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Set Aside Time to Write in the Morning: 1000 Words a Day

Anyone who wants to be successful at writing 1000 words a day for an extended period of time will have to put aside time each time to reach that goal. The question becomes, when is the best time to set aside writing time each day? While many will say to set the time aside when you enjoy writing most, I’ve come to the conclusion that’s not necessarily the best approach when you are trying to increase your writing productivity.

As I mentioned earlier, I take a walk each morning which is an important aspect enabling me to be a productive writer. Upon my return each morning, I sit down to do a minimum of an hour, and as much as 3 hours of writing. The actual amount of time I have each day to write depends on what other things I have to do, but I make sure I have that minimum of an hour to write each morning. Since I have already outlined what I want to write in my head during the morning walk, I usually can hit my 1000 words during that hour.

I think it’s important to set aside time in the morning to write even if you don’t happen to be a morning writer. I feel I can make this claim because I’m definitely not naturally a morning writer. I used to do all my writing late at night, and I still do a good amount of my writing during the evening hours. What I’ve discovered over time, however, is if I only set aside time in the evening to write, I fail to reach my writing goal much more often than if I set aside time in the morning.

There is a simple reason it’s important to put aside time in the morning if you want to be successful writing a certain number of words on an ongoing basis. Life happens. There will always be unexpected events which will make it impossible for you to write during your designated time no matter how faithfully you plan. This is especially true when you first begin a project like this and haven’t yet established it as a routine. It takes time to carve out a specific period of time each day that’s devoted solely to writing, and one should expect hiccups while in the process of establishing this time (and even afterward, although not as often).

When something happens and I’m not able to write during my planned time in the morning, I immediately realize I missed the time I was supposed to writing. I instantly begin to figure out when I can make up that time and squeeze in writing so I can still reach my 1000 word goal. I have the rest of the day to make up for the unforeseen event and still reach my goal.

When I was writing in the evenings, if something unexpected happened, it was much more difficult to make up for life impeding on my writing. There just isn’t enough extra time in the day to reschedule for missed time when it’s already in the evening, and the day is almost over. Due to the time factor, scheduling your daily writing period in the morning will give you a much better chance to reach your word count goal when you take up a challenge.

Another huge factor that came into play for me is energy level. The amount of energy I have at the end of the day depends on a lot of factors which happen during the day that aren’t always in my control. The result was that even when I had the time set aside, I was more likely to be tired. Many times I didn’t have the energy to concentrate on my writing the way I should so even when I was writing, the quality wasn’t necessarily the best.

If you’re not a person who usually writes in the morning, this change will be difficult. I know because of how difficult it was for me to adjust. Even today, I don’t feel as comfortable writing in the morning as I do at night, but I’ve gotten a lot better at it over time. More importantly, I have seen how much more productive I have become by beginning my writing early in the day rather than toward the end.

For anyone who has the goal of writing 1000 (or more) words a day, it’s worthwhile taking the time to figure out how to set aside time in the morning. That doesn’t mean you can’t write in the evenings as well. I still do on a regular basis, and as I’ve stated above, I actually enjoy writing in the evening more than I do in the morning. Creating morning writing time will greatly increase your chances of hitting your word count goal each day.

(Photo courtesy of Michael Coghlan)

Find Your Quiet Activity: 1000 Words a Day

One of the most important activities I do to increase my writing productivity which doesn’t initially appear to have anything to do with writing is to take a morning walk. Before I turn on the computer, sit down to write, or do any other writing activity, I go outside to walk. While it may not first appear a walk would be something to increase my writing productivity, that’s exactly what it does. In fact, I can confidently say my morning walk is the most important step I take each day when it comes to being a productive writer.

There are a number of reasons my morning walk helps improve my writing productivity. Here are a few of them:

Arrange My Thoughts

This is the biggie. My morning walk allows me to go over the topic I’m writing about so I can arrange my thoughts and what I want to write. Instead of sitting in front of the computer trying to figure out what I want to write, I’ve already done this. In a way, it’s like creating a mental first-draft of what I need to get down on paper. By sorting through all these thoughts, it allows me to begin writing as soon as I sit down in front of the computer.

More Productivity

Since I already have created the mental first draft, I already know exactly what I want to write when I sit at the computer. There is no staring at the computer screen wondering what I should write next. When I am writing, there’s a lot less stopping, rewriting and changing my mind. The walk allows me to have already mentally sorted through the common stopping points so all I have to do is get the words into the computer.

Brainstorm

Taking a morning walk doesn’t only allow me time to think about my current writing, but also plan articles I can write in the future. Walking allows me to brainstorm about a variety of other topics. The result is I rarely sit in front of my computer wondering what topic I should write about next because I have a long list of topics I’ve already brainstormed on my walks.

Writer’s Block

Walking prevents me from having writer’s block. In fact, I began walking when I was having writer’s block a few years ago. It worked so well at helping me overcome it, I started to make it a part of my daily routine. That’s how I discovered it made me so much more productive. If I ever reach a point where I’m having trouble putting something down on paper, 99% of the time a short walk will help me overcome the obstacle.

