Tag Archives: writing

advice

No Pressure! Do You Need A Deadline?

by Catherine L. Tully

Freelance-Zone Editor, Catherine L. Tully
Freelance-Zone Editor, Catherine L. Tully

Some writers work better under pressure. At least – they think they do.

I used to be one of those writers. But now, I do something a little bit differently. I set my own deadlines.

This is a monumentally different approach. You see, I’m still putting pressure on myself, but I am also able to control the workflow much better. Instead of working all night long to meet a client’s deadline, I can schedule myself a few rough draft deadlines first. And I don’t miss them.

I take my deadlines every bit as seriously as if I were the client. Otherwise the approach simply doesn’t work. The pressure must be real, but the deadline can be your own. If you are one of those writers that finds themselves working like mad at the last minute to get something in on time–I challenge you to try my suggestion.

It’s simple, but it works!

Here are three ways to incorporate this type of deadline system into your work week:

  • Put it on your calendar/to-do list. If it’s actually in print (or online), it is far more real than when it’s in your head.
  • Start with one project. Don’t try to do this with everything at once. Try one project first and see how you do, then add more.
  • Reward yourself! When you meet your deadline, do something nice for yourself. Take a bike ride. Buy a latte, or an ice cream cone. After all, it feels pretty darn good!

Do you create your own deadlines? How do you make it work?

advice

Today’s Writing Tip: “For Whom Are You Voting?”

sig2010 As we start the Republican National Convention and move into the Democratic Convention next week, many people will be asking each other which candidate they prefer.

Technically, the right way to do this is to say, “Whom are you voting for?” because the sentence has a direct object. Or, you can say or write, “For whom are you voting?” This phrasing is correct; however, I don’t like it. I think it sounds stuffy.

Sometimes the only really important thing about grammar is to know the rules so that you can understand when you are breaking them. In conversation, I would opt for the more casual, “Who are you voting for?” And if I were writing a dialogue in a fictional narrative or quoting someone in a blog post, I would still use the informal version.

But if I were writing for a serious website, of course I would choose the official version. We are seeing more of a trend toward casual speech and writing as part of a desire to move forward in the modern world. Just as we wouldn’t say, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?”, it sounds stilted and uptight to answer the phone by saying, “It is I” or “For whom are you voting?” I’m going to declare this to be a style issue in conversation and when we are quoting dialogue, but I know that many people will disagree.

Of course you can always circumvent the problem, as I did in the beginning of this piece, by saying, “Which candidate do you prefer?” And the answer in this particular election may be “neither.”

Sigrid Macdonald is the author of three books, including Be Your Own Editor http://tinyurl.com/7wnk5se and two erotic short stories, which she wrote under the pen name Tiffanie Good. Silver Publishing just released “The Pink Triangle,” a tale of friendship, lust, and betrayal. You can view her story here: http://tinyurl.com/6v65rgr

advice

Managing Your Inbox

by Catherine L. Tully

Freelance-Zone Editor, Catherine L. Tully
Freelance-Zone Editor, Catherine L. Tully

As you get deeper and deeper into the writing field you’ll begin to realize what a nightmare your inbox can be. Seriously.

And if you are already deep into the writing field, you are probably nodding your head wildly in agreement right now.

Today I’m going to share my most successful, and also the most simple tips I have for keeping up with e-mail. There are of course many ways to do this, and I’d love for people to chime in with their ideas, but for now, here are mine:

  • Tackle the inbox every day. Otherwise it adds up really, really fast. I always do mine first thing in the morning.
  • Keep high-priority items in the inbox. If I file these, I forget them.
  • Have more than one e-mail account. I use a gmail account for all my total junk (sign ups for restaurants, etc.), an info account for my inquiries and an editor account for the important stuff. Then I have a personal account as well. It really helps you filter things.
  • Delete things if you can. Don’t keep every response from everyone. I delete things and then empty my deleted items once a month or so…just in case.
  • Come up with a good filing system–and use it. My folder system saves me all the time–but I have to force myself to actually file things.
  • Get off lists periodically. If you sign up for a newsletter and find yourself deleting it every month, take the time to unsubscribe. It’s amazing how much time this saves you in the long run if you do it for everything you don’t use.

Got any other ideas to add to the list? If so, share them here!

advice

Writers – Log It!

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by Catherine L. Tully

Freelance-Zone Editor, Catherine L. Tully
Freelance-Zone Editor, Catherine L. Tully

Ever wonder how much time you spend sitting in a given day? Or how many hours you actually work? Take a page from dieters everywhere and start a work log…

Like a food log, a work log is a tool you can use to learn more about your work habits. After keeping track of your hours for a couple of weeks, you will begin to see patterns emerge, which can in turn help you to figure out your most productive work schedule. It will also give you a “big picture” of how many hours (on average) you are working per day/per week. This can help you see (approximately) how much you are making per hour as well.

A work log doesn’t have to be fancy. All you need is a pen and paper – or a calendar of sorts. Simply log in when you start working and log out when you stop – along with the times. (I would recommend rounding up or down to the half-hour mark for ease.) At the end of the day, total the hours. Same goes for the end of the week.

When you have the info, you can then calculate your hourly rate. Then, ask yourself if you are using your time wisely…

It’s a very simple way to estimate a pay rate–but it works!

advice

Today’s Writing Tip: Convince and Persuade

sig2010The words convince and persuade may sound so similar that we think they’re interchangeable, but they’re not. They are not exact synonyms, despite what dictionary.com says!

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, persuade is related to actions and often takes the verb “to” before it. If I want to go to a drama movie, but you only like comedies, I have to persuade you to go with me.

Convince is related to ideas. Let’s say that you don’t know who to support in the federal election, so you watch the debates. You come away convinced that none of the contenders represents you. Note that convince is not preceded by the verb “to.”

Check out more grammar and writing tips in my book Be Your Own Editor.

Sigrid Macdonald is the author of three books, including Be Your Own Editor, and two erotic short stories, which she wrote under the pen name Tiffanie Good. Silver Publishing just released “The Pink Triangle,” a tale of friendship, lust, and betrayal. You can view her story here: http://tinyurl.com/6v65rgr

advice

Who Are You? Discovering Your Inner Writer

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questionby Catherine L. Tully

This is a test…

What do you love?

Why am I asking you this? Because it can help you find what you are looking for in writing. Here’s the quote that got me started on this:

“The things that we love tell us what we are.”
-St. Thomas Aquinas

And if you want to be a writer, there’s no better way to wind up in the right spot than to know what you love to write about.

When you first start out as a freelance writer it’s all about trying to get established. Making sure you can pay the bills and building your portfolio are all-important, and often all-consuming tasks. While this can’t really be helped (everybody pays their dues in one way or another), once you head down the freelance writing path a bit, you might want to start thinking about who you are as a writer.

Or, at least, who you would like to be.

Here are a few simple ways to go about that:

  • Keep a list of your favorite magazines. This will help you see themes and overall subject matter.
  • Be aware when writing. Keep an eye out for times when writing is a pleasure instead of merely a job.
  • Journal. A professional journal is a great tool for learning more about yourself, your work preferences and your likes/dislikes.

I’m going to toss this out to the readers now…

How did you discover your inner writer? Any tips you’d like to share?