I’m not the first writer to compare freelance writing to dating, and I probably won’t be the last. Because when we dream, we don’t like limiting ourselves and it is OK.

In an ideal world, there is this one perfect person for everybody, a soul mate. In my case, it is this perfect guy who will make me happy.

And in an ideal world, there is a perfect writing gig – a writing gig that satisfies you both emotionally and financially. Let’s see why the search for something perfect and search for someone perfect are alike, and the possibilities don’t seem very encouraging.

Here’s what my perfect guy would be like (not in the order of importance)
– Fun-loving, easy-going, exciting AND reliable.
– Able to get along with my friends, and his friends like me too
– Loyal
– Able to communicate easily
– Not possessive at all (non-intrusive, not someone who calls 10 times a day)
– Believes in me.
– Is infatuated with me no matter how long we have been together
– And doesn’t go through a major personality change as years go by.
– Able to support himself financially
– We have things in common
– There is space, and mutual trust.
– We have mutual friends, and we have separate friends groups. (I have a life outside of him)

Am I asking for too much? Am I asking for the impossible? Maybe. But hey, we are talking about ideal and perfect, so this is not the blog post to compromise, or settle.

As for the perfect writing gig: (not in the order of importance)
– Pays well, pay on time and pays via Paypal (reliable)
– It is on a topic that I genuinely love (exciting)
– It is ongoing. (Loyalty)
– The editor is fine with my style, work and personality. (easy- going)
– I feel the same way about the editor ((mutual feelings)
– I am not required to dedicate my life to this job alone. Hey, there is more than one topic I love writing about! I also don’t want to write about the same thing every day. And I definitely don’t want to be required to write about the same subject several times a day. I want a job outside work. (space)
– It doesn’t require me to research for hours all the time. As much as I love learning about stuff that intrigue me, I have my limits. (space, fun)
– The job isn’t dependent on my location or religion. I am very serious about the “free” in freelance. (I have a life outside this gig)
– It can be done from anywhere, and I am not required to go to an office. Skype conference calls are OK. Being dependent on a physical location…not so much. (non-intrusive)
– Refers me to other editors and publications as well. (believes in me)
– Lets me know in advance if things are about to go wrong, expectations or conditions change. (trust, communication).
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Did I leave anything out? Oh well, from what I can see, both challenges seem equally daunting and difficult. And hilariously similar…

 

And I haven’t found either. But it doesn’t mean I will stop looking, even if we don’t live in an ideal world. Because I don’t like to settle.
I know that we all occasionally take jobs we are not 100% happy with, or date people we don’t see a future with. And it is OK. We need the fun, experience and the mistakes. But we can’t dedicate our lives to jobs or people that are not right for us, that take more than they give.
Where are you on finding the perfect gig? Or the perfect partner?
And which do you think is a more difficult process?