit them as their own. Plagiarism's alive and well - and thriving. And it needs to stop.
Stick To It
Everyone sets up their work space their way. There's nothing wrong with that. You need a spot that generates the creative juices. For me, that means stickers that speak to my personality and add punches of fun to the technology surrounding me. Because life's way too short for a bunch of black boxes.
Come to the Dark Side
If you're writing, you spend HOURS staring at a computer screen. And that work takes a toll on your body. You might think about various ergonomic solutions. But you probably forget about your eyes. And you WILL pay for it down the road if you leave out this handy switch.
TonksVision
Tonks is - without a doubt - the WORST Personal Assistant in the world. And I figured stealing my chair, thieving office supplies, and knocking thing off the desk and shelves counted as the worst she could throw at me. But, no. This little demon insists on being present for interviews and phone calls. And then she takes over. Because, naturally, the world is all about her.
Attention, Attention
When you work as a freelancer, you focus on your craft. That makes sense. But you also have to devote part of your time to marketing and self-promotion. And that isn't always easy. Especially for those of us who identify as introverts. It's a learning process - one that doesn't get easier.
Getting Personal
As a writer, getting your name out there becomes a goal (obsession). And you'll explore plenty of avenues to achieve that dream. One that people often overlook is the personal essay. Which is crazy because the writing involved isn't complicated, and you'll find plenty of sources ready and willing to accept a polished piece.
Star Trek Disease
What are you supposed to worry about when you write? Spelling, grammar, and punctuation. And everyone learns these tools in school (in theory). Yet you constantly find pieces of work that DON'T use them. And one of the biggest issues? COMMAS! Commas that appear where they don't belong, and commas that DON'T show up. So let's discuss this little mark.
“Silenzio Bruno!”
Sure, living in your imagination sounds great. And - most of the time - it IS. But there are downsides to bouncing around in made-up scenarios. And one of them is when your doubts and insecurities gang up on you. You need to learn how to stand up to them. Who knew something as simple as a line in a movie could provide the answer?