“I soon found out you can’t change the world.  The best you can do is to learn to live with it.” — Henry Miller

Life is pretty chaotic for freelancers, isn’t it? I mean, besides the fact that there’s the whole family-work balance act going on, there’s also the work-cyber surfing thing.

First, let’s chat about real life.

Everything from family obligations to friends to extra jobs to emergencies to broken appliances and everything in-between calls us away from what we do: freelance work.

Since freelancers work from home, most people assume we’re always available for their beckon call. Granted, a lot of times these things are important and we really should tend to them, many times people just want a babysitter or gofer and think you’re it.

This isn’t tag. Remember that game?

Anyway, real life is chaotic. Cars need maintenance. Appointments need to be kept for family members — or ourselves! It never seems to end. And it won’t.

That’s why we freelancers are good at what we do: we adapt. Right? Right!

Now, let’s talk about cyber space.

Maybe there are tons of freelancers who don’t have a problem with getting lost in cyber space. Perhaps you turn your computer on, focus on research, write articles until quitting time and repeat the next day. I know quite a few who have a little trouble being that disciplined, though.

Why? There’s social media, an endless sea of awesome blogs and websites to read, games to play, and then there’s that thing called e-mail most of us find ourselves checking a gazillion times a day so we can keep our inbox whittled down to an e-mail count that won’t overwhelm us (like it does when you don’t check it a gazillion times a day!).

Just because you stimulate (aka relax!) your brain with social media, Internet reading breaks, or even play games doesn’t mean you’re a deadbeat.

And the balancing war

It’s all about balance, isn’t it? Moderation is key. A little social media, e-mail here and there, a game to reward yourself, getting up-to-date on your favorite blog once that assignment is half-way complete — all these things are stepping stones (read: resting spots so you can keep your sanity intact).

Being too hard on ourselves isn’t the answer. If you never take a break or allow ourselves the pleasure of reading a blog (or whatever it is that you find appealing) then you might grow weary.

Being a weary freelancer is no fun. You don’t have to shirk all your responsibilities and become a cyber beach bum but you certainly don’t have to deprive yourself of cyber fun either.

How do you win the war? What’s your secret to balancing real life, cyber life, and freelance work? Are you a stickler for pressing through even though you’re feeling burnt out and need a break? Or do you visit the social media water coolers or play games and then go back to your work once you’ve rested your mind from writing? Do you check your e-mail continuously? What works for you?

Photo Credit: svilen001

Quote Credit: Quote Garden

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Take time to stop and smell the roses….

How many times have you heard this in your lifetime from family, friends – or even your doctor?

Life is so busy, so hectic. If the phone isn’t ringing, someone’s at the door. Meals need to be prepared; laundry and dishes demand attention. Appointments beckon. Shopping won’t do itself – so many chores, so much to do, so little time.

Don’t let this depress you. Life will always be busy. That’s just a given. There will always be something else you could be doing while you’re tending the task at hand.

When the sun sets each evening and our to-do list is already growing for the next day, it is easy to feel pulled in a gazillion directions. As we live our busy lives, darting to and fro and fulfilling obligations, assignments, and scratching items off our lists, our muse can become lost.

How can we hear the inspiration through all the chaos? Oh, we can strain our ears until we hear the faintest musings. But is that good enough – really?

Hearing through the stresses of day-to-day life can be nearly impossible. Even if we manage to struggle enough to squeeze out decent work, do the words flow like they once did? Do sentences, paragraphs, stories weave seamlessly?

5 Reasons to Stop and Smell the Roses

1. Clear mind. If you never allow your mind to be quiet, you’ll get burnt out – and fast. Even if you manage to push yourself for a long time, why would you? There’s nothing better than tamed thoughts, still moments.
2. Health. It isn’t healthy to go, go, go all the time without a moment to catch your breath. Your body can only go so far, do so much. And without a strong, healthy body, how do you expect to maintain – or start a freelance career?
3. Inspiration. With a clear mind and healthy body, your muse will have an open pathway through your vessel, she can dance in the idea waterfall. This means words and ideas will literally come and flow like a river through your entire being, and purge themselves onto your paper or keyboard.
4. Peace. If your body and mind are clear and you’re writing freely, you’ll feel more at peace. You’ll have that balance you crave and desire so deeply.
5. Encouragement. As everything falls into place; centered, strong, and balanced; you’ll begin to feel more and more encouraged in your writing goals. And the more encouraged you are, the more inspired you’ll be.

