You work when you will. Where you will. And since that sets the tone for the day it is imperative that you introduce and maintain a sense of ‘schedule’. If you don’t, you will find yourself fighting for time, rushing against deadlines and delivering hurriedly written pieces that are shoddily prepared and sloppily edited. A disciplined approach will enable you to write well and perform better. It will also force others to take your work seriously. You need to set yourself a routine that gets you going smoothly through the day!
When: Choose your time. And stick to it! Early morning for the early birds or late night for the owls. Even mid morning when all is calm or afternoons when the family naps- is as good a time as any-or all four .But don’t leave it too flexible. A fixed time is actually the magic key to sustained writing!
Where: At a table in the study or propped up in bed. On the corner of a dining table or looking out into the garden. In the library or in Coffee-Day. Wherever it is, mark it out as your space and let man or child bother you at his peril!
How: Now that is a moot point. Scribbling on bits of paper or notebooks may work for some while thumping it out directly on the PC for others. Since typewriters are passé in any case, do what comes naturally to you. But do it you must.
What: Assignments. Arrange them according to their deadlines. Prioritize them against your time available and then slot everything else around them. With what you ‘like’ to write squeezed in somewhere between!
Search: Once you are set, its time to search, research your topic. This is probably what takes more time than writing the piece. It is therefore also essential that you are not disturbed!
Surf: Surfing should be as much a part of your life as writing. Aimless surfing has interestingly useful fallouts. Set aside a few minutes everyday even while researching.
Style: Now comes the interesting part! Choosing to write the way your various editors/coordinators want. Each magazine or website has its own editorial style and you need to write accordingly. And once you are done-
Send: Check, counter check! There might still be a few- unnoticed- errors! No matter .Send. In any case unless you are Shobhaa De they are going to rewrite your choicest lines anyway!
Stick to deadlines: Reliability is the onemost important attribute that will win you assignments again and again. It is what makes editors and web content developers remember your email id repeatedly. So never fail to meet deadlines well on time!
Success: Andsuccess is surely yours! The thrill of receiving an acceptance is only second to the thrill of receiving a cheque, at times even more!
The Mantra to make it as a freelance-writer lies in following a daily pattern -sans guilt-that gives you, your space to do your own thing-writing!
So hopefully this tenfold path will lead to some happy and successful Writing!
It has been said that ‘writing tips are many and free’, nevertheless I hope you have enjoyed these as much as I have, in ‘rehashing’ them for you.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !
- Sreelata Menon
Please Note: Chillibreeze does not endorse techniques or views mentioned in the articles here. The articles listed here are provided as reference material for writers as a support service.
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