In the beginning of our writing careers, most freelance writers shamelessly accept any assignments we can get. The title of my blog as I was building my career was “Anything that Pays.” Of course, it was tongue-in-cheek. Pretty much.

Now, I’m able to turn down assignments, or even break away from clients I feel I’ve outgrown.
Or ones that don’t pay well enough.
Or when they say they will.

It’s nothing against them, personally, but I deserve better and I’m finally in a position to expect it.  I know that even if I turn down a job, something else will come along.
And that has happened.

Every time that I’ve turned down a new client or cut someone loose, I received a new offer or assignment within hours, for equal or greater pay. Often, it’s more interesting work than what I left behind. That gives me the confidence to continue being more careful about the work I accept.

In some cases, the client “break-up” didn’t end well. In others, I feel very good about how we left off.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m going to continue the relationship analogy with four ways to “break up” with a client. Some will work for romantic relationships, too. Others? Not so much.

1. “It’s not you, it’s me.”

This line isn’t condescending  if you explain it properly. I flubbed this one big-time with one client. I started to use this tactic, explaining I had outgrown the blog and am moving on to better paying jobs. But, I took it too far.

I insulted the content. I implied the blog wasn’t worth my time. I boasted about the “better work” I  had. I may have said it was “me,” not them… but they heard, “It’s not you, it’s me. I’m too good to work for your blog.” Ouch. You can learn from my mistake. When you use this line, truly accept the responsibility, and leave it at that.

2. “I just don’t have the time to devote to this relationship to make it the best it can be. If I can’t give my best, it’s time I step down.”

When you’re overworked, you can’t produce your best. Most clients will understand and respect that.

3. “I want to pursue other opportunities.”

This could mean better paying or more interesting gigs. It could also mean “opportunities to work for someone who’s not a psychopath.” The clients doesn’t need to know that. This exit line is polite, to the point, and leaves little room for questions.

4. “I can’t, but I recommend…”

This one might not work for a relationship break-up. “Hey, this isn’t working out, but I know you always said my friend Jane was cute…”  No.

Most times, though, clients appreciate the referral. If they liked your work, they will trust your recommendation. Passing a job that isn’t right for you to another writer brings good karma. Truly, everyone wins.

It takes guts and confidence to turn down work that isn’t right for you or to walk away from an unsatisfying relationship, romantic, professional or otherwise.

But remember, when you let go of something you don’t want in your life, you are sending a powerful message to the Universe that you are ready to accept more of what you do want.

How important are relationships to your freelance writing business? If your business is anything like mine word-of-mouth accounts for up to 80% of your paid commissions so building relationships is vital. Meeting new people is important but it is just as, if not more, important to develop and reinforce the relationships you’ve already established. Is strengthening your working relationships one of your goals for 2010?

Writing a recommendation or testimonial is an effective way to boost morale and deepen a professional relationship. If you value the professional courtesy and service you’ve received one of the simplest ways to give back is by recommending that individual to others. A recommendation or testimonial for a job well done creates a lasting impression. People remember you for saying something encouraging and positive.

“Who are the people you most value professionally? Do they know it? More importantly, do others know? In a perfect world, we would all proactively make sure that the people who have earned our trust and respect knew it, and that others knew it as well.” ~ Adam Nash

Write A LinkedIn Recommendation

One of the reasons I love building my network of LinkedIn freelancers is because, as a community, we are encouraging and positive. No matter what level of the industry we stand on there are others around us who support our business and want us to succeed.

On LinkedIn we have an opportunity to connect with new friends or colleagues. We can create a new impression on people we’ve worked with in the past, see what our associates are doing now, find professionals to work with on new projects, and reconnect with talented minds to deepen relationships. But how many of these connections will think of you if they need to hire a writer? What sort of relationship have you developed with your connections?

Writing a LinkedIn Recommendation is easy and it’s one of the most effective ways to put your name on the lips of the person you recommend. It is important to be honest about your experience with that person but every interaction we have with another individual offers us insight into their professional atmosphere. Think about the other writer’s amongst your LinkedIn connections… Have you enjoyed a post or article they’ve written? Have you read their latest book? Have you used them as a source for something you’ve written? Have you interacted with them via social media? Have you been touched by their experience? In what way has that person affected you positively?

“Be aware that the person you’re writing the recommendation for is looking for your words to help act as leverage with a prospective new business partner.” ~ Chris Brogan

Get Started Now! I’d love to connect with you on LinkedIn and exchange recommendations in our quest to get to know each other better. A special shout-out goes to the five wonderful ladies (Michele L. Tune, Mysti Guymon-Reutlinger, Kimberlee Ferrell, Hope Wilbanks, and Jenn Greenleaf) who have recommended me in the past!

