Saturday, March 22, 2008

What on earth am I doing?

Do I really need another blog to write?

(Besides the three I struggle to keep up with already! And the articles and books I'm working on. And the student/parent website I'm designing ...)

Yes. I do. Because this is a whole new adventure in my life and I'm loving it/I'm learning so much at the moment and I want somewhere to record it all/I want to share the things I learn along the way and hopefully help others who are starting out on the same journey.

Written by a total beginner (and by someone who gets a bit freaked out by it all and wants to run away or, at the very least, stick her head in the sand), this blog will certainly be a steep learning curve ...

The lovely Dabbling Mum (thank you, DM!) took time out of a busy schedule recently to advise me to focus Write Here! on freelance writing. I had been thinking about shaking things up a bit on there; moving away from a collection of random posts to a blog with more focus. Having played around on it for almost three months, I think it's time to get serious. But I'm reluctant to give up my Moon posts and I really want to write on creativity/productivity and wellbeing, so have decided to leave Write Here! as it is. (Pretty much.)

But I've taken the Dabbling Mum's advice to heart and feel really inspired to write a blog about my journey into freelance writing ... from the very beginning.

I've done a fair amount of personal and academic writing but have no experience of being published. I've done plenty of research about freelance writing though, so it will be good to get it all out of my head, to organize the scribbles-on-scraps-of-paper into meaningful information, and to finally act on all the excellent advice I've been given.

While I love a challenge and enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone, I've learned where the boundary lies between pushing myself and tripping myself up. So although I'm starting another blog, I'm working it into the things I'm already committed to writing. I'm going to stick to my decision to write Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Write Here! I'll still write one post a week on Student Mum. I'll write once a day on Life is a Learning Curve/The Freelance Writing Learning Curve.

Clever, hey? Haha! Because both blogs are Learning Curve blogs, I get to write an extra blog but without putting any added pressure on myself. (No, it's not cheating ... it's called lateral thinking for self preservation!)

The truth is, I suspect, that I will write more on this Learning Curve, at least for a while. I'm feeling so enthusiastic and excited ... I already have a growing list of posts I want to write.

Even the longest journey starts with a single step.

I have always loved that proverb. But it isn't quite right. A journey usually starts way before the first step, in planning and preparing, in collecting all the things we need. Before that, even ... in deciding where you're going. Perhaps. Sometimes, the best journeys are those where we just head out with no idea where the wind will take us. But when we have a destination in mind, we must make some decisions and take some actions before we set off, so that we give ourselves the best chance of getting there.

Not that I expect it to be all smooth going, not that I would want it to be, but I do want to get there.

So the first few posts on here will be about the preliminary work I've done before that first step on the journey towards my destination. My destination, just to be clear about it (because writing my goals on my blog has really helped me stick to them), is to be a full-time freelance writer, to earn my living from writing. Not in a rich-and-famous kind of way, just in a keeping-the-wolves-from-the-door kind of way. Having everything we need, rather than everything we want.

The first step is to get something published. The preliminary steps include researching the subject, doing lots of reading and actually writing. I have learned about the best place and time for me to write. I have learned something about my style of writing, my strengths and weaknesses, and my preferences. I have learned how to motivate myself. I have realised that choosing to focus on just a few, simple goals and putting them in writing, means I have a good chance of sticking to them.

(Ongoing) Preparation/Preliminary Steps:

Understanding the concept of freelance writing.
Finding the best time and place to write.
Developing writing skills.
Finding motivation and inspiration.
Learning how to set deadlines that work.
Thinking about the possibilities of freelance writing.
Reading and talking to freelance writers.
Assessing magazines and newspapers for style and content.

First Step of the Journey:

To submit an article to a local newspaper about blue (recycling) bins.

I've been thinking about this for a few days, since stating it as a goal on Write here! I was concerned I'd chosen something that everyone might already know about and therefore an article would be of no interest to an editor. But I think if I expand it slightly (to include some other things that can't be recycled in the bins, for example) it might prove a more useful/desirable article. Unless people are really into recycling, they might appreciate some of the facts and figures I found when researching it for personal reasons.

I still have doubts. But I know that self-doubt is the fast-track to procrastination for me. So I have decided I will acknowledge doubts, consider them carefully (in case they do in fact have good foundations) and then totally ignore them.

Ha! A little easier said then done ... but written is a different matter. I have discovered, through writing a blog, that putting goals in writing helps me achieve them. (Part of that is the fact they are more permanent than spoken words, part of it is that I'm writing them down in public so feel I have accountability, and part of it is that I have had amazing support and encouragement from fellow bloggers.)

So, it will be interesting to see if writing such an intangible intention will have the same positive results ...

:o)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whew! That's a lot of blogs. But you seem to have it all figured out, so hopefully it will work out for you. Just remember, you can always drop a blog if it gets to be too much. I've already dropped three blogs in the last year--since I tend to like more focused blogs.

Good luck, sounds like a really fun journey!

Tina L. Scott (formerly Miller) said...

Congratulations to you as you begin your journey to be a freelance writer! Remember that it will be a journey and, somewhat like a loosely planned vacation or life overall, you WILL find yourself taking various sideroads, detours, and scenic daytrips along the way. Embrace them! You never know where they will lead you, and the journey is the fun part. The destination is merely a small part of the overall journey.

The DM passed along your comments about my editing advice. Thank you! I appreciate your comments very much.

I'd also like to add that you have a wonderful, conversational style of writing which is truly enjoy. Perhaps that is because it is also my natural writing style, but I've found that this writing style also endears writers to their readers because they feel like the writer "knows" them. So I urge you to write for publication similar to the way you wrote your blog. For example, your piece on blue recycling tubs could venture into what on earth (pun intended - earth and eco friendly and all) one is to do when you WANT to recycle certain things, but the powers that be make it rather difficult to do so (i.e., motor oil, old batteries, unused chemical or cleaning products, toner cartridges, etc.). Just a thought.

At any rate, my current career is full-time photography and part-time writing/editing. Feel free to check out MY blog at: www.photographybytina.com/blogspot.com.

Warmly,

Tina L. Miller

Tina L. Scott (formerly Miller) said...

Oops! I was re-reading my post and found a typo. How embarrassing! I MEANT to say, "I'd also like to add that you have a wonderful, conversational style of writing which I truly enjoy."

Yep, I am definitely human! :-)

Tina L. Miller

Moondreamer said...

Thank you, DM, for the inspiration and for all the great advice!

Yes, lots of blogs! I will have to be careful they don't become a form of procrastination! But I am feeling very focused and am determined to set sensible priorities based on a single aim ... to become a freelance writer.

I'm really excited about the journey!

:o)

Tina, thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving such a wonderful comment!

I'm glad DM passed along my comments about your very helpful editing advice (thank you DM!) Your tips will prove invaluable as I work towards getting my first article published.

Thank you for this further advice too ...

I love your "what on earth" pun, by the way! I have done a little research into recycling things like white goods/electrical equipment/furniture. I thought it might be a good idea to look into what happens to our rubbish after it has been collected, too. And I have thought of some sources I could contact for a few supporting quotes.

So, the goal for this weekend: Write the first draft!

I will take all your advice into consideration, thank you again for taking the time to share your experience. And thank you also for the lovely comment about my writing style!

I'm off to check out your blog now ...

Here's to scenic routes!

:o)

PS It's good to know you're human! ;o) And it's lovely to see a picture of you ... good luck in your photography adventure!

:o)