By following these tips and caring for yourself – mind, body, and soul – your writing (and you!) will flourish.

So, see, stopping to smell the roses is not only something you can do for yourself – it’s something you can do for your muse.

And I assure you, their perfume has never been sweeter…

How often do you stop and smell the roses?
How do you make time to recharge your spirit?

Photo Credit: 02-15-2008 © splityarn

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Is the true art in online writing in the heart or in writing technique?

In the last two decades, media has grown, transformed, and been reborn. Journalism emerged, centuries before the Web, as a career built on a solid foundation of higher learning. Students trained in the craft, the technique, the rules of writing for the early paper and newsprint medium. The news was about informing the people and over time journalism developed a sense of detachment.

Sometimes, newspapers and magazines shared story. Anecdotal tales with emotion and heart were included and these too were written with an integrity to the true craft of writing. Most of the world’s news came in concise, just-the-facts, reverse pyramid journalism format.

That was before the move to online media. Now Joe Blogs journalism has altered the balance of heart and technique in writing. These days, some believe all it takes to engage and inform readers is the ability to string one word to the next. Opening discussion, sharing news, informing readers, and gaining an audience has become open platform with a very low exclusionary threshold. If you have access to a computer and internet connection you can use modern media to communicate, inform, and educate. But does being free to share your own knowledge and experience make you a writer?

Is the title of writer open to anyone with a basic literacy skill?

You don’t need an English degree to build a successful freelance writing career. Heart will take you a long way. But to truly excel as a writer one must close the gap between heart and technique.

An equal balance of technique and heart can make all the difference between good content and great content. A compelling post mixes these two vital elements. A reader can be drawn into the story of your post or article with their heart through yours but keeping your reader on the page requires a well-structured use of language.

Very few stories riddled with spelling errors, grammar faux pas, and incorrectly formatted sentence or paragraph structure become widely popular. But even these complex technical considerations are just brushing the surface when it comes to really knowing how to write.

When was the last time you learned more about the craft, technique, and rules of quality writing? Do you continue to hone your understanding of the technical aspects involved? Where do you go to learn more as your writing continues to grow up?

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We all yearn for peaceful lives, don’t we? The desire for peace unites many people who otherwise wouldn’t be in the same room together, right?

Peace (or Zen) is also something we writers desire. I don’t know about you, but I fantasize about waking up after a long, peaceful night’s rest, finding my way to the kitchen, grabbing an oversized hot mug of tea (sometimes coffee), heading to a giant chair that swallows me up, cuddling up with my laptop – and muse – and lounging around in my pajamas all day, while writing ’till my heart’s content. Ah, it sounds so very nice. Don’t you think so?

Okay, back to reality for me!

With the new year, comes endless opportunities for new beginnings.

I’ve decided that one (important) thing I’m going to focus on incorporating in to my life, is Zen. I actually started before 2010, but I feel like I cheated myself – and others – because I never really applied Zen living like I originally planned.

5 Ways 2010 (Can) = Freelance Writing Zen

1. De-cluttering my e-mail. I started doing this before 2009 ended, but I’m going to continue in 2010. (I had subscribed to a lot of stuff!) This includes unsubscribing from newsletters (or blogs) I never read, updates I subscribed to because of contests, etc. There’s no reason to waste time deleting e-mails every single day.
2. Practicing yoga often. This might not mean daily (although I’m going to shoot for that goal), but I’m definitely going to put forth more of an effort to make yoga a big part of my life. (Others even told me that my writing became much more prolific when I was practicing yoga daily!)
3. Reflecting on where my freelance writing journey began, so I can stay focused on where I’m going. What a blessing to look back on where I came from so I can encourage myself that I can make my writing dreams come true!
4. Staying organized. Organization is crucial for not only keeping stress down, but for maintaining a feeling of control – and a fresh (visual) sense of cleanliness.
5. Nipping procrastination in the bud. One of the worst things we writers can fall into is procrastination. Acting on thoughts like “Oh, I’ll just dive in to Twitter for a while until my muse visits again” or “I’ll get caught up on my blog reading” can prove fatal to your deadlines. It’s fine to reward yourself with social media or other Internet “play time” once you’ve polished off a chunk of your work, or met deadlines for the day/week, but don’t procrastinate until you hurt your business.

