2008 was a delightful year!

I bought a content business, AllCustomContent.com, from a client and had the experience of managing a fantastic group of writers, editors, and transcriptionists and working with fabulous clients.  This new adventure meant pulling my attention away from my original writing business which focused on writing ebooks and reports for business owners.

It took some time but I’ve managed to outsource the majority of tasks, leaving me time to write. Focus on your strenghts, right?!

In addition to again working on building my AMB-Creative client base, I’ve decided to narrow my focus to self improvement topics - specifically spirituality topics and fitness.

To really make this an important part of my new year I posted an intention - I intend to use my writing skills and knowledge to help others improve their lives.  I intend to gain new clients whose business is based on these same concepts - to help others improve their lives.

Upon posting this intention, I received three new clients who focus on personal training and spiritual growth.  I can’t wait to begin working with them and am looking forward to strong relationships and feeling good about the content I put out into the world.

Happy New Year!

The short answer to the question is NO. However, sometimes it takes a little time to know what’s right.

Twice this month I’ve been presented with situations where my instincts said to run the other direction and in a deeply buried desire to please I shoved aside my instincts and tried to help.  The first situation was merely a client wanting/expecting a product we simply don’t deliver.  That was conveyed to him and we moved forward.  The end result was an unhappy client and an unhappy writer:-)  While it’s nice to be able to do everything - specialize in something and stick to it even if it means that you simply cannot help someone.

The second situation occurred when a prospect asked me to create content which was for all intents and purposes EXACTLY like another website’s content.  Of course she wanted the headlines changed and the wording altered but my conscience yelled plagiarism.  Rather than run for the hills, I inquired about the ownership of this content and proper sourcing and was told that of course she didn’t own the content.  I proceeded to write content based on the ideas represented in the website she wished to emulate but also used other sources and steered clear of copying their format and their ideas.  Needless to say that wasn’t what she wanted.  She wanted a plagiarised version of exactly what the referenced website portrayed.

Now it’s back out time, right?  At the best she’s completely ignorant of plagiarism laws.  At the worst - she knows what she’s doing and is hiring a ghostwriter to do it to avoid any liability.  After all she didn’t write the content!

Besides - writing integrity is important to me.

I politely told her that I write ORIGINAL content and that fact is stated all over my initial email communications with her and that I wasn’t the right person for her project.  I also promptly refunded her the deposit she made on her content. Not the ideal situation for her, and I feel bad about that because the back and forth process ate up about 5 days of her time but I could not in good conscience complete the job.  I’m sure she’ll find another writer and the mean side of me hopes she gets caught for copyright infringement but all in all I’m glad I’ve washed my hands of this client.

Lesson learned?

To triple check before I take on ANY project and if my gut is niggling at me to pass on a project - LISTEN TO IT!  And to lock that people pleasing side of me in a deep dark closet.  She’s not helping things:-)

So…what lessons have you learned by not listing to your instincts?

“He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.”

-Confucius

As the news of the economy continues to cause unrest and downright panic many of us fail to see this golden opportunity to step up to the plate and give back to our community.

Today I ran to the grocery to grab a loaf of bread to go with our roast.  Outside the grocery the local high school cheerleaders were collecting food for our community homeless shelter.  It seems with the current economy, or at least the news about our current economy, fewer people are donating.  Sad really when we have so much and so many people are not scraping by - they’re starving, homeless, and in need of our help.

It struck me as odd that at a time when we who can do something to help others are instead hunkering down and preparing for the worst.  I understand that people are scared but this is the time to step up and do what you can to help people in your community.  When the chips are down, that’s when we show our true colors.

I know we can’t all afford to fill a shopping bag with food to donate however we can all do something and we can step up to the plate and continue to help both when times are bad and when times are good.

I’m a structured person with a fairly regimented routine.  However, lately I’m wondering if this routine is holding me back a little.  If I’m too dependent on it.  If it’s inefficient and unfocused.