Gives Me Energy

Exercise is a great way to increase energy. One of the greatest benefits from my morning walk is I feel a lot more energized. Due to this, I am able to write a lot more (and for a longer period of time) than I do when I try to write after I first wake up. My body is more alert and I feel ready to tackle the writing in front of me.

While taking a walk is what helps me write more productively, that may not be the optimal quiet activity for you to do before you sit down in front of your computer. I have a writer friend who likes to sit quietly meditating under a large oak tree in her backyard. I have another writer friend who gets her quiet time in her garden. You know yourself better than anyone, so you need to understand what works best for you so you can find the quiet time that’s most appropriate for you. It should be something that even while you’re doing it, you have the opportunity to think and consider your writing at the same time. If it allows you to do that, anything is game. (653 words)

(Photo courtesy of Patrik Nygren)

October Writing Challenge: 1000 Words a Day

For all those who are planning to participate in the National Novel Writing Month challenge in November, you may want to try a warm-up word count challenge with me in October. For anyone who isn’t, but who wants to increase the amount of writing they’re producing, there’s no better time to begin than at this moment. Over the next month, I will document my 1000 words a day challenge. 1000 words a day is a great goal for any writer who wants to begin getting into the habit of writing on a daily basis. As part of the challenge, I will explain some of the methods I’ve developed over the years, and I hope others who are also doing this challenge (or who have done a similar challenge in the past), will contribute their insights and tips to the conservation as well.

As I explained in a previous article, there are a number of steps anyone who decides to take up a challenge like this should consider and answer to better define the challenge. Doing so will make it more likely the challenge is completed. Here are my answers to each step:

Step one: How many words will I write each day? 1000.

Step two: What’s the minimum number of words I must write each day? 100.

Step three: How long will the challenge be? One month (during October).

Step four: Will there be any off days? No.

Step five: How will I let others know about the challenge to keep myself honest? I will be doing this by recording it on this blog throughout the month.

Step six: How will I keep track and record my daily word count throughout the challenge? I will do it here on this blog.

If I’m successful with the challenge, I will have written a minimum of 31,000 words by the end of the month. Going by past experience, even if I don’t reach the goal, I should write more than I would have without the challenge as long as I continue it for the entire 31 days. That’s a vitally important point for all these challenges. While you should do your best to achieve the goal, the true benefit from these type of challenges is to get you writing on a daily basis, and to write more than you would have if you hadn’t undertaken the challenge in the first place.

So I put forth this challenge to all those reading this now. Commit to begin a 1000 word a day challenge for a month and see what you can produce. If you have any questions along the way, feel free to ask them in the comments of any challenge article. While I’m doing this to keep me accountable for the number of words I write this month, I also want to try and help any writer who is having problems writing consistently over a period of time.

Below are a list of articles I’ve put together as part fo this challenge on tips and hints you may be able to incorporate into your own writing habits to increase your productivity:

(Photo courtesy of Dennis Skley)

Find Your Own Writing Routine

I once had a writer friend whose entire writing routine was comprised of “rules” he’d learned from successful authors. He got up early to write because that’s what the successful authors did. He outlined on index cards because he’d read somewhere that certain successful authors did it that way. He used a certain kind of pen because some author declared it to be lucky. The list went on and on.

The thing was, very few of these routines worked for my friend. He was not an early riser by nature and hated getting up so early. He didn’t like to outline, felt it was stifling, but did it anyway. These things weren’t fun or useful for him, but he kept doing them because he believed that the only way to attain success was to follow what others had already done. He was trying to imitate the success of others rather than finding his own path.

If you look through history, though, (and not just that of writers and writing) you’ll find that the most successful people are usually the ones who did things their own way. Walt Disney, George Lucas, J.K. Rowling, and Steve Jobs are just a few examples of people who said, “Screw it,” to the conventional wisdom and went out and did things their own way. They didn’t follow the rules and rituals of others before them. They did what worked for them.

Doing what works for you is the only way to succeed. You have to work with your strengths, talents, and motivations. Someone else’s motivations and rituals are not yours. Sure, you may be able to derive some value from studying the “greats,” but ultimately you have to find your own path. Anything else just smacks of desperation and a lack of creativity on your part. Worse, readers, agents, and publishers will smell the desperation all over your work because it won’t be unique.

This applies not only to your writing life but also to what you choose to write. Don’t spend time chasing the hottest trends in plots and writing styles. By the time your work is ready for submission, that fad will have rolled on. Write the story you have to tell, even if it’s not hot. Who knows? You might start the next big trend. Don’t be derivative, be yourself.

Sure, there are some rules you have to follow. You have to stick with basic grammar and structure (there are exceptions, but you have to be really exceptional to pull it off). You have to follow basic submission guidelines and rules if you want to be taken seriously. You have to act professional and meet your deadlines. But anything else is up to you to decide.

If you try to do what others have done, you just end up hemming yourself in with a set of rules and regulations that you don’t even need. When your schedule reads, “Get up early, outline on index cards, use a certain pen, and write exactly 1,000 words per day,” there’s no room for “you” to shine through. What happens if the work is going great and you want to write 2,000 words? What happens if you skip the outline? What if you never discover that you’re better off writing between 9 p.m. and midnight? There are enough rules in writing that you must follow. You don’t need to create an even smaller cage by following the rituals of others.

