Tomorrow is the start of a brand new month, so it's time to start a new monthly goal! I love goals, even if I don't hit them they still serve to motivate me to try a little harder.
I am shooting low on this months goal because I am losing my help. One week from today, my husband is starting classes at the local college to obtain his CDL's. The class is only 7 weeks long, but after it's over he will hopefully be going to work! Since he has been out of work for almost a year now, I have really depended on him to keep the kids out of my hair and keep the house running somewhat smoothly while I work. Soon, it will be just me most of the week, and if he goes over the road once he graduates it will be just me most of the time.
I am going to be seriously outnumbered around here. :(
My monthly writing goal for this month is going to be $1200, mainly with Demand Studios although I am going to count income from any other clients in as well. I am going to be really limited in the time I can write and most of my work will have to be done at night and on the weekends.
I also want to add at least 10,000 words to my book this month, but that is a secondary goal. The writing that pays me right away is what is most important right now.
I would love some company on this months goal, so if you want to set your own goal as well, please do! I will be happy to share the journey with other writers through emails, instant messages or just right here on this blog, so leave me a comment and let's hit these goals!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Distractions!!
In ways, working at home is much easier than leaving the house to go to work each day. Your schedule is your own, and can be adjusted when it needs to be, without having to consult a boss or find someone to cover for you. It's much easier to be there for your children and spouse when you are needed because you are at home.
But in many ways working at home is so much harder. The same children and spouse that you work from home to be nearer to often do not understand that you are in the middle of a project and think that you can just drop anything to do what they need. The ability to set your own schedule is often a bad thing since there are so many other things you want to do besides working, and often working falls into last place.
Then there is the Internet. Social networking sites like facebook are time drainers and logging in just to see what everyone is up to can easily turn into an hour of wasted time playing games or chatting. This is one I am guilty of myself. I definitely have an addiction to facebook, mainly because of games! If I spent the time writing that I spend farming on facebook, I could buy my own farm!
I am striving to limit my own distractions since I will be starting a new monthly goal in just a few day. What are your distractions? What are some ways you have found to limit them and be more productive in your own freelance career? I want to hear from my readers on this, not only to help myself but also to help other readers who are dealing with distractions of their own.
But in many ways working at home is so much harder. The same children and spouse that you work from home to be nearer to often do not understand that you are in the middle of a project and think that you can just drop anything to do what they need. The ability to set your own schedule is often a bad thing since there are so many other things you want to do besides working, and often working falls into last place.
Then there is the Internet. Social networking sites like facebook are time drainers and logging in just to see what everyone is up to can easily turn into an hour of wasted time playing games or chatting. This is one I am guilty of myself. I definitely have an addiction to facebook, mainly because of games! If I spent the time writing that I spend farming on facebook, I could buy my own farm!
I am striving to limit my own distractions since I will be starting a new monthly goal in just a few day. What are your distractions? What are some ways you have found to limit them and be more productive in your own freelance career? I want to hear from my readers on this, not only to help myself but also to help other readers who are dealing with distractions of their own.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Writing for print publications
Seeing your name is print is a thrilling experience, and every writer can vividly remember the first time they saw their name next to something written by them. Getting your name in print in the first place is the hard part! There is stiff competition in the writing world with so many talented people vying for attention.
Newspapers are a good place to start since many of them use freelance writers for smaller pieces rather than paying the higher cost of employing more staff. Check with your local papers by sending the editor your resume and a few writing samples, you never know what could happen.
In my search for magazines that accept submissions from freelance writers, I concentrated mainly on magazines that I enjoy reading as well as magazines that focus on parenting. I came up with quite a few that I will be querying and wanted to share them with my readers to give them a place to start. Just click on the magazine names to view the submission guidelines.
Parents magazine accepts submissions through mail only.
Cat Fancy, a specialty magazine for cat enthusiasts, also accepts queries by mail.
The Writer magazine is written almost completely by freelancers.
ADDitude Magazine is written for children and adults dealing with ADD and other learning disorders.
The Saturday Evening Post accepts submissions by mail, including photos and feature articles.
Now there is nothing stopping you, start submitting! And don't give up just because your articles aren't a huge hit right away, just keep trying!