#FollowFriday on Twitter

Perhaps the quickest and easiest way to say, “This person is great” is to join the #FollowFriday trend on Twitter. Every Friday, Twitter enthusiasts offer up name after name of fellow tweeters they recommend. I suggest adding a few words about WHY you recommend a particular Twitter user because I like to know why “I” should follow them. But even if you don’t offer any detail, just taking a moment each Friday to name-drop is a rewarding way to let those you admire know they offer value in your life.

“The idea is to think of interesting people you already follow and recommend them to others.” ~ Micah Baldwin

Not only is this a great way to show your support and respect for the people you follow on Twitter but it is also an opportunity to grow your following. You recommend your friends to others and they recommend people you might be interested in getting to know. Writers are constantly recommending fellow writers on #FollowFriday and your recommendation can lead you into further Twitter discussion with your personal Twitterati.

Get Started Now! Follow me on Twitter and join the #FollowFriday craze.

Testimonials, Endorsements, and Reviews

Twitter’s #FollowFriday and LinkedIn’s Recommendations are all about WHO. But another way to build relationships is to share the WHAT. That is where testimonials, endorsements, and reviews carry the most weight. On Writer’s Round-About we have a whole category dedicated to Reviews and Reviewing. If you’ve read a fantastic book, watched an entertaining movie, used an effective tool, or purchased a quality product you can build a relationship with the creator by writing a recommendation of their product.

You can even recommend content you find online by sharing a link. Use bookmarking and sharing tools available on most blogs. Take a moment to thumbs up on your StumbleUpon Toolbar. Use your favorite social media networks to spread the word about what you’re loving online. Write reviews for blogs, send testimonials in to website owners, add your reviews to sites like Amazon, etc.

And you can do this with anything at all. People talk about the food they love to eat, the gadgets they want to buy, the brands they love to use. These simple recommendations develop relationship, not just with the creators of the products you recommend but with the people you are recommending them to. If I’m looking to buy a new game console I’ll remember how much you raved about your Wii.

Get Started Now! Have you used a product or read a book that has helped you be a better writer? I’d love to take this opportunity to invite you to submit your review to WRA. Tell others what you think and share your recommendation with WRA’s readers.

A Final Word: Recommendations in Reverse

One final thing to remember is that recommendations work in reverse. If you feel a product fails to live up to expectations, a practice is shady, or a person has falsely presented themselves you can say so. Act with integrity, be honest and forthright. A balanced review will have more weight with readers than a biased one but you should avoid sounding trite or petty.

Remember: What you say about others says a lot about you.

Writing recommendations is a fantastic way to develop relationships with others and there are lots of ways you can express your opinions. Who has added value to your life? How do you show your appreciation? What have you done today to strengthen your business relationships? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments!



Is it a novel or a book of writing tips?

It’s both actually, if you want it to be.  On her website, the author says it came out of “discussions I had with my mother”.  So it is about a writer and her mother, but also about a creative writing class.  Since Breen herself has taught such a class, parts of it are autobiographical, although she declares there is a lot of fiction woven in.

“Susan Breen has written a beautiful and inspiring story with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. Read it! There are so many layers to this book, you’ll find something that touches you or inspires you.” ~ Mary Evelyn Lewis at Virtual Wordsmith

The story is structured around the nine weekly classes and what happens in between them.  The sections on the classes are numbered sequentially, but they are interspersed with numbered chapters, so Chapter One comes after First Class, and is followed by Second Class.  Another element enters the structure part way through, but it would spoil the story to tell you about that in this review.

The writing tips fall out of the description of the classes.  In the first class, the teacher tells her students they will find it easier to start writing if they pick subjects that are important to them.  I love the way she expresses it: “Write about the thing that sets up a commotion in your mind, and you will find that the words come flowing.”  That’s one of the great things about this book.  Many aspects of writing may be familiar, but the language used to explain them is unique and wonderful.

Each class ends with an assignment that the students have to complete before the next, and the assignment follows the book section that describes the class.  For aspiring writers or blocked writers, these assignments alone could be helpful as prompts to get them going.

“This is a delightful first novel written with genuine wit and personality.” ~ Dennis Lythgoe at Deseret News

The first sections also include a brilliant demonstration of how to show your readers what your characters are like.  The main characters in this novel are the teacher and the students of the writing class, plus the teacher’s mother and her carers.