Find your own rituals. Embrace your personal quirks. Learn to love your best rhythm, even if it means writing all day long without a break. (Not advisable, but if it works…) Don’t believe people who tell you something can’t be done just because it’s never been done before. (Someone always has to be first.) Do what makes you the most comfortable. When you are comfortable, you’ll do your best work and it will be uniquely yours. When you’re imitating someone else, you’re doing just that: imitating. And that’s not the way to be successful.

(Photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks)

Don’t Lie About Your Writing

It’s funny that a profession that often prides itself on telling the truth offers so many opportunities to lie. Journalists often claim to pursue the truth at all costs. Fiction writers spout off about finding “the truth” in their stories. Almost every kind of writer espouses some sort of devotion to the truth. Yet every year, more and more writers are caught lying. Whether it’s passing off someone else’s work as your own (plagiarism) or faking reviews on Amazon, there’s a lot of lying going on.

It would seem like common sense that you shouldn’t lie. Yet in the crowded, competitive, demanding world of writing, too many people take shortcuts in their efforts to get ahead of the pack. But lying in your writing can destroy a career, even if you don’t rely on writing to make a living. When I was in graduate school, I knew someone who faked his entire dissertation. All of the interviews, transcripts, and statistics were fake. He couldn’t find the data and people to support the “ground breaking” conclusion he was trying to draw so he made it all up. He got caught and tossed out of school. His future career in that field and all of the teaching and researching he hoped to do were gone because he lied.

Granted, that’s a pretty spectacular case of career suicide, but there are many others. Remember James Frey who made up a memoir and got taken down by Oprah? Or Jonah Leher who faked quotes attributed to Bob Dylan (among quite a few other infractions). Or Jayson Blair who fabricated almost every aspect of his stories for The New York Times? While some of these notorious liars have gone on to resurrect their careers, don’t think for one minute that it would be as easy for the average Joe to return to successful work after such a debacle.

So, since it doesn’t seem to be obvious to some, what constitutes lying? Take a look. (And don’t say that these are genius marketing techniques, or ways to set yourself apart from the crowd. They’re lies, pure and simple.)

Faking statistics and data

It’s not okay to say that 30% of people agree with your position if there is no hard data to support that conclusion. You don’t get to make things up based on “gut feelings” or because you really want to write a spectacular article. Neither do you get to interview four of your friends and when three of them agree with your premise, report that as a 75% majority.

Faking quotes

If someone didn’t say it, you don’t get to put it in their mouth anyway. You also can’t take quotes out of context. Just because your point is better made if you leave out the last half of the quote doesn’t mean you get to use it that way. You have to report quotes accurately and keep them within the context in which they were uttered.

Calling fiction non-fiction

If you made it up, it’s fiction. If it’s “based on” your life but not a factual recounting of your life, it’s fiction and not a memoir. If you write about an event that never happened or things that were never said, it’s fiction. Never pass something you made up as something that really happened.

Passing off old work as new

Yes, reporters and magazine writers repurpose old work all the time. They take that parenting article about camping with the kids and re-slant it so that it works for an outdoors magazine. It means that you can reuse research and save some time when writing the article. As long the work and wording is new, this is okay. What isn’t okay is repeating the earlier work word for word. Editors pay for new content. Finding out that the piece they just published has already appeared in another publication, verbatim, isn’t going to make them happy. Especially if you sold it as original work.

Plagiarism

This is stealing other people’s work and passing it off as your own. This is never okay and it’s a lesson that should have been learned in elementary school. If you use someone else’s work, you have to give proper credit to the original author.

Writing fake reviews of your work

This has become a rampant problem on sites like Amazon. Authors create fake accounts to give glowing accounts of their own work. It’s an effort to push their book to the top, to make it stand out amidst all the other books. It’s harder than you think, though, to craft believable “voices” for your reviews. They will all end up sounding the same. Worse, if your book is receiving scads of terrible reviews and then you’ve got these fifty five star reviews, someone’s going to figure out that you’re shilling your own work. Also, don’t pay for positive reviews. It’s fine to request reviews, but no ethical reviewer will take money in exchange for their opinion.

Altering reality

We often wish that things had happened more dramatically than they did. Sometimes writers “embellish” a story to make it seem more dramatic or world-altering than it was. Really they’re just stretching the facts and that’s not okay. If it was boring when it happened, then you either need to report it that way or find something more exciting to cover. You’re writing a non-fiction piece, not a screenplay. Adding in explosions, deaths and drama is lying.

Pretending to be somewhere you aren’t

You cannot pretend to be filing stories from Iraq if you’re in Cleveland. If you want to report “from” a region, you’d better be there.

Doctoring photographs

Okay, a little Photoshopping isn’t a bad thing. Touching up colors, etc. is acceptable. What’s not acceptable is putting people into photos who weren’t there, or capturing “action” that never happened so you can report on some unbelievable event.