I’m also going to work on just being. Do you have a problem making that happen, too? It seems that even when I’m away from the computer, all of the unfinished “tasks” haunt me. It’s like a little devil sits on my shoulder, whispering: “You should be writing this” or “You could finish that.” Freelance work is always, always sitting there. We’re never finished are we? Work – even if it’s our own, personal projects -  is always calling our writerly soul.

So, yes, in 2010 I’m going to do my best to make time to just be, like the gal in the photo up there. It’s high time I actually stop to smell the roses!

Here’s to a successful, blessed – and very Zen – 2010!

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 are you going to bring Zen living in to your life in 2010? Have you already started? Do share; I might want to add it to my life!

Photo Credit: kudumomo



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Speaking of designing beautiful blogs I wanted to give a little link love to blogs who have designs I adore! Feel free to share your own blog links in the comments if you want to show off your blog theme. Which blog themes do you love the most?

Momma Helpers with Arthemia

Hope Wilbank’s site, Momma Helpers looks fabulous in Arthemia. The original theme is sharp, sassy, professional and actually rather drab and dark. I use elements of this theme at Writer’s Round-About but Hope jazzed the theme with bright ‘Mommy’ colors (pink and chocolate). Momma Helpers has a darling header that creates an inviting atmosphere perfect for her target audience and warm images to highlight posts.

To really bliss this site I’d love to see, MORE CONTENT! From a design perspective it would be great to see the Entrecard button moved below “Our Faves”. The uneven layout of that widget amongst the “Sponsors” looks disorganized. One of the images doesn’t appear to load correctly any longer so fixing this ‘bug’ is a must. Giving the “For Mom” section uniform width/height that ensures the “Featured” and “For Mom” sections are always the same size would tidy that section of the site.

Top Ten Blog Tips with Aeros

Ben Barden’s latest blog, Top Ten Blog Tips has a professional, tech edge based on the Aeros Theme. There are so many elements in this theme I love that I’ve actually considered adopting a few of them. The rounded edges give the blog a smoother, friendlier look that softens the dark color scheme. The date and comment count are little tabs to the left which is very clever from a design perspective. It increases the white space to the left margin and puts valuable information where it is unobtrusive but catchy.

I have two peeves about Ben’s design however, the first is that he tends to use large images at the beginning of his posts. Images in posts is fantastic! I love them but I also prefer to see the meat of a blog post first. Using slightly smaller images aligned to the side of the opening paragraphs gives a balance that is more aesthetically pleasing and makes better use of layout. I also feel the sidebar is ‘messy’. Sidebars often grow and shape with time so the youth of this blog puts this element at a disadvantage.

Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits

I’m not sure if Zen Habits is a completely unique theme or if it is based on something more universal but it looks empowering while maintaining a relaxed, welcoming balance. Leo knows how to highlight his posts with images and the site has a cool blend of colors that come together beautifully. The two things I love most about this theme is the simple appeal above the fold and the “Popular Posts by category” in the footer.

However, while I love the uniform feel of the font I can’t help but have a growing sensation of being boxed in by it. I also find his main content block is a little wider than my dyslexia would like to read and while the top half of his sidebar looks fantastic the bottom half is a cluster of images in a large variety of sizes with no balance or aesthetics.

Freelance Parent by Sawtooth

A final site to mention is, Freelance Parent. This site is classy and happening. A detailed header gets you where you need to go with well placed marketing elements such as the RSS links and free Internet Business Guide. The content is kept in a manageable segment with a surprisingly large sidebar packed with goodies.

The downside of all this content is that viewed as a whole the site looks daunting and busy. Even above the fold there is so much going on that it is kind of scary and I’m sure there are newcomers who run a mile. The sidebar tries to do too much. In this case a little less would do so much more. Let readers dig deep rather than trying to cram so much information on the first page.

Now It’s Your Turn!

Are there any blogs whose design thrill you? Are there sites you go to just for the buzz or glow of looking upon them? Do you think your own blog’s design rocks or wonder how to improve your design?