I was converting a transcript into a workbook for a client the other day and read this suggestion from the interviewee - do everything you hate to do before 10:00am.  The reasoning behind the suggestion was that you would have the rest of the day to be productive.

Right now here’s how my day typically goes:

6:30-9:00am Respond to email, create task list for day and get girls off to school.

9:00-10:00 Recover from the craziness of the morning and prioritize task list

10:00-11:00 Start working on most pressing project

11:00-1:00 Continue working on most pressing project

1:00 - 3:00 Check and respond to email, manage project delivery and any administrative tasks. Write and schedule blogs.

3:00-6:00 Hang with children, drive them to their corresponding activities and get dinner together.

6:00-9:00 Continue any writing projects and respond to any email message I’ve been avoiding.

Pretty scattered, right?

I think, in order to be more productive and perhaps a bit more energetic I’m going to try the ‘things you hate before 10:00am thing’ which means my new schedule will look like this:

6-10 Email, get kids to school, delivery projects and admin tasks.  Workout.

10-3 Work on pressing writing projects

3-6 hang with family, clean, household and family errands/chores

6-9 Enjoy life and work on fiction work in progress.

This schedule still affords me the same amount of writing time while at the same time I’m able to focus all the admin related tasks into one segment each morning.

We’ll see how it goes.  The highlight of this new schedule is that I will have time each day/night to work on my fiction work in progress - particularly important since NaNoWriMo is coming up quickly.

For those of you who’ve been freelancing for quite some time you’ve likely gone through the stages - much like a teenager growing into adulthood.

Here they are as I see them:

Stage 1 - Elementary school - completely thrilled with any client that comes your way and willing to do whatever it takes to please them.

Stage 2 - Junior high - my clients are stupid, they don’t know what they’re talking about and while I still REALLY want to please them, I”m not going to be happy about it.

Stage 3 - High school - maybe I don’t need to please everyone.  Perhaps it’s better to please the clients whom I work well with and let the other ones find a more compatible service provider.  Though - I’m still likely to make some mistakes and work with clients who make me react like I’m in Junior High.

Stage 4 - Adulthood - You can’t please everyone every time and though I’m going to put 100% of myself into my work, I’m not going to let the difficult clients get to me.  I’m doing my very best, I’m professional and reasonable and ‘this too will pass.’

I’ve been at stage 4 for years and thought I was handling my business in a very ‘adult’ manner.  I have a wonderful client list and a fantastic support team.  However, I realized last night after a week of tremendous ups and downs that I’m tired of the seesaw.  The difficult projects still get to me though only for a few minutes however, the ups are just as exhausting.

Stage 5…In order to achieve a sense of inner calm and contentment in our daily lives, the good has to have the same limited effect on you as the bad.  You can’t stay on a high for three days becasue a client loves your  work just like you can’t stay on a down for any lenght of time becasue you missed the mark with a project.  The final stage in freelancing is - enlightenment.

It’s the stage where you’re happy to be working, loving what you do for a living and at the same time not letting the ups and downs that the freelancing life has to offer affect you or how you do your job.  It’s a tough stage, each day offers new challenges.  Each day presents opportunities to pat yourself on the back and each day offers the potential for a dissatisfied client.  The key to remember is that each day offers us the opportunity to control our reactions to both situations - to remain calm and to not let others affect our disposition, our level of contentment.

Of all the stages this one, I’m assuming it’s the final stage, offers the most challenge and the most reward.

What freelancing stage are you in?  How do you remain unaffected by both the ups and downs of not just freelancing but owning a business?

One of the things I absolutely love about being a writer is the ability to learn about so many different industries, subjects, hobbies and so on.  I mean I’ve learned about everything from how to train a bird to play dead to how to choose point of sale software for your retail store.

Sometimes however the content hits too close to home.