It’s not worth the risk to lie. In this day and age it’s incredibly easy to get caught. Everything can be cross-checked on the Internet or with a quick phone call or Twitter post. No matter what you think you’re accomplishing by lying, or how good you feel that you’re pulling one over on people, sooner or later it will come to an end and you will end up with no credibility and no career. So just don’t do it.

(Photo coourtesy of einalem)

How Many Pages Is 2000 Words?

This is a question we get from time to time. There are instances when you’re given an assignment, not by word count, but assigned by the number of pages. For example, “Write a paper four pages long.” If you get an assignment to write four pages, one of the first questions that will likely come to mind is, “How many words are in four pages?” If you need to figure out words per page, you can use a words per page calculator.

The truth is there is no definitive answer to this question. The number of words it will take to fill a page will depend on a number of factors including the type of font used, the font size, spacing elements, the margins used on the paper, the paragraph length, etc. For example, if the assignment says the writing should be in 10-point font, it’s going to take a greater number of words to fill a page than if the assignment requires a 12-point font.

For those who need a general rule of thumb, a typical page which has 1-inch margins and is typed in 12 point font with standard spacing elements will be approximately 500 words when typed single spaced. For assignments that require double spacing, it would take approximately 250 words to fill the page. For an assignment that requires you to write four pages, you can make the estimation that you’ll need to write approximately 2000 words for a single spaced paper, or 1000 words if the assignment is double spaced. Again, the type of font used can make the word count higher or lower, but it’s a good rule of thumb for those who are simply looking for a general estimation.

Since there can be a large variation on the number of words needed to fill a page, most papers are no longer assigned by page count. They are instead assigned by word count. That is, an assignment, essay or paper will likely be assigned as 1500 – 2000 words rather than 3 – 4 pages. This way it is much more difficult for the writer to “game the system” by using large fonts and excessive spacing to meet the writing criteria.

If you are given a writing assignment with a page number, the best thing to do is go directly to the person who made the assignment and ask for a word count. This will take away all the variations and help ensure your writing assignment meets expectations. If it’s for something informal and you simply need a general guideline, you can find it below.

How many pages is…

The below list is an approximation, and actual pages will differ depending on a number of factors mentioned earlier in this article. Use the below information for a general reference, but don’t assume it will be the case at all times. Here are basic word to pages conversions:

500 words is 1 page single spaced, 2 pages double spaced.
1,000 words is 2 pages single spaced 4 pages double spaced.
1,500 words is 3 pages single spaced, 6 pages double spaced.
2,000 words is 4 pages single spaced, 8 pages double spaced.
2,500 words is 5 pages single spaced, 10 pages double spaced.
3,000 words is 6 pages single spaced, 12 pages double spaced.
4,000 words is 8 pages single spaced, 16 pages double spaced.
5,000 words is 10 pages single spaced, 20 pages double spaced.
7,500 words is 15 pages single spaced, 30 pages double spaced.
10,000 words is 20 pages single spaced, 40 pages double spaced.
20,000 words is 40 pages single spaced, 80 pages double spaced.
25,000 words is 50 pages single spaced, 100 pages double spaced.
30,000 words is 60 pages single spaced, 120 pages double spaced.
40,000 words is 80 pages single spaced, 160 pages double spaced.
50,000 words is 100 pages single spaced, 200 pages double spaced.
60,000 words is 120 pages single spaced, 240 pages double spaced.
70,000 words is 140 pages single spaced, 280 pages double spaced.
75,000 words is 150 pages single spaced, 300 pages double spaced.
80,000 words is 160 pages single spaced, 320 pages double spaced.
90,000 words is 180 pages single spaced, 360 pages double spaced.
100,000 words is 200 pages single spaced, 400 pages double spaced.

Below are basic pages to words conversions:

1 page is 500 words single spaced, 250 words double spaced.
2 pages is 1,000 words single spaced, 500 words double spaced.
3 pages is 1,500 words single spaced, 750 words double spaced.
4 pages is 2,000 words single spaced, 1,000 words double spaced.
5 pages is 2,500 words single spaced, 1,250 words double spaced.
6 pages is 3,000 words single spaced, 1,500 words double spaced.
7 pages is 3,500 words single spaced, 1,750 words double spaced.
8 pages is 4,000 words single spaced, 2,000 words double spaced.
9 pages is 4,500 words single spaced, 2,250 words double spaced.
10 pages is 5,000 words single spaced, 2,500 words double spaced.
15 pages is 7,500 words single spaced, 3,750 words double spaced.
20 pages is 10,000 words single spaced, 5,000 words double spaced.
25 pages is 12,500 words single spaced, 6,250 words double spaced.
30 pages is 15,000 words single spaced, 7,500 words double spaced.
40 pages is 20,000 words single spaced, 10,000 words double spaced.
50 pages is 25,000 words single spaced, 12,500 words double spaced.
60 pages is 30,000 words single spaced, 15,000 words double spaced.
70 pages is 35,000 words single spaced, 17,500 words double spaced.
75 pages is 37,500 words single spaced, 18,750 words double spaced.
80 pages is 40,000 words single spaced, 20,000 words double spaced.
90 pages is 45,000 words single spaced, 22,500 words double spaced.
100 pages is 50,000 words single spaced, 25,000 words double spaced.