Newspapers are a good place to start since many of them use freelance writers for smaller pieces rather than paying the higher cost of employing more staff. Check with your local papers by sending the editor your resume and a few writing samples, you never know what could happen.
In my search for magazines that accept submissions from freelance writers, I concentrated mainly on magazines that I enjoy reading as well as magazines that focus on parenting. I came up with quite a few that I will be querying and wanted to share them with my readers to give them a place to start. Just click on the magazine names to view the submission guidelines.
Parents magazine accepts submissions through mail only.
Cat Fancy, a specialty magazine for cat enthusiasts, also accepts queries by mail.
The Writer magazine is written almost completely by freelancers.
ADDitude Magazine is written for children and adults dealing with ADD and other learning disorders.
The Saturday Evening Post accepts submissions by mail, including photos and feature articles.
Now there is nothing stopping you, start submitting! And don't give up just because your articles aren't a huge hit right away, just keep trying!
Monday, June 21, 2010
It's that time again!
Goal time, that is. I need to make some new goals and get back on track! I am inspired today because the words have just flowed like a fountain for me all day. And I ended the day taking the munchkins to vacation bible school at a friends church. Not only did they have a good time with other kids their ages, but I had a good time with my friend and met some other wonderful ladies as well. It has just been a good day!
There is less than two weeks left in this month, so it really doesn't make sense to set a large goal until a new month is started. But I do have several smaller goals that can be set now. I want to begin sending resumes and writing samples to at least 5 companies each week, preferably to print publications. I also want to spend more time working on my book, not daily, I know that is impossible, but at least several times a week.
And I want to be more productive and focused in my work. If every day went like my day did this morning, I could churn out a days worth of articles in a matter of hours and spend more time enjoying my munchkins and everything else that life has to offer.
But right now, my immediate goal is more than 3 hours of sleep, for once. And on that note, I am off to bed!
There is less than two weeks left in this month, so it really doesn't make sense to set a large goal until a new month is started. But I do have several smaller goals that can be set now. I want to begin sending resumes and writing samples to at least 5 companies each week, preferably to print publications. I also want to spend more time working on my book, not daily, I know that is impossible, but at least several times a week.
And I want to be more productive and focused in my work. If every day went like my day did this morning, I could churn out a days worth of articles in a matter of hours and spend more time enjoying my munchkins and everything else that life has to offer.
But right now, my immediate goal is more than 3 hours of sleep, for once. And on that note, I am off to bed!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thumbing Through Thoreau
"I am convinced, that if all men were to live as simply as I then did, thieving and robbery would be unknown." Henry David Thoreau
I recently read the book entitled Thumbing through Thoreau that was written by Kenny Luck. Mr. Luck has a fascination with Thoreau that I can easily understand. He was a fascinating man with enlightening ideas. His writings have become great favorites of mine, and many of my favorite quotes come directly from his books.
The book is a compilation of his quotes, separated into sections such as Government and love. I am a collector of quotes myself, but Kenny Luck has gathered quotes from Thoreau that I have never seen anywhere else other than his books. A lot of work must have gone into this book in order for it to so thoroughly cover so many quotes!
The beginning of the book shows the talent that Kenny Cook has for writing as he tells of his journey while compiling quotes. His description of a visit to Walden Pond was so vivid I could almost see the mist over the water, and I wished to be standing there myself, perhaps to write, as Thoreau did, or maybe to take a dip in the cool waters.
Some of my favorites from Thumbing Through Thoreau:
"It is astonishing, as well as sad, how many trivial affairs even the wisest man thinks he must attend to in a day."
"My pulse must beat with nature."
"Great thoughts make great men."
If you are a lover of quotes, I highly recommend reading this book! And if you are not fond of quotes, you have even more reason to read it. The quotes within will inspire you and change the way you view life.
I recently read the book entitled Thumbing through Thoreau that was written by Kenny Luck. Mr. Luck has a fascination with Thoreau that I can easily understand. He was a fascinating man with enlightening ideas. His writings have become great favorites of mine, and many of my favorite quotes come directly from his books.
The book is a compilation of his quotes, separated into sections such as Government and love. I am a collector of quotes myself, but Kenny Luck has gathered quotes from Thoreau that I have never seen anywhere else other than his books. A lot of work must have gone into this book in order for it to so thoroughly cover so many quotes!
