Let’s Get a Few Things Straight

Ok, I'm going to have a little rant and educate time now. I have seen so many pathetic attempts at writing lately that it makes me want to scream. On top of that, I am getting far too many people who seem to think I'm joking when I say I'm a freelance writer. Or they seem to think I'm trying to get out of having a 'real' job. So, I'm going to cover a few points on what it does and does not mean to be a writer, and a few things everyone who wants to be a writer should keep in mind. Ready?

Firstly, if you want to be a writer, brace yourself. I'm not going to tell you that you have to brace yourself for anything in particular, just brace yourself. I am working through my own issues being a freelance writer, and I know that no two people are going to go through the same transition stage.

I don't care what people say. Writers do not lead stress-free lives. You might be surprised how many people I have talked to that find out I am a writer and say, "Oh, I wish I had a stress-free job like that."

WHAT???!!!

No, no, NO! Do not even get that idea in your head. Look, writing is great! I wouldn't do it if I didn't think so. But you WILL get stressed out. Me, I'm ADD. I have to battle that on a daily basis. Granted, I do better at home than I did at a regular job, because I'm not having to keep a lid on my temper, but I still get distracted easily! If I take on an assignment that isn't fascinating, and most of them aren't, I have serious trouble keeping my mind upon the task at hand.

So this brings me to my first point: If you do not have the ability or desire to make yourself sit down and work, don't get into this business. If you have to have the shadow of a supervisor looming over you to keep working, you aren't cut out for this. You also don't have a guaranteed paycheck in your hand. If you slack off, so does your money. If all the writing jobs are taken this week, you just might be S.O.L. It's something you need to think very hard about, especially before you quit your job.

The other side of that is that if you have something like ADD or ADHD, or anything else that may hinder your work habits or relationships with people, you CAN work at home if that is your dream. I'm proof of it. My biggest issue is that I'm still 'getting into the groove,' which takes time.

Also, if you think this gig is going to bring you instant glamour because you are a writer, think again. Yes, being a writer can be glamorous, in both fiction, and non-fiction. But it isn't going to happen overnight. Keep in mind that if you are successful at being a writer, it may actually lose you a few 'friends.' Seriously, some people cannot stand the idea of someone else being more successful and happy. It's vicious, but there is a good chance you will have to look at the face of someone you thought was a friend and see that they now despise you because they are jealous. It's even worse when it is family. Trust me, I know.

Don't let anything stand in the way of your dreams. Just be prepared for the responsibility and issues those dreams may bring with them. : )

Now, if you want to be a writer, there are a few things you need. You do have to have some skill at writing to be a writer. It is a very simple concept that many, many people seem to miss completely. Make sure you can write at least decent English before you attempt to break into the writing scene. If you can't, you are going to waste everyone's time.

That said, don't be worried that you can't write because you only got a C in English. If you can write legible sentences that people can follow, you have a shot at this. Also keep in mind that you will get better the more you write. Writing on a daily basis hones your skills, so each day you write, you become a more valuable asset! If you are having trouble finding writing work, just do a little writing each day to keep yourself sharp. A journal or blog may be all you need.

Above all, keep writing. Focus on your goals and dreams, and go for them. I did, and here I am, getting paid to stay home and write! I'm not making as much money as I would like, but that will come in time and with experience. I have a great friend in Australia who is mentoring me through the process, and she has been invaluable to me and my pursuit!

Writing is a great career. I just don't want to see people jump in, only to get burned because they didn't really know what they were jumping into. Leave me a post, and I'll be happy to answer any questions that I can.

I'll be back soon, and I'll think up some more pointers for all you potential writers out there! : D

–Lindsey Rainwater

A Post From My Other Blog

Yes, I decided to move this post from my other blog. I have no idea what I was doing with two blogs. *rolls eyes*

Posted a long time ago:

I recently wrote a Hub on Hubpages.com about being positive in order to improve your life. I have a friend who is just driving me crazy because every time I talk to her it's "poor me."

I hate that!!! Hate, hate, hate!!!

She talks about how hard life is, and how she has it so bad, and nobody thinks about her feelings . . . etc. It gets really boring after awhile. In fact, she's starting to drive me away with all of it. I don't want to not be friends with her, because we all need friends, but I don't have time for that much stress in my life. I have writing to do, and my own stress tries to get in the way sometimes!

This just made me start thinking about writers and writing. So many writers talk about how hard writing is. You know what, they're right! I'll be the first person to say that writing isn't easy! It's when they start complaining that it's hard that I usually flip.

Due to the rough economic times that we are in, I had to go get a job. My freelancing wasn't going as well as I would have liked (which was mostly my fault) and my husband suddenly found himself in a bad spot because he works in the construction industry at the moment. So I went out and found myself a full-time job writing website content for a company. It's a good job, a little boring (ok, a lot boring) but relatively easy and it pays ok.

But it isn't what I want to do the rest of my life. So what do I do? I write, and then I work on my writing on lunch. Sandwich in one hand, other hand writing. After work, I go home and write some more. I'm posting articles for sale, I'm trying to find clients to work for. In short, I am holding down a full-time job, taking care of my house and husband, and still building my freelancing business.

Here's the part that really kills some people . . .

I also still work on my fiction.

Needless to say, I don't get enough sleep. : )

But I'm writing! It's what I was born to do! It is what I am destined to do!

So when someone looks at me and tells me how hard it is to write, I laugh in their face. I tell them to look at the negativity they are spawning in themselves. Good job, you're force-feeding yourself failure. How does it taste?

By being more positive in all areas of your life, you will make life easier. You will let stress fall away, you won't freak over the little things, and you will be happier. Guess what? This leaves more room in your brain for better writing. The best writers I've heard of don't let worries plague them.