(Photo courtesy of Horia Varlan)

Getting the Most from a Writers’ Retreat

A writer’s retreat can be a rewarding experience. It gives you a chance to get away from your everyday distractions and really get some work done. It can also give you a chance to experience a new location and meet new people. (Note the difference between a retreat and a conference: A conference will have lots of seminars, breakout sessions, critique groups, and meet and greets with publishing professionals. A retreat is pretty much you and your work, alone, for a period of time. There may be some scheduled activities, but far fewer than at a conference.) There are plenty of commercially organized retreats, or you can create your own by picking a secluded location and heading off for a few days.

A retreat can be a great way to immerse yourself in your craft and it can even be a way to learn if writing is for you. (I know one person who went on a retreat and decided that he really didn’t like to write, after all. It was worth it, I guess. At least he now knows what he doesn’t want to do with his life.) The chance to spend a week or weekend just writing is very appealing, but it can be pricey. You want to get the most bang for your buck. You don’t want to waste your time or fail to gain any benefit from your retreat. Before you book your reservations, here are some things you can do to prepare so you get the most out of the retreat.

Be (somewhat) social

If there are publishing or writing professionals present at the retreat, take some time to meet with them. They can provide you insight into the positives of your work, or become helpful contacts when you’re ready to publish. Writing is the primary reason you’re here, but don’t forget to take advantage of networking and feedback opportunities, if offered.

Bring what you need

You don’t want to waste precious retreat time with trips to Office Max, looking for your notes, or trying to track down that article that you really need. Double check your packing and make sure you have everything you need to begin writing as soon as you’re settled in. Also make sure your laptop is in working order and that you have all accessories like chargers, portable printers, flash drives, etc. Bring plenty of notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, page flags, index cards, or any other supplies that you use in your writing.

Be open to the experience

Having uninterrupted time to write can be startling and even upsetting. Some people just don’t know what to do with that kind of quiet time and they try to fill it with everything except writing. Resist the urge to check your Facebook page, answer email, or call your family to fill the void. Open your mind and embrace the experience. Get used to the solitude and make the most of it.

Respect the experience of others

Everyone is at the retreat to work. While it’s fine to socialize at mealtimes or during other group activities, don’t be the chatterbox who’s knocking on doors late at night looking for company or who’s coaxing your new friends out to visit the city when they’re trying to work.

Demand that others respect your experience

Be very clear in saying, “No,” if you’d rather work than go out to dinner with others. Get good at telling people (politely, if possible) to buzz off while you’re working. Some people will try to bug you to death, but you’re at the retreat to work. Most will get the hint quickly, but there may be a few that won’t get it until you’re downright rude.

Go alone

Many people are most productive when they go to a retreat alone, without anyone they know. They might make a couple of new friends while there, but they aren’t tempted by the easy distractions that an established friendship offers.

Or take a friend

On the other hand, some people are more comfortable having someone they know along on the retreat. If you do take a friend, make sure it’s a writer friend (non-writers will be bored and may unintentionally cause problems for others) and make sure it’s someone you feel comfortable saying, “Get lost,” to when you need to work.

Make a plan and a schedule

While there may be some scheduled activities, much of your time will be your own. It can help to have goals and schedules to give your days some form. Promise you’ll write 1,000 words before going to lunch, or divide your days into blocks of time for writing, eating, exercise, meditation, etc. Having some structure can help you overcome the problems that come with having too much freedom. You’ll also want to plan what you’re going to work on ahead of time. Don’t waste time deciding whether to work on your novel or your non-fiction book.

Plan for food

Some retreats offer prepared meals while others give you accommodations with a small kitchen. If you’ll have to do your own cooking, go ahead and plan your shopping so that you can get what you need and not keep making trips to the market. Think of easy meals you can prepare quickly.

Take breaks

While you’re at the retreat to work, you don’t want to fry your brain. You’re useless if you get too tired. Rest, recharge, and then go back to work. Use some free time to sleep, explore your destination, meditate, or exercise.

Choose the right retreat for you

Retreats vary in length and offerings. Some are in big cities and offer lots of things to do when you’re not working. Others are in almost monastic conditions and writing is the only thing to do. Some offer activities and feedback opportunities, others offer nothing. Try to gauge what sort of retreat will make you happy and productive and find one that matches your ideal. If it’s your first retreat, you might want a weekend retreat so you can try it out without committing to a week. If you can’t find your ideal retreat, create your own.

A retreat can be pricey and probably isn’t something you can do often, so you don’t want to waste your money or time. You want to choose a retreat that will enable you to get work done but not make you uncomfortable. Whatever you choose, follow the tips above to make the most of the experience.

(Photo courtesy of Andres Rodriguez)

Stumbling into a Freelance Writing Career

When people find out that I’m a freelance writer, one of the first things they want to know is, “How did you get into that?” Sometimes it’s just passing curiosity. Other times they want to know because they aspire to quit working for “the man” and go out on their own and writing seems like an easy way to do that. (Before I continue this story, let me tell you that it isn’t an easy way to make a living. Sure, I work from home, but I have deadlines and responsibilities just like any other profession. I also get the joy of handling all of my own marketing, accounting, taxes, and office expenses, whereas someone else handled all of that when I was working for “the man.” So if you think being a freelance writer is all easy and fun, think again. It’s a job just like any other job.)

