19 Jan 10 Writing When You Don’t Want To Write

Just like a lack of ideas can really stifle your writing ability, a lack of desire to write is just as bad, if not worse. When you don’t want to write, but you have to for work, you can be facing an uphill battle. Writing requires so much creativity that you really have to be in the proper place of mind to write. When you find yourself feeling less than up to the task, pushing through those times can be a long and arduous process. But here are a few tips to help you along the way.

-Make sure that you have a good schedule, and that you stick to that schedule. If you’re a writer that works from home, the biggest part of making that transition is remembering that this is still a serious job. Just because your environment is the comfort of your own home, doesn’t mean you can slack. Schedule out your projects and stick to them, in the long run this will help you feel like you’re in more of a professional environment, and you’ll be more apt to get your writing done.

-Know when you need to take a break. Because writing is so creative, sometimes you need to take a break to keep the creative juices flowing. Give yourself 5-10 minutes when you’re feeling especially unproductive. Take a moment, go outside and get some fresh air, then go back to work. You should feel calmer, and more willing to resume normal duties.

-Don’t get down on yourself, or bully yourself into writing. Everyone goes through phases where they don’t feel like writing. You just have to stay confident and positive, and keep plugging away. The feeling will pass, but don’t give in and stop working because of it.

-Finally, try making a reward system for yourself. If you have a lot of articles to do, map out the articles and make up rewards for completing a certain amount. Like if you desperately want to take a break, set a goal to finish four of those articles before you do. If you’re hungry and really want to eat lunch, make sure you complete another two beforehand.

Tags: Break, Creative Juices, Creativity, Fresh Air, Home Doesn, Job, Lack Of Desire, Lot, Lunch, Map, Professional Environment, Resume, Reward System, Rewards, Transition, Uphill Battle

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17 Jan 10 Why Client’s Feedback Matters for a Freelance Writer?

I was talking to a fellow freelance writer yesterday. He was quite pissed on one of his clients as the client has given him some nasty feedback. He was not sure if he deserved it, and according to him he did everything in his capacity to please the client, but it didn’t change his client’s feedback.

I am narrating here my discussion with him because I want to tell the readers that no matter what, feedback given by your client “about your work” matters a lot. His reaction to your personality may not matter, but for the work you have done for him, it does matter.

Having said that, I must say that your client’s feedback is not the final word on the quality you are able to produce. It is just a reflection of the kind of work you have produced for the client. You need to ask yourself where you have erred, and you should try not to repeat the same mistake again with another client. One feedback may not hurt you, but quite a few will blow a serious dent in your reputation.

How to avoid negative feedback?

Ask as many questions as you need to ask in order to understand the full details of the project before you start working on it.
Ask for the deadline, and verify if it is realistic or not. If you feel the time frame for the completion of the project is not sufficient tell him that. And also tell him what according to you should be the deadline for the work. Stick to whatever deadline is fixed.
In case you need extension, tell him days in advance. Calling him on the last day for extension may give you an extension, but will take away your reputation.
Do the best for each of your client. No matter how low or high one is paying. Always remember it was you who accepted the low rate, client did not put gun on your face to do so.
Ask for feedback.

Always keep your eyes and ears open, and welcome feedbacks with open arm. This is how you will grow.

Tags: Blow, Eyes And Ears, Feedback Matters, Feedbacks, Fellow, Final Word, Freelance Writer, Lot, Mistake, Nasty, Negative Feedback, Personality, Reflection, Reputation, Time Frame

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08 Jan 10 How to get a Proper Feedback for Anything Under the Sun

A feedback is important. It plays a crucial role in our personal or professional development, but it works only if we get a proper feedback. An improper feedback like, “things look good to me” does not do any good. Therefore, the real challenge is to know how to get a proper feedback from people around us.

In this article, I have tried to provide a workable “feedback seeking system” which you can use to get a proper feedback. You can also modify the system, if you feel something is missing.

Step 1: Define your feedback goal

Why you want a feedback and on what? The answer to this question matters a lot. A generic feedback like, “all is good” or “there is some problem here and there, but the rest is good” will not do any good. Set a target for why you want a feedback. If you have written something then the feedback you can seek could be related to your writing style, coherence, grammatical and punctuation errors, or overall understandability. You can subdivide your work in this way and ask for feedback about the particular thing you want to know.

Step 2: Qualify your feedback source

Do not seek feedback from anyone and everyone. It will do no good. A proper feedback should come from a qualified source. Ask your senior, your client, your boss, your teacher, or anyone who is more qualified than you are on the subject for the feedback. A washerwoman’s feedback on the structure of your SQL database will serve nothing.

Do not ask your family or the closest friend who knows everything about your project for the feedback. Good or bad, it will never give you the feedback that you can use.

Step 3: Ask targeted question

Ask questions relevant to the feedback goal you set in step one. Do not pose generic question, as it will not fetch desired answer. Ask a targeted question and listen patiently for the answer.

Step 4: Promise anonymity

If feedback sought is for something or someone else then assure your source that his or her identity will be kept hidden if he or she wishes to do that. And if the feedback is about you then tell the feedback source that his or her honest opinion will not tarnish your relationship. This is very important.

Conclusion

Do not lose heart if you do not get positive feedback from all quarters. No matter how smart your source is, he or she can still be short-sighted or wrong. Show confidence in your ability.

Tags: Anonymity, Ask Question, Boss, Closest Friend, Coherence, Generic Feedback, Generic Question, Lot, People, Plays, Professional Development, Promise, Proper Feedback, Punctuation Errors, Sql Database, Step 3, Sun, Target, Washerwoman, Writing Style

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19 Jan 10 Writing When You Don’t Want To Write

17 Jan 10 Why Client’s Feedback Matters for a Freelance Writer?

How to avoid negative feedback?

08 Jan 10 How to get a Proper Feedback for Anything Under the Sun

Step 1: Define your feedback goal

Step 2: Qualify your feedback source

Step 3: Ask targeted question

Step 4: Promise anonymity

Conclusion

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