Entries Tagged 'Internet Writing' ↓

For the third year in a row, Michael Stelzner over at Writing White Papers has offered his readers a list of the top 10 Blogs for Writers. I’m proud to say that, out of 300 entries, The Writing Journey scored 8th. Thank you, readers, for your support, and thank you Michael for your consideration. I’m proud and humbled all at once to be in such great company.

If you’ve arrived at The Writing Journey today for the first time, be sure to check out some of my most popular posts, over in the sidebar. There you’ll find plenty of solid writing advice, both practical and inspirational.

Here’s the full list, along with Michael’s comments on each:

1. Copyblogger: As the undefeated champ, this blog has held the number-one spot for three straight years!  The baby of Brian Clark, this blog keeps winning because of its excellent and educational articles.
2. Men With Pens: James Chartrand and Harry McLeod are the dynamic duo who continue to deliver rich content and community discussion.
3. Freelance Writing Jobs: Founded by Deb Ng, this site is the first stop for freelance writers seeking new work and great articles (and it remains a top winner since this contest began).
4. Write to Done: This blog delivers a steady stream of excellent articles for all writers and is the product of top blogger Leo Babauta.
5. Confident Writing: Looking for encouragement? Joanna Young will help you take your writing to the next level.
6. The Renegade Writer: Linda Formichelli and Diana Burell, authors of a book by the same name, help freelance journalists find inspiration.
7. Remarkable Communication: One part writing, one part marketing and one part selling, this excellent blog by Sonia Simone will help any writer succeed.
8. Writing Journey: Looking for a great stop on your writing journey? Bob Younce’s blog will refresh and energize you.
9. Freelance Parent: Two moms, Lorna Doone Brewer and Tamara Berry, provide excellent perspective on writing while balancing time with little ones.
10. Urban Muse: Susan Johnston covers a wide range of excellent topics that all writers will enjoy.

Congratulations to everyone!

One of the most amazing things about being a freelance writer is that I don’t have to do any work I don’t want to do. If I’m not comfortable with the subject matter, I don’t have to take the gig. I can pick and choose my work based on my own moral code and comfort level. Unlike my former life as a cubicle dweller, I’ll never have to make a choice between conscience and my boss’ demands.

On top of that, though, the work I do can make a difference in my world. Sure, not every gig is world changing. But some are. And what I do right here is, too. The fact that my work can have a purpose beyond just earning a paycheck is one of the things that sustains me on a daily basis.

I have a guest post today over at Freelance folder calledFreelancers: 3 Principles That Can Change Your World. Go give it a look, and let me know what you think over there, and let me know how you use your career as a freelancer to change your world.

If you’ve been freelancing for any amount of time, you’ve probably had one of those days.

You know the days I’m talking about. You sit down in front of your computer with your morning coffee, and you feel empty. You’ve got nothing. No inspiration, no motivation, no desire to be sitting there. For a brief moment, even the thought of a cubicle is appealing. At least in a cubicle you could blow off some of your day doing something nonconstructive, if you really worked at it.

Of course, it doesn’t take long thinking about that cubicle before you start to snap to your senses. No, you’ve got the best job in the world. You wouldn’t trade it for anything.

You just don’t want to be doing it today.

Words start flowing, but then they all start flowing together. One article seems to read just like another, and every time you finish a page you count how many more you’ve got to do before you can be done for the day.

You’ve got a touch of freelance burnout.

I get to feeling like this about once a month or so. I’ve learned, however, some techniques that help me to get past it, refocus my efforts, and start loving what I do again. While I can’t promise these techniques will work for everyone, they do pretty well for me:

Switch up your editorial calendar

When you’re writing an ebook or a series of articles, you can get so focused on one topic that it becomes utterly boring. Take an hour in the middle of that ebook to work on something else. If you don’t have any other client projects, write a blog post, or work on your novel for a little while. Sometimes just letting the creative juices flow in a different direction is enough to rebuild your steam.

Take a day off

I know, I know. We’re freelancers. We don’t get days off. Well, I’m here to tell you that if you don’t take a day off from time to time, you’re going to crash and burn. Don’t worry about the work; it will be there tomorrow. So will your bills. Give yourself a day, or an afternoon, to refocus. It’s likely that when you return to work tomorrow, your productivity will skyrocket, making up for much of your “lost” day.

Read something inspiring

Whether it’s a Dilbert cartoon or whether it’s an inspiring post from your favorite freelance blogger, sometimes you need someone else to remind you why you’re a freelancer. Go back to a favorite post from days gone by and really read it. Visit some writing blogs, or try to find a new writing blog out there. Read a passage from Stephen King’s On Writing, or even just sit down with a good novel.

There are plent of other ways to refocus your freelancing efforts. What have you tried? What works for you, and what doesn’t?

Good morning, everyone! It’s a bit early here in mid-Michigan, and it seems to be a perfect morning for just a little bit of navel gazing.

I’ve spent some time thinking, ever since the Pen Men took their little blogging vacation during the summer, about how this blog has evolved. When I started The Writing Journey, I wanted to offer Internet writers advice about writing online, finding gigs, using article directories and the overall writing process.

Everything was humming along just fine until a wrote a post called Bang Your Gong: A Call For Action From The Internet Writing Community. For me, that post started a process where I really had to think long and hard about how I was going to help Internet writers achieve their dreams; getting my vision, discovering my voice, establishing my brand.

Since then, I’ve even started coaching a handful of writing clients. This program is a stopgap measure, designed to allow me to help other writers while I’m in the process of developing my membership-based writers training program.

Because my freelance business has grown by leaps and bounds, I find myself constantly juggling tasks, and putting one against another. When that happens, as anyone else in the freelance business can tell you, some aspects of the business model are bound to suffer.

For me, the part that’s suffered has been my blog. My posting frequence has been rather sporatic over the summer, becuase of all these growing pains.

I’m not apologizing or complaining, mind you; I’m not Darren Rowse, and I don’t intend to be. My business model doesn’t rely on my blog for success, and daily posting has never been a hard and fast rule for me.

However, in order to help other writers achieve their dreams, I feel like a more consistent posting schedule would be in order at The Writing Journey.

All that being said, I’ve decided to follow the lead of the Men with Pens and take a bit of a break.  I’m not going away forever, not by any means. I am, however, going to take the next 11 days off.

In that time, I’ll be working up some new content for the blog, as well as spending some extra time on my membership-based writer’s training program. When I return on September 15, 2008, I’ll have a more regular posting schedule for you, with posts three times a week.

Now, I know I’ll be missed while I’m gone. Try not to take it too hard Enjoy yourselves, out there elsewhere in the ether, but be sure to come back on the 15th and we’ll all get reacquainted.

Michael Stelzner wants to know: What’s your favorite writing blog?

For the past couple of years, Michael has done a “Top 10 Blogs For Writers” post, and it has been amazingly successful. Essentially, you leave a comment at this post explaining why you think a given blog is worthy of making the Top 10.

In the past, our friends Harry at James at Men With Pens have made the cut, as has Freelance Writing Jobs, Copyblogger.

This is the first time Michael’s run the contest since The Writing Journey started. Go visit Michael’s blog, and let him know how much you appreciate what you read here.