You are welcome to share your own favorite blogs in the comments (links please!). What do you love and hate about their designs? What do you love and hate about the themes of these four sites I’ve introduced? What do you love and hate about Writer’s Round-About’s current theme?

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“Simply put, how you leave other people feeling and how people perceive you have a profound effect on the quality of your life,” declares the jacket blurb on Jesse Ferrell’s “How You Leave Them Feeling“. Ferrell encourages readers to adopt his approach in any interaction. The goal is to leave each person feeling good about himself and thus feeling good about you. When you do this, Mr. Ferrell maintains, you will be on the way to living the life you deserve, getting what you want out of life, and “living the good life now.”

Ferrell begins with a rousing introduction in which he explains the idea of the book. He describes how he saw that his own success was based on his ability to consistently leave clients and others feeling good about themselves. Then he sets the table for the main course by listing the principles on which he has built his own life. (He calls them the “Seven Essential Laws of Life”.)

In the thirteen chapters that follow, he delivers the details of his Seven Essential Laws and explains how they relate to leaving others feeling good about themselves and you. He explores subjects of attitude, communication, personal and professional development, building a support network, maintaining a healthy balance in life and more, illustrating liberally with real-life anecdotes and summing up with bits of catchy wisdom.

Some memorable points of the book for me were:

• The idea of the personal signature or unique style by which each of us becomes known.
• An emphasis on kindness and giving to others.
• The importance of attitude – along with a piece of good advice: “When in doubt, leave it out… it is far easier to revisit a situation and provide additional messages than it is to take back a wrongful or inappropriate remark stemming from an attitude glitch.”
• The importance of listening: “Sharpening your listening skills will bring you more respect and interpersonal growth than just about any other endeavor. People like to feel they are being heard. When you clearly listen to others, you are honoring the power of communication by investing the time to take in their message.”
• The challenge to leave everything – and everyone – better than you found them.

The readability of Ferrell’s practical and crisply written material is helped by consistent organization and formatting. The text is laid out with lots of white space between paragraphs and broken up with bold-face headings. The main points of each chapter are listed again at the conclusion as action steps. A list of summary points (one-sentence statements that describe how following the actions steps will impact the reader’s behavior) and affirmations (brief positive statements for the reader to repeat or reflect on) conclude each chapter.

Jesse Ferrell, the man, comes across as enthusiastic, likable, a great friend and team player with lots of drive, integrity and clear goals. As a former executive within the Las Vegas casino marketing industry, he is now president and CEO of a professional speaking company, JessTalk Speaking Services, and seems eminently qualified to write a book of this kind. His experience in the corporate world gives added value to the personal and professional development section via the diary system he has developed and illustrates. He now works as a life coach and the “JessTalk Life Quadrant Model” he has developed for clients drives home his point about the need for and means of achieving a balanced lifestyle.

I gained much from the book. However, I would not adopt it carte blanche as my personal road guide. It is written from a humanistic perspective and is birthed out of a New Age worldview (bad energy, good energy, karma, the Cosmos, evolved soul, mantra, Mother Nature, envisioning/visualization are all terms or concepts found within). With that in mind, however, I would say that you can learn much of value from “How You Leave Them Feeling” whatever your creed.

I have encountered many of its principles in my own belief system and I decided, as I read it, to use what I could and simply discard the things with which I didn’t agree. It has certainly made me think twice about how I will treat the next telemarketer, panhandler, supermarket clerk or whomever – and that’s got to be a good thing.

Violet Nesdoly, a poet, Christian and Children’s Author said, “The world of words has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. As a kid, whenever my Mom needed me for a job, it was a sure thing she’d find me between the covers of a book.”

You can get to know her better by reading her blog, Line Upon Line, where she shares inspiration, poetry, and thoughts on writing life. You can also find out more about Jesse Ferrell on his site, JessTalk Speaking and Coaching Services.

If you’re interested in having a review or article posted on Writer’s Round-About please send a query letter to rebecca.laffarsmith@gmail.com.

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Creating a website or blog simply isn’t enough to carve out your own nook. These days you must get out there and spread the word. There are so many ways to attract visitors and some are more successful than others. What works?