Today I’m wrapping up an article on Alzheimer’s symptoms.  Simple enough, right?  Not so much.  Alzheimer’s and Dementia is entrenched deep in my family’s history - both sides of my family.  I recently lost an aunt to it and she was in her mid 50’s.  It scares the *&^# out of me.

I’m reading about the symptoms and cringing.  Not the basic forgetfulness that we all occasionally suffer from but the truly strange things that happen and we’ve no idea why.  Last month I walked to the mailbox twice in the same day.  Innocent forgetfulness?  I hope so!

All fear and anxieties set aside, writing about topics that hit close to home is difficult for me on a good day.  The content often feels muddled and emotional - sometimes I’m able to pull it off with resounding success.  Other times… not so much.

While some people excel at writing about topics close to home, I prefer new and fresh topics - where I can place myself in the reader’s shoes and learn right along with them.

However as I continue to grow, I’m finding more and more topics become familiar and personal.  I’ve found no tricks or strategies to set the personal connections aside other than to dive in and do my best.  I’ve also found it a good idea to leave plenty of time between writing and delivering that way if the first, second, and even third draft need reworking there’s time to make it happen.

What do you do when writing gets personal?  Do you thrive on it or struggle for clarity?

5 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block

Writer’s block attacks for different reasons.  For me, it’s typically because I’ve been writing for days and days and days and I just need a mental break or like yesterday - my schedule is different and the normal routine I follow is absent.

Here are a few tricks I try to kick my writing brain into action:

• Outline instead of writing.  Outlining takes the pressure off and it’s still productive.  It allows you to work through your content without the pressure of actually creating something.  And it stimulates your brain to begin thinking about writing.

• Read.  I keep a file of email newsletters, blog posts, and messages in a file I’ve labeled “To Read Soon” - creative title right?!  Anyway, when I’m feeling sluggish, I’ll dive into these messages.  They’re educational, they often spur creative thought and once the wheels are turning the writing can begin.

• Change of venue.  If the kitchen table isn’t working, the home office isn’t working, and the back patio isn’t working head out of the house.  I have a mental list of about 6 coffee shops I like to visit and somehow just getting out of the “office” will stimulate creativity.

• Give it up and go for a walk.  Sometimes the most mundane activities are the best for tapping into your creative side.  I cannot tell you how often great ideas for a client’s article will come to mind while I’m folding laundry, doing the dishes or driving down the street.  Let it go and it will flow.

• Attack the project in nibbles.  If it’s a large project often times the writer’s block is based in a sense of being overwhelmed.  Rather than trying to complete the entire project, set smaller goals.  Write the introduction one day, the first chapter the next and so on.  Skip around if necessary and write whatever feels easier that day.

Writer’s block isn’t anything to stress about.  In fact, the more you try to fight it, the worse it will get.  Instead, work with your writer’s block.  Embrace it and let it go.  I

I LOVE what I do.  Even if I didn’t get paid for it, I would write every day.  I am, however, lucky enough to make a nice living writing and I have the added benefit of being able to be there for my two girls. I send them off to school, I’m here when they get home and they get the benefits of having a parent present while I have the benefit of doing what I love - it’s a great life.

That being said, there are some pitfalls of writing from home.  When you’re aware of them, you can be prepared.  If you’re not, they sneak up on you and wreak havoc with your wonderful life.

Pitfall #1  Distractions.  Television, phone calls, chores, pets, email you name it, it’s very easy to be distracted when a boss isn’t looking over your shoulder.  Sisters who know you’re home call, text and email during the day.  Loving spouses call, text and email and children think it’s okay to forget their lunch or homework because mom’s only five minutes away.  Not to mention the pets who want your attention, the dirty kitchen, the laundry that’s piling up and the twitter posts that are begging for your response.