The beginning of the book shows the talent that Kenny Cook has for writing as he tells of his journey while compiling quotes. His description of a visit to Walden Pond was so vivid I could almost see the mist over the water, and I wished to be standing there myself, perhaps to write, as Thoreau did, or maybe to take a dip in the cool waters.
Some of my favorites from Thumbing Through Thoreau:
"It is astonishing, as well as sad, how many trivial affairs even the wisest man thinks he must attend to in a day."
"My pulse must beat with nature."
"Great thoughts make great men."
If you are a lover of quotes, I highly recommend reading this book! And if you are not fond of quotes, you have even more reason to read it. The quotes within will inspire you and change the way you view life.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Jumping back in
After an unintentional long vacation from blogging, I am jumping back in with both feet...or at least attempting to! Life has a way of getting in your way and the hours in the day never stretch as far as they need to, so sometimes things on my daily to do list just keep getting readded to the list every day instead of completed.
There are so many things that I have wanted to blog about over the past few weeks that I don't even know where to start!
I will start with something useful...a short list of a few reputable places to find freelance work. I firmly believe that you can never have to many clients, that way if one falls through for some reason, you have more to fall back on. So here is a few:
Media Bistro
Online Writing Jobs
Writers Weekly
Absolute Write
Poe War
There are more, but these are good places to get started.
Summer is not a good season for writers...not this writer at least! The sun is calling me, and it is very persistent. I want to lay outside and bask in its rays. And I want to be in the water! It is hot, we have hovered at 100 degrees the past few days. I even went so far as to print out research for several articles last week and wrote them sitting in the sand watching my munchkins splash around in the river. In between articles, I splashed with them! It was a perfect day. I could easily live right there on that sand, coming home only to send in articles a few times a week. But for some reason my husband is against that idea.
I will never understand that man. ;)
I think I could finish my book, that invasive labor of love that keeps me awake at night begging for my attention, if I could just pitch a tent at the nearest body of water and stay there. Nothing but water, sun and my notebook. If I ever disappear, call off the search party...I am simply hiding away on a sand bar deep in the woods and I will return when I am done. Of course if I disappear in Winter, I am snuggled up in front of a fire in a tiny cabin in Asheville.
Speaking of reclusive writers....I will be reviewing a book of quotes from Henry David Thoreau on Friday. I not only have a passion for quotes, but I am also fascinated with Thoreau. What an enormous strength of character it must have taken to live without the most common conveniences of life, to hide yourself away from the world. I am really looking forward to Friday!
Ok, I am off to write a hunting article...I have never in my life hunted, and never will, so this should be interesting!
There are so many things that I have wanted to blog about over the past few weeks that I don't even know where to start!
I will start with something useful...a short list of a few reputable places to find freelance work. I firmly believe that you can never have to many clients, that way if one falls through for some reason, you have more to fall back on. So here is a few:
Media Bistro
Online Writing Jobs
Writers Weekly
Absolute Write
Poe War
There are more, but these are good places to get started.
Summer is not a good season for writers...not this writer at least! The sun is calling me, and it is very persistent. I want to lay outside and bask in its rays. And I want to be in the water! It is hot, we have hovered at 100 degrees the past few days. I even went so far as to print out research for several articles last week and wrote them sitting in the sand watching my munchkins splash around in the river. In between articles, I splashed with them! It was a perfect day. I could easily live right there on that sand, coming home only to send in articles a few times a week. But for some reason my husband is against that idea.
I will never understand that man. ;)
I think I could finish my book, that invasive labor of love that keeps me awake at night begging for my attention, if I could just pitch a tent at the nearest body of water and stay there. Nothing but water, sun and my notebook. If I ever disappear, call off the search party...I am simply hiding away on a sand bar deep in the woods and I will return when I am done. Of course if I disappear in Winter, I am snuggled up in front of a fire in a tiny cabin in Asheville.
Speaking of reclusive writers....I will be reviewing a book of quotes from Henry David Thoreau on Friday. I not only have a passion for quotes, but I am also fascinated with Thoreau. What an enormous strength of character it must have taken to live without the most common conveniences of life, to hide yourself away from the world. I am really looking forward to Friday!
Ok, I am off to write a hunting article...I have never in my life hunted, and never will, so this should be interesting!
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