In Chapter One, after the class the teacher visits the nursing home where her mother wants to hear all about it.  The story of their relationship forms a backdrop to the classes, or it could be the other way around, depending on your point of view.  There is also a little love interest, so this book could appeal to quite a wide readership.

But writers, or aspiring writers, will certainly take away lots of writing tips from the class sections.  The section called Second Class discusses characters and what to do with them once the initial ideas for them have germinated – how to make them come alive on the page.  Third class concentrates on plot, the narrative arc, the inciting incident and the climactic scene.  (If you want to know what all that is about, you need to read this book.)

The fourth, fifth and sixth classes cover points of view, description and descriptive language, and dialogue.  In the sections on the final three classes you can learn, or revise, pacing, theme and voice – not active and passive, but the author’s voice that makes each one different from every other.

After reading this book, we should have no trouble writing our own novels.

And interspersed with all these tips and guidance are some hilarious goings-on, plus a very touching story about a mother/daughter relationship developing into a greater understanding and affection, through the medium of language and learning to write.

“Susan Breen teaches fiction classes for Gotham Writers’ Workshop in Manhattan. Her stories have been published by a number of literary magazines, among them American Literary Review and North Dakota Quarterly. She lives in Irvington, NY with her husband, children, two dogs and a cat. In her free time, which she has none of, she likes to read.” ~ From SusanjBreen.com

Freelance writers rely on their computers almost exclusively, and with good reason. With blogging, clients from around the world, and amazing computer programs, writing on the computer is streamlined and effortless. Nothing could go wrong, no?

Danger, Writer, Danger!

Today, I had to do a complete wipe of my computer. I’ll spare you the details, but the problem ate up 24 hours of my time and all my favorite programs, saved passwords, and documents. Everything was gone.

Now, I did have some of my files saved to disk, but I hadn’t made an effort to backup my computer regularly. I’m not even sure what was saved and what wasn’t. Programs are easy enough to find and download again, but it is incredibly time consuming. Passwords aren’t too much trouble for me, but I know I’ll have to search through my email archive to find a few!

Make a Writer’s Emergency Preparedness Plan

Although no one plans on having their computer crash on them, it does happen. So do dead laptop batteries, failed disc drives, and overloaded website servers. To make the most of an incredibly frustrating situation, you need an emergency plan that can cover most of your tracks while you offline.

Here are a few of the things I wish I had done:

• Schedule computer maintenance regularly. Defragmenting your hard drive is certainly not the most glorious part of being a freelancer. Yet a properly functioning computer can avoid many common pitfalls. Most computers allow you to schedule computer maintenance tasks, so it can be running in your sleep if you prefer. There are also programs available to help you through the process.
• Backup your files. Anything that you want to see again needs to be backed up in some fashion. You can burn CDs regularly for personal files, or use an online backup utility that can work in the background. Your personal work is something you cannot get back, so just do it! You could even create a disc that holds all of your program install files, so you don’t have to search the whole internet to find them again.
• Create an emergency writing schedule. While your computer is being troubleshooted by your local neighborhood tech guy, you can still be writing. Have an idea of what needs to be done, and just write away in a notebook. Mark where you need to fact check online, and just go right on past it. You may have a lot of editing ahead of you, but you are still making progress!
• Have an alternate way to get online. Your local library, wi-fi connection, or even your cell phone can send messages to clients if needed. You can also connect with your writing friends, to see if they are available to help you out.

You Could Be Next – Knock on Wood!

No one expects this to happen to them, until it does. To preserve all of your hard work, create a plan to keep your files backed up and available for use at any place, any time.

Do you have a computer horror story? What emergency preparations have you made as a writer? Let’s put our heads together to prevent this from happening to anyone else!

Photo Credit: Dumbledad

Writing is like weaving
– from the beginning
to the end!

Our words glide across the page and then we hit enter and move down. We scroll back up and take note of what we’ve written; we scroll back down and finish our thoughts. We move all across the page: up, down, back and forth – all the while we are weaving a story. The pieces, colors, and vibrant picture are moving vividly through our mind, body, and soul.

As we gaze intensely at the computer screen – or our notebook – we are filling the blank page with words, ideas, wisdom, information; we are filling the blank page with our heart and soul.

Some of you weave with dark yarns (aka words), smearing mystical creatures, blood-spilled mysteries, and murderous intent on to the blank page. Others splash colorful hues of passion-filled romance, wild and dangerous affairs, and tug at the hearts of those craving love (or lust!) – leaving them satisfied, yet yearning for more. And there are those of us who choose to share inspiration, motivation, encouragement, and non-fiction information that will leave the reader a little wiser – and more optimistic- than they came.