The solution:  Create a distraction free environment.  Schedule your day.  I respond to email from 6:30-7:00 in the morning and then again in the evenings when I’m sitting on the couch watching TV.  I set aside two times to check twitter feeds each day, at lunch and first thing in the morning.  Schedule breaks - I write for an hour or two and then take a 15-20 minute break and I take a lunch.  If the writing is going well, I continue on into the afternoon.  If I’m hitting roadblocks then I work on business planning for my businesses or work on that novel in progress.

Pitfall #2  Too much food.  When you’re working at the kitchen table or the local coffee shop food is all around you.  Yikes, it’s easy to eat all day long, especially when your focus is on what you’re writing and not what you’re putting in your mouth.  My solution has been to buy healthy snacks and to make sure I eat a real lunch.

Pitfall #3  Insideritis.  Too much time inside, not enough fresh air and exercise.  Again, I know I’m starting to sound rigid but schedule time to get outside.  Even if it’s as simple as walking your child to school or taking the dog for a zip around the neighborhood.  Fresh air is good for creativity and mental health.

It never fails, someone asks the “what do you do” question and as soon as they hear “I’m a writer” I hear two things:
“I have a great idea for a book” - Of course you do, write it and stop talking about it or hire someone to write it.   We all have books inside us, I believe that.  We all have stories, experiences, and knowledge to share.  I’m glad you have a book you’re excited to write - write it.  I’m sorry, I know that isn’t empathetic but I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions or Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda comments.  If you want to do something - do it!

Here’s the other comment I often receive:

“Oh how wonderful to be able to work at home in your pajamas.”

I don’t work in my pajamas and you shouldn’t either.  For me, to be both productive and creative, I have to be dressed.  I’m talking about teeth brushed, face washed, hair combed and real clothes on.  Not leisure suits or yoga pants but real clothes.  No, I don’t wear a suit and sit in my office writing, that would be weird, but I do make myself presentable so that if I spontaneously decide to head out or gasp, someone comes to the door, I’m not looking like a schlumpadink.

My advice, if you want to work from home and be productive and professional, it starts with your morning routine.  Brush your teeth and get dressed - it sets your day up for success.

What about you, do you often hear the same comments from people when you tell them what you do?  Do you have a book inside you?  Do you work in your pajamas successfully?

Have you ever run out of something to say/write on a particular subject?

One of the problems of developing a writing niche is that you can become completely apathetic to the topic you’re an ‘expert’ on.  So what do you do when you’ve lost your ambition to write about a subject which used to excite you?

Couple of options:

Outsource the content projects  you receive with this topic.  This is of course only an option if:

• Your clients are aware you’re outsourcing the content
• You have other means of generating income.  If you rely solely on writing on this single topic then outsourcing will result in a huge chunk out of your income.  However, if you’re able to increase the scale of your business then you may be able to bring in the same income without writing a word. Hmm…food for thought, right?

The other option, as I see it, is to broaden your horizons.  That is to say, develop a new niche.  This means you may have to suck it up for a while and continue writing on that same old subject while you create your new niche writing business.

You could also take a break, join a freelance job board and take on writing projects with unique topics, or look outward for change - by this I mean take a class, join a group and generally just get out more.  Sometimes when you add something new and exciting to your life, it makes everything feel shinier, even those writing projects which usually leave you feeling numb.

If you’re solely a writer then consider broadening your business.  Write and sell an ebook on your niche industry.  Offer coaching.  Offer an online course.

The last option is to find a mentor in your niche area.  Surely you don’t know everything there is to know about your niche industry.  Surely there is someone who knows more.  Seek them, ask questions, learn and share your new knowledge with your clients.

I have the good fortune to have a variety of clients each with their own unique market and industry.  When I become “fatigued” and find myself simply saying the same old thing over and over again, I do outsource the work but my clients are aware of this and they know every piece of content receives the same quality attention from me before it is delivered.  This frees my time to pursue topics I’m excited about and maintains my enthusiasm for writing.  It’s a win win.

How do you handle topics you’re plumb tired of writing on?  Do you grit your teeth and do your best or pass on it and get a day job?  Share your story!