Anyway, people always seem to assume that I had some definite plan that I was following when I decided to become a freelance writer. They want my roadmap so that they can follow it, too. The thing is, I never had a definite roadmap and I haven’t met very many freelance writers who did. It’s rare to find someone who came out of college saying, “Yeah, I’m going to be a freelance writer!” At best you might find a freelance writer who came out of college saying, “Yeah, I’m going to be a journalist or PR person,” who then stumbled into freelancing after putting in a few years in the corporate world. Those of us who had road maps are rare. Most of us just sort of fell into the occupation, but that’s not a bad thing.

If you want to know how it happened to me, here’s the story: I came out of college with a degree in “Communication.” Not quite as useless as a degree in Philosophy, but close. I’m still not even sure how I picked that major. My first job was as an administrative assistant at a small software company. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the company discovered that I had some ability with words, layout, and design and put me to work writing and designing some brochures. Next thing I knew, I was writing marketing materials, too. I got really lucky when one of the writers in the software department quit and I got tasked with writing online help files. I also got to write grant proposals and, once the infant Internet came to town, I got to write the website copy. If it needed words, it seemed to find its way to my desk. That’s the benefit of a small company. You can be asked to do anything and everything, building skills as you go along.

Unfortunately, the company was a horror show. I eventually found another job. I was actually hired as a “Technical Writer” at that company where I stayed for another couple of years gaining experience and practicing my skills. (Not that I really considered myself a writer at that point, despite my job title. I just knew that somehow all these projects involved writing. I still wasn’t thinking in terms of making writing a career. It was just a job.)

When I was laid off (thank you, dot-com bust), I had a little time to think about what to do next. I could go and look for another technical writing job or I could do something else. Coincidentally, one of the people from my old job also had his own consulting business on the side. He called and asked if I’d help him with some promotional materials. I did. Then he asked if I’d help him with a consulting job that he had. He had the software end under control but needed someone to write the online help files. I did. When a friend of his asked for help with his website, he referred him to me. I helped him, too. All the while I was getting paid for all this “helping,” and I was getting way more than I ever had at a “real job,” even after I accounted for taxes.

It was about six months later that the light bulb went on. Dang, I was a freelance writer. People were constantly referring me to other people. I had plenty of projects to work on. I was paying self-employment taxes and buying my own supplies. I was in business! A career was born and the rest is history. I’ve been flying solo now for about fourteen years and it’s been great. It’s still a little weird to think of myself as a freelance writer, but there aren’t any other words for what I do.

So what’s the moral of my little story? If you want to be a freelance writer it might be easier than you think. Of course, you have to have an ability with words. And you have to be disciplined and organized enough that you impress your first clients (referrals are really helpful). But you don’t really have to set out with a defined road map from the time you enter college. It’s not a career that’s closed to you if you didn’t get the right degree or the right first job. It can happen to the scientist who starts helping other scientists write up reports for journals, or it can happen to the teacher who gets asked to write curriculum guidelines for the school administration. It might happen when you’re young or when you’re retired and looking for something to do. Being a freelance writer isn’t restricted to those “in the know” or who got an MFA. Articles, manuals, reports, guidelines, brochures, etc. are needed in every field. If you can write, you can carve out a niche for yourself.

Most writers tell stories similar to mine. They were simply asked to write something in their regular job, and then something else and something else until suddenly other people were asking them to write stuff, too. And then one day they realized that they were making a living at this thing called writing. Of course, if you have a plan you might get there faster and certainly your light bulb moment will happen long before mine did. If, though, you prefer to fall into the career, just say, “Yes,” whenever someone asks you to write something and then watch what happens.

(Photo courtesy of Shawn Rossi)

Writing Advice for Older Freelance Writers

Writing doesn’t suffer from quite the same age bias as other media occupations, but there is sometimes a tendency to favor younger writers over older writers. Why? Because younger writers are viewed as having a longer career ahead of them (which means more money for the publisher). Also, the sad truth is that younger writers are viewed as more “marketable.” They look better on book jackets, in magazine pieces, and in TV interviews. They also may be willing to work an absurd amount to break into the business. And, let’s face it, our culture is youth-obsessed. Those “Who to watch under 30,” lists and articles about the teenage wunderkinds sell magazines and fill news hours.

Despite this bias, there is still a chance for older writers to break in and make money. A great story or book is still valuable to a publisher, even if the author has one foot in the grave. Publishing is still a business whose object is to make money and a great book equals money, regardless of the author’s age. That’s the first thing an older writer needs to do and it’s fully within your control: Write the best story or book that you possibly can. Make it impossible for them to say no, no matter how old you are. Beyond that, you don’t want to handicap yourself any more than necessary. Here are some tips to skirt the age bias in publishing.

Don’t mention your age unless asked

Don’t bring it up in your query letter. Don’t send a picture of yourself. Most agents and editors will not admit to an age bias, but if you put it right there in front of them you may trigger their unintentional bias against you. Let your manuscript do the talking.