We writers purge not only our creative minds with our readers, but our hearts as well. We ultimately give the world a piece of ourselves in every page, every word, every article, story, or book. With every word we type (or write), we are weaving…

Weaving When Words Won’t Wake

1. Begin at the end and weave your way back. If the first words won’t come to you for the beginning of your story, think about how you want the piece to end.
2. Start with the title. Take a few minutes to find a working title. Think about what you want to say in your piece and create a title from those ideas.
3. Jump in to the middle. Who says you have to start at the beginning – or even the end? Throw yourself in to the middle of the story and weave your way up and back down (or vice-versa)!
4. Go easy on yourself and weave an outline. Sometimes you need an outline. I find them especially helpful on most of my work.
5. Take a break and create a Wordle. They’re fun, and they’re sure to help you get your weave on!

There aren’t any rules set in stone of how you should weave your stories. Words usually come naturally if you nurture your creativity and treat your body well. Yes, there are dry spells in every writer’s life at some point, but if you follow the tips above, it will help you find inspiration once again.

Your work will be much richer, much more beautiful, if you allow yourself to be vulnerable enough that your heart and soul bleeds in to each and every word you weave.

Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.

How do you weave your words? Similar to me, or different? Do you apply any of these techniques to your own writing? Do you have any weaving tips to share with us? We’d love to hear from you; please join in – or start – the conversation!

Reference: Wordle.net

So many writers find themselves pushing too hard and getting nowhere. After all, many of us began freelancing to escape office politics and spend more time with our families. So why work yourself harder than any employer would?

After beating my head against the proverbial wall for a long time, I finally realized that I couldn’t force myself to write, even if I kept a strict schedule and eliminated all distractions. So I began to treat myself better, with writing rituals that are fun and encourage productivity instead of demanding it.

Tracking My Writing With Stickers

Yes, stickers. Usually found on third grade spelling papers, the simple gold star or thumbs up sticker is a major motivator for me. I reward myself after I’ve completed each writing task of the day, which for me is a list of articles and blog posts.

Here’s my sticker tracking process:

• Ditch the to-do list. Anything time related is scheduled in as an appointment. For my other projects, I check my email and other online “inboxes” to determine what needs to be written that day.
• Grab a notebook. For me, it’s an inexpensive red journal. I write in today’s date and quick abbreviations of the titles I’m working on. I also jot down any notes about my day, whether I’ve woken up with a headache or I have an appointment to remember.
• Turn on the tunes. My MP3 player is the best gift I’ve given myself! Having a stream of my favorite music playing blocks out the rest of the world and gives me additional focus. (One earphone is out if the kids are awake!)
• Light a candle. This provides my visual focus, along with a quick break from staring at the computer screen all day. You could easily substitute a family photo or vision board to inspire you as well.
• Set a timer. A timer provides instant motivation as I race to see how fast I can complete my articles. I use a free program, but a kitchen timer works just as well. I set mine to one hour, and I’m off!
• Track the results. After each article, I check my timer, write down my time, and choose a sticker. I have made progress, even if it’s just one article, and I deserve a mini-reward! (Plus stickers are terribly cute!)

This is my ideal way to progress through my writing day. I can flip through my notebook, and instantly see how productive I was by how many stickers I’ve collected. If a day didn’t go so well, I can read my notes and see what happened.

Benefits of Creating Your Own Writing Rituals

Obviously, my writing ritual may not be right for you. So I encourage you to create your own rituals, to ease into your writing day. You will reap many rewards by treating yourself right, and encouraging the muse to visit from time to time.

• Increased productivity. If you do the same things daily, you will develop good writing habits, and naturally speed up as you write. Your mind will know when it’s time to work, and when you put your accouterments away, your mind will know when to rest.
• Peace of mind. You don’t have a boss standing over your shoulder, expecting you to be productive. You certainly don’t want to become that kind of boss either! You can rest easy knowing that you are still getting things done, in a manner that is customized to your working style and is not stress-inducing in itself.
• Enjoy your writing. Although we all love writing, there are days where the act of writing is not fun. Even when it seems that pulling teeth would be easier than pulling words out of your brain, you can give yourself small rewards to keep yourself going.
• Embrace your competitive nature. Without co-workers, many of us have no measuring stick to compare ourselves to. If you track your progress, you can compete with yourself to get “just one more” article done, or cut down your time by “just five minutes”.

Do you already have writing rituals? Share them here. Planning to make your own rituals? Bring your ideas to the table.

Photo Credit: Love Janine