Search Engines: Do you Google?

Search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, are overloaded with sites and web pages. From millions of results it takes a great deal of effort to ensure your site registers in the first few pages. For bloggers interested in gaining the most benefit from their search engine listings I recommend keeping on top of the latest Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques. Terms such as: keyword placement, meta tags, robot.txt etc. hold meanings that could equal significant traffic if you learn to use SEO techniques effectively.

Socializing, Community and Participation

Community participation is another way to develop inbound links. By befriending others in your sphere you can create a social circle on blog rolls, forums, groups and blog comments. It is important to be an active member online because we all learn from each other; constantly expanding our experiences.

Social Media – Connect and Interact

Social Media is one of the newer innovations to bring people together. With websites such as Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, Myspace, Digg, LinkedIn, Del.ic.ious, MyBlogLog, StumbleUpon and many more we link together as a community sharing interests, making new friends and discovering other hemispheres on the web.

Hit and Miss? No More! – Be Valuable

These mediums can be a hit and miss experience when trying to build your brand or grow your blog community. Members are often more interested in what they can get out of their participation. It is important to offer potential readers value but it’s equally important to give value as a community member. When you give to others you’ll find you receive in return.

Never Enough Hours – Finding Balance

With the many pressures involved in ensuring your blog continues to grow it can sometimes be challenging to find the time to factor in all of these elements. Creating content should always be your primary concern because the myth, “build it and they will come” is true to some degree. Without anything other than content you will gain readers, slowly, almost imperceptibly. With great content everything else is optional. Each moment you spend in marketing however will increase the speed of your growth exponentially.

Find a balance and make sure the demands you put on yourself don’t go beyond your boundaries. There is no point treating your blog like a full time job if you already work full time, especially if you haven’t monetized your pages. It is true that with hard work and dedication you could turn blogging into a full-time career but it is often better to start slow, enjoy the process of establishing your readership and create a true bond with your visitors and your topic.

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Becca from Write On Wednesday asks her readers,
“What would be your criteria for the perfect writer’s group?”


In the past I’ve searched for writer’s group that meet these five musts for my own needs:-

1. Meeting together an a convenient time

One of the hardest challenges when finding a local writer’s group is having the time available when others are gathering. For me this means trying to fit into hours when both my children are at school or finding a group that welcomes children. Do you prefer to gather for a morning group? Or an evening? Accomodating a time that suits everyone interested in joining the group can be difficult and this can be a good reason to create a group at a time that suits you.

2. A blend of experience levels

You certainly don’t want to develop a group of “Blind Leading Blind” novices. There also wouldn’t be much point to a group consisting entirely of writer’s who believe they know all they need to know. Developing a blend of experience levels gives members an opportunity to follow their mentors or aid mentees. More experienced writers can learn a great deal from those who are just finding their feet, and vice versa.

3. Similar genre or type interests

Those writers seeking poetry critique will find better advice from fellow poets. Those who write non-fiction may prefer to read other non-fiction. Genre specific writers may build a stronger foundation with other writers of the same genre. This is another good reason to begin your own group rather than join an existing one. If your preferred type or genre doesn’t have an exclusive group perhaps it is time to begin one.

4. A firm basis for acceptable critique

set the rules early. In a group environment it can be confusing if some writers rip in and others offer only polite nods. It is important to have a solid foundation for the kind and style of critique acceptable. Never join a group that is abusive or derogative to anyone. Your ideal writers group needs to share supportive, constructive critique with a balance of encouraging comments.

5. A commitment to encouraging growth and motivation

Just as you want to ensure a foundation for critique the lifts writers your group focus should be on the encouragement of growth and motivation. You should leave your regular gatherings with a renewed passion and drive to return to your individual writing. Share experiences, invite lessons, and push each other forward with love and consideration.

Finding a group that adheres to these five traits might be difficult. That doesn’t mean you cannot found one of your own. Find a location that suits your needs, arrange a time that works best for you, decide the type and genre you wish to focus upon, and write a foundation for critique and encouragement.

Show up for your writer’s meeting regularly. Meet with yourself. Advertise the group to others. Be welcoming as newcomers tread the waters of your group. It may be slow to grow but in time you’ll gather a sampling of writer’s who blend with your ideals and who bring a new element to each others work.