Don’t mention that you are “retired”

You may have taken up writing in your retirement, but don’t mention that in a query letter. You don’t want an agent or publisher to think of you as old, or as someone treats writing as a hobby. The only time retirement should be mentioned is if it’s relevant, but even then you should try to find a way to avoid it. For example, if you’re written a book about a Navy Seal and you are a retired Navy Seal, you might want to mention that, but rather than saying you are a “retired Navy Seal,” refer to yourself as a “former Navy Seal.”

Don’t mention your limitations

Publishers and agents need people who can get out there and help promote their books. If you have limitations that make that difficult, don’t bring it up until they are so in love with your manuscript that it won’t matter. If you aren’t technologically savvy, don’t bring that up, either, and work to correct it. Publishers expect you to be conversant in the world of Twitter, Facebook, email, and the like, and admitting that you aren’t isn’t a badge of honor, it’s a strike against you.

Draw on your experience and maturity

If you’ve spent any time in the working world, you should have a good idea of how to conduct professional conversations and write professional correspondence. You should be able to turn in projects on time and return calls promptly. You should be able to proofread and turn in error-free work. Not to say that younger writers can’t do these things, but older writers know how businesses work and “how to play the game.” Publishers like writers who are professional, prompt, and reliable.

Don’t date yourself

Along with not mentioning your age outright, don’t make reference to anything that might allow an agent or editor to figure it out. Don’t say, “I spent thirty years with XYZ Corp,” or, “I served in Korea.” Anyone with a brain can figure your probable age from that. Querying isn’t like writing a resume. Publishers don’t need your dates of employment. Leave anything that can date you out of it.

Don’t lie

While you don’t want to put a number on yourself early in the process, you don’t want to lie, either. If someone asks you directly about your age, fess up. The truth will always come out and you’ll be in trouble if you’ve fudged. Chances are, though, that if they’re asking about your age, they’ve already read the book and are seriously interested. Age matters less when the agent or editor feels like there is a salable project in the room. It’s that whole money thing, again.

Demonstrate commitment

While there are plenty of one-hit authors, publishers are usually looking for writers who are committed to producing multiple books. While this may be your first book, don’t mention it. A publisher can read between the lines and know that you’ve never been published if you don’t mention publishing credits, but you don’t need to say, “This is the first thing I’ve ever tried to write, it took me twenty years, and I feel like I’ve left it all on the table. This is my one great masterpiece.” Try to get some stories published in magazines or win some awards for other work to demonstrate that you’re active in the craft. You could also mention that this book is the first in a projected series (if it’s true).

Stay away from projects that scream, “Senior Citizen”

Unfortunately, memoirs and family histories not only give away your age but are often pegged as one hit wonders, if they’re a hit at all. The agent or editor sees these and thinks, “This person just wants to see this one project published before they die. They’re not a serious author.” Worse, the history or memoir that seems momentous to you is seen by the agent or editor as ho-hum. Unless your memoir or history is about something truly spectacular, you’ll probably want to stick with self-publishing for that.

Older writers can certainly break in, but they have to first write a book or story that is beyond reproach. Give a publisher something valuable and age starts to matter much less. Beyond that, though, it can’t hurt to keep your age out of the process for as long as possible. You don’t want someone to write you off before they even read your work. Sure, we should all be judged solely on our work, but it’s a sad truth that you have to outwit those who carry a bias against older writers.

(Photo courtesy of Aurelio Asiain)

Why You Should Avoid Writing for Content Mills

Many freelance writers work or have worked for a content mill at some point. Many have regretted the experience. Content mills are websites devoted to posting tons of articles on almost every subject imaginable (and some that aren’t, see number six, below). Quality standards vary and most pay very little for the work required. While some writers hope that content mills will help them break into freelancing or be a way to make some extra cash, both are unlikely. There are many good reasons to shun the mills. Here are some of the best:

Paltry pay

There are two issues with this. First, content mills pay pitiful rates, some as low as a penny per word. This means that a 700-word article would only net you $7.00. The federal minimum wage is higher than that. To make just $20,000 a year you’d have to write 2,857 articles. That’s nearly eight articles per day. Every day. No vacations or weekends. Even if you can crank out one per hour, that’s an eight-hour workday every single day of the year. And you’d still only make $20K. There are much better ways to make money.

Second, the low pay of content mills contributes to a growing problem for writers: The desire of content providers to get quality work for low pay. When other content providers see the mills paying such paltry rates they figure, “Hey, why should we offer more? The low pay model seems to be working for them.” It gets harder for writers to command the rates that they deserve when there are so many low paying markets out there having no trouble filling writing positions. Stick up for yourself and your worth and refuse to work for less than you legitimately deserve.

The mills stifle creativity and quality

Content mills are oriented toward one thing: Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. This means that your articles will be crammed with specific keywords that will try to bounce that article to the top of any search for those keywords. The problem is, it’s difficult to do this well and still produce a high quality, creative article. You’ll be churning out work that fits a very narrow set of requirements. There’s no room for your unique voice or any facts or issues that deviate from the narrow focus required by the mill.