Especially when you sit down to write, clear your head and then think positively. Look at ever writing session like it is going to be your best. Wonderful things will start to happen.

By saying, "writing is hard" you make it hard. By saying "I don't have time" you're wasting time. By saying "my family doesn't support me" you are allowing your family to kill your dream.

No more excuses. No more pity-parties. Just be glad you can write! Not everybody enjoys that ability!

If you want to write, write. Stop talking and do it. If you aren't going to write, stop talking and let the rest of us get back to our writing and other dreams.

Sorry, had to get that off my chest.

–Lindsey Rainwater

Being Positive

I just published a hub on Hubpages about being more positive in life.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Changing-Your-Life-by-Being-Positive

It got me thinking about freelancing and writing, and how being positive can affect all the areas of our lives.

I posted on it on my other blog, and I really think you would like it. Click on the link to my other blog to see it.

When you do, don't just think about writing. Think about anything you're passionate about. Replace the word "writing" with that, and just think on it.

--Lindsey Rainwater

Success - A Start

I have been meaning to get on here more, but life and writing have been preventing it. Not to mention the new Harley we bought. On a beautiful day, that is just far too tempting to leave in the garage. : )

Anyway, today I want to talk about success a bit. A new friend contacted me today through my other blog and said something about my success. I sat back and thought about that for a few minutes. I do consider myself successful even though in all reality I haven’t been in the freelancing business for very long. So what has brought me from newbie freelance writer to making good money every month? What has driven me to where I am now?

Now, perhaps this wouldn’t be all that unusual of a question for some people. But I am still quite young, and through my life I have not had the best reputation for being driven. Writing was the only thing I was passionate about for a long time, and even that was writing fiction, not freelancing to pay the bills. So what changed?

Honestly, I got sick of who I had been. I was smart, brilliant even, but I was unmotivated. One day I watched my husband head off to a job he doesn’t care for, and something just snapped in my mind. I had been struggling with depression and self-hatred for a couple weeks at this point, and for the life of me I could not figure out why. Watching him walk out the door with a smile on his face even though he doesn’t look forward to his work made it all fall into place.

I had the talent to make a lot of money. And I wasn’t using it.

Brilliance is meaningless if you’re not going to use it.

That was the day I got motivated. One of the first steps in success is to get motivated. Get the motivation to get up and take a bird’s eye look at yourself and your life. (We’ll talk about motivation more later.) Then get some courage. You have to be pretty brave to take a spotlight to yourself and find your greatest strengths and worst weaknesses. Often you will find that you have more weaknesses than strengths. Don’t let this tear you down. I let it destroy my drive for years and it got me NOWHERE!

This time I looked at my strengths and said, “Those are pretty darn good.” Then I looked at my weaknesses. I asked myself which could be done away with easiest, and started focusing on those. Don’t try to take on all your weaknesses at once. That could just overwhelm you. Instead, figure out one that is either easy to deal with once you focus on it, or the one that is REALLY standing in your way. Mine? Procrastination.

Procrastinators unite! Tomorrow.

Not anymore.

I still struggle with it, but when I find myself drifting away from my work, I clench my fists and say “No.” I get my butt back in my computer chair, and I work. If I’m really, really bored, or need a drink or anything that will cause me to walk away from my work, I look at the clock and make myself work for five more minutes. Each time I manage to stay at my work a little longer.

Another thing about your weaknesses: See which ones you can turn into strengths. I’m stubborn. I like getting my way, and sometimes I can be a real terror about getting it. Just ask my husband. So what did I do? I turned that ‘weakness’ that could have kept me from writing because I want to do other things, into a strength. I painted a mental picture of the life I want, but that I don’t have, and said, “I want that. And nothing is going to stop me from getting it. What is the best way for me to get there? Freelancing! Writing!” So now I have made my stubbornness work for me. Now it drives me to work more, because I want my dream life.

So take a good look at yourself. Write down your strengths and weaknesses, and post them somewhere you will see them. Every day try to diminish the weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Acknowledging them and working on them is one of the first steps to being successful, and everyone knows the first step is often the hardest.

There’s your obnoxiously long post! I’ll work on the next part and try to get it up soon!

--Lindsey Rainwater

We Begin at the Beginning . . .

Ok, before we get into tips and tricks of freelancing, writing or otherwise, we should clear a few things up.

First, I need to lay it down and hammer out: What is a Freelancer?

A Freelancer is someone who is self-employed, at least part time, providing a specific service to others. I know this sounds vague, but that is the basis of it. Freelancing is not restricted to writing by any means; writing has just become one of the commonly heard-of types of freelancing. This is quickly falling to the wayside as more and more companies are outsourcing for not only writers, but freelance web-designers, graphic artists, and many others. If you have one or more creative talents, there is a good chance you can be a freelancer.

Being a freelance writer does not mean that you occasionally contribute to a blog. I don't care if you get paid a few pennies to do it. You're not a freelancer.

When you have a passion for something, and you make an income with it that you use to support yourself, then you are a freelancer. There are many ways to be a freelancer. You can have just a couple things you do part-time to supplement you other income, or you could be busy full-time with many clients. This is the beauty of being self-employed. You choose the guidelines. : )

If you are happy just making part-time money, good for you. As long as you are satisfied. But if you are looking to build an honest-to-goodness freelance business, it is going to take work and time. You will need to constantly be on the lookout for new jobs, and constantly marketing yourself.

For more info on freelancing, please go look at my friend Bianca's blog!

Soon we will go over more of what it means to be a freelancer, and what you need to be expecting when you opt for this lifestyle.