This new kinship is a true gift that will be cherished long into the future. From the humble beginnings of a writer’s group you all progress to greater things.

Have you found your ideal writers group? Do you have experience with starting your own? What is it you look for when gathering with local writers? What other local writing experiences have you enjoyed?

Are you a Western Australian Writer?
Every Thursday afternoon from 12:30pm until 2:30pm I gather at Seville Grove Library (formerly Westfield). I’d love to welcome other science fiction / fantasy novelists. Children are welcome, as are laptops.

Do you gather with an existing writer’s group?
Share your groups details in the comments so other local writers can visit!

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The final two lessons tend to play against each other but are vital to learn if you hope to succeed in the challenges of running a freelance business.

Jump through Hoops

Tricks and trials are taught in advanced dog obedience. They’re also an important set of lessons for advanced freelancers to learn and understand. Just as some dogs won’t be easy to train, some clients, won’t be easy to work with. They’ll ask you to jump through hoops. They’ll want you to produce above and beyond. They’ll expect speedy turn arounds and near impossible feats of bravery.

This is the freelancing life. Clients often don’t understand what our day to day work schedule is like. They don’t understand that they are not our primary concern. Indeed, if you’re customer service is up to par they’ll feel like they ARE always number one.

Don’t feel you always have to jump through hoops for your client. Lay out your contract and shake upon it. Deliver above and beyond only as you feel able without overworking yourself. Meeting your clients needs does not always equal meeting their demands.

The important thing to remember is to remain diplomatic. Discuss your concerns with your client. Explain any difficulties you may have meeting their requests and don’t be afraid to insist on a higher pay bracket should they expect more than your original agreement outlined.

Every dog, and every freelancer, has the power to choose when to obey.

Kisses and Cuddles

At the end of your training session it’s important to praise, kiss, cuddle and reward your dog. It’s equally important to consider your personal achievements, reward yourself, congratulate yourself on a job well done, involve your loved ones in the emotional fulfillment. You truly have accomplished remarkable feats.

We all have difficult days and taking the time to cherish and reward yourself will make it easier to face the ups and downs of a freelancers life. Pay yourself, consider yourself the vital element in your business.

Without the love and care you can give yourself it becomes harder to achieve. Without these kinds of incentives we begin to wonder why we follow those commands. Why sit? Why fetch?

While you absorb your rewards, remind yourself why you love this career; Why it is the only job you can ever imagine yourself doing for the rest of your life. Smile, you’re living your dream!

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This Book Review is written by Lillian Brummet. I’d love to feature more book reviews from readers. If you’ve read a book about writing and would like to share your book review please send me an email.

Pumping Your Muse is a 136-page non-fiction, self-help writer’s manual that is conveniently available in both electronic and print format. The hardcopy is coil-bound – perfect for an inviting workbook.

Published just recently in June 2005, this book belongs on every writer’s reference bookshelf. Donna Sundblad’s goal for her manual has certainly been met, as Pumping Your Muse is able to stretch the readers’ creativity beyond their normal limits by developing skills and focusing creative energies in new directions.

The author focuses on the ability to build worlds through a variety of exercises including reflections, perspectives, balance, using multiple sensory tools and expanding thinking patterns. Readers will learn about tracking implements such as cards, journals and maps that help develop a detailed world for the reader and make the book a whole experience.

Following every exercise like a home-school class will take several weeks and will definitely improve creative writing skills. Pumping Your Muse could also be used as a refresher course, a tool during the proofreading processes of a manuscript, or to get past writer’s block.

Donna Sundblad keeps the continuity flowing at an interesting pace and has allowed space for notes at the end of every chapter. Her useful manual also includes a number of excellent writer’s resource websites.

I recommend that readers review the entire manual and then return to chapter one before they actually begin the program. In this way, the reader will be more familiar with the reasons and goals for each exercise. I’ve been anticipating my return to chapter one since I began the reviewing process of this book and have no doubt that my skills will be improved because of the exercises in this manual.

ISBN#: 0970863578
Author: Donna Sundblad
Publisher: ePress-online.com ~ Writopia, Inc.

By: write 2 right

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

~ Lillian Brummet – Book Reviewer – Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment – Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry. (www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

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