You probably won’t gain any respect

Some writers believe that the mills are a way to “break in” and gain writing credits that can be parlayed into higher paying gigs. This is rarely the case. Because these pieces are rarely your best work (written quickly, skimpy on details, etc.), you may not even want to submit them as credits. And even if you do, most reputable, higher paying markets will not view them as quality credits. You may be able to get away with listing some content mill pieces in an otherwise robust portfolio of work, but as your sole credits those pieces will not gain you the respect you need to get ahead.

Hoop jumping

You’ll likely have to jump through a lot of hoops (submit an audition piece, articles have to go through an approval process before being accepted, there may be a probation period where you have to submit articles but you won’t get paid, etc.). You may play their game and go through all of their processes and still not get paid or hired on as a contributor. You’re probably better off writing for publications that have much clearer acceptance and employment processes.

Frustrating guidelines

Many content mills have a lot of guidelines for their writers, and some are not clear or are ever changing. For example, they may place limits on the sources you can use for research to keep you from using competing publications. However, you may not be provided with a list of banned sources until your turn in an article that includes one. Then your article gets rejected. You probably won’t work with one editor all the time, either, and each one may have a different set of expectations and standards. What is accepted by one may be denied by another, even within the same section of the website. Formatting may be another area where one segment of the site follows one set of rules while another follows something else. These formats may not be expressed clearly in the beginning leading to more rejected articles. Sometimes it can feel as if the mills are doing everything they can to make your job harder.

You may end up churning out ridiculous, nonsensical work

Content mills often come up with the title and then expect you to write the article to match. Since most of the sensible titles have been used, you get some strange titles that are largely just hot SEO keywords lumped together. They may make no sense at all and there may be no way to write an article that makes any sense. Writing about “Clay Aiken The Pokemon Earthquake” would be a stretch for even the most gifted writer.

You’re not building a network that you can draw upon later

When you’re writing for the mills, you’re not working with reputable professionals who can help you make contacts or navigate the publishing world. You’re not working with publishers, agents, and editors that garner respect in the writing world. They won’t make useful references or help you further your career.

You don’t care, and it shows

Writing for a content mill is about one thing: Generating a lot of words quickly. It doesn’t matter whether you care about the topic or not. It doesn’t matter whether you know anything beyond the basics or not. All that matters is the words. As a result, the articles show no passion and no depth. They read like what they are: Something rushed together without a care about the subject. If you want to be known as a writer who writes compelling, accurate, engaging, and informative pieces, a content mill is not for you.

You’re not learning anything

There are no professional editors helping you polish your work and teaching you how to become a better, more engaging writer. They may check for basic grammar and spelling errors, but that’s it. You’re not learning how to research or conduct interviews because you’re simply culling the most basic information off a list of pre-approved sources. You’re not learning how to market your work because the site is doing that for you. You’re not learning any of the skills that a professional writer needs to succeed. All you’re learning to do is write to a specific formula that is useless in any field other than the content mills.

The ratio of time to money is way off

You’ll spend the better part of a day churning out an article that might pay you $5. Even if you’re super fast at writing and researching, you’re still going to put in a lot of time for very little money. Time is the one resource you can’t get back. It’s generally better to spend your time working on things that will grow your “brand” as a writer and lead to better paying work. Work on your own website/blog that you can monetize, pitch articles to well-paying publications and sites, seek out corporate clients, work on that novel, or get that non-fiction book proposal together. Sure, not everything you try will lead to big bucks, but if you’re only going to earn pennies anyway, it might as well be in the service of something that you can build on and control rather than a content mill that is taking your labor and giving you nothing in return.

The mills are like quicksand

It’s too easy to get sucked in. You start out just trying to bridge the gap so you can make rent this month or put aside a little fun money. Before you know it, though, you’re working day and night for the mills because you need the income. You think you’re making some sort of progress in your career, but all you’re really doing is wasting time that could be better spent putting together higher quality gigs. You can’t get out because you need the money, but the mill is sucking up all of your time that you could use to look for better work. It becomes a vicious circle.

Opportunity rarely knocks

When you write for reliable, reputable publications and websites you’ll probably be surprised at the opportunities that surface. People see your work and ask you to write for them, or ask if they can obtain the rights to publish your piece elsewhere. This doesn’t happen with the mills. People may see your work, but they aren’t likely to care.

You have no protection or control

If the content mill folds, you’re out of work and you likely won’t be paid for any outstanding work. They can terminate your account at any time and for any reason. They can refuse your article for any reason and not pay you. As a professional freelancer, you should have more protection than this. Most legitimate freelance projects come with contracts that cover what happens in the event your article is rejected or needs more work, the editors/owners change, etc. There is more protection for you than you’ll ever get with the mills.

The only reason to write for a content mill is if you really enjoy the process or you’re just killing time and want a little extra cash. That might make all of the other hassles worth it. If you’re looking to advance your career, however, the mills are largely a waste of your time. There are far better ways to make money, improve your writing, and build your writing “brand.” Spend your time wisely by seeking out legitimate clients and working with true industry professionals. The mills will simply take your time and give you little in return.

(Photo courtesy of Johann Dreo)