finding writing jobs Archives - Addicted to Writing

“Write what you know” is one of the most overly-used advice in writing. It’s such a cliche that you feel like people should stop writing about it already. So why the hell am I doing it?

Because it is a very useful cliche. It works, people take advantage of it and that’s why it has turned into a cliche in the first place. And it has definitely worked for me:

– My first two writing assignments were travel articles on 2 cities I knew well.

– The next one was a 5-piece article series on business management. I have a BA in Business.

– I wrote articles on social media based on everything I had learned blogging.

– I wrote several articles on Freelance Switch, closely related to freelancing.

– My article on writing while holding a part-time job (I loved) got published on Make a Living Writing.

– A city inspired an entire story, while a PR lecture inspired the premise for a novel.

– ……

The list goes on.

As obvious as it is, sometimes we underestimate what we know, or we fail to pitch our knowledge in the most intriguing way.

Brainstorming about things you know is a great exercise for finding ideas but sometimes we can make things a little too broad or narrow. And sometimes we focus on our degrees and researches so much that we forget that what we know also includes our failures, what we have experienced, what others have experienced, what we have seen and so on.

Make a list of areas you’d like to write about. Make a list of what you know, in the broadest sense. Then keep brainstorming, developing ideas, pitching and writing.

I am not saying you should only write what you know. I’m just telling you not to underestimate what you know. It can be a great starting point, whether you are just starting out or just feeling blocked.

It’s not a coincidence that the ultimate bestseller of legal thrillers is John Grisham, who holds a law degree. It’s also not a coincidence that he has gone on to write dramas revolving around baseball since he plays and coaches.

Go ahead. Make your list. You might be surprised about everything you’ve overlooked.

I Love My Job — Image via hamiltonwriting.com

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?

The Ultimate Cliche of Getting Published Through What You Know

Why Finding the Perfect Freelance Writing Gig is like Finding The One