Addicted to Writing

Manage Your Freelance Writing Career While Writing What You Love

Should You Get a Day Job Until You Make a Full-Time Living from Your Writing?

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Every once in a while, I will catch a TV series or a movie where I’ll envy the full-time jobs and careers of the characters: The offices, perks, comradery, co-workers, the regular salary, insurance, potential for office romance no matter how tricky… And I’ll be a bit sad remembering that it is probably not going to happen for me, and that is my choice.

Then I’ll also read a semi-joking tweet or sometimes even an entire essay on the harsh realities of the gig economy and will feel like crying.

Because no matter how you look at it, making a living with your writing is hard work. Making a decent, regular, and stable income with your writing is much harder.

If you are just starting out, you might be thinking “You get to work in your PJs and vacation whenever the hell you want. How are you even complaining about the hard work?”

I’m not complaining about that. Working hard is not the problem.

We love writing. Otherwise, no one in their right mind would choose to become a writer. But just because we love writing, it doesn’t mean we love writing about anything and everything. It doesn’t mean we will be good at the other parts of the job such as editing, pitching, and marketing.

Being a freelance writer often comes with a challenge: Either you take on jobs writing about subjects you don’t care about so that you will have the occasional freedom to write about the things you do love, or you write about the things you do love and have the occasional freedom to buy the things you need and want.

So we find ways to diversify our income. We take full-time, part-time or freelance jobs that might or might not be writing-related. We write books, launch blogs, create courses, learn affiliate marketing, coach, consult, and study whenever we can to improve ourselves further.

While I love the freedom of being my own boss, I struggle with all the “jobs” I have to perform to keep my dream career going. I write, edit, pitch, market, read, research, answer calls and emails, and find story ideas.

Finding story ideas often means I have to socialize, which can be hard to find the time for with so many balls I’m juggling. And I shall not spend too much money on my social life because I have to save for my future – namely retirement and a damn good insurance because life is unpredictable.

And because we are busy writing and doing all the time, we risk burning out –which makes vacations crucial to our survival. Which brings us back to money.

Not to mention, when you get sick, the whole company shuts down. Because YOU ARE THE COMPANY.

So should you get a day job while you start earning a good income from your writing? It depends.

It depends on your goals, needs, responsibilities, and health.

  • Are you an extrovert who thrives more when she regularly comes into contact with people?
  • Do you need a stable paycheck for certain expenses?
  • Are you responsible for looking after people other than yourself?
  • Are you more comfortable and creative with a safety net?

Then you might consider supporting yourself with non-freelance work.

Now, there are many freelance writers who earn a lot of money from their work every month. To get there, you need to be more strategic when it comes to identifying your prospective clients and niches. You need to pitch regularly and according to a plan. You need to market yourself where your prospective clients are.

Yes, it can be done.

But if you are more into working for yourself, calling the shots and writing about things that excite you, things get a bit more complicated. It can still be done. It will, however, likely cause more frustration and anxiety in the process.

I’m sorry to say there is no one-size-fits-all sort of answer to this complex situation. You know you better than anyone. It is up to you to weigh the pros and cons.

As for me, a part-time job at an office where the culture appeals to my personality sounds like an amazing idea. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet seen such an office in real life. Yet.

Let’s discuss how you make a living writing in the comments.

 

 

2016 in Writing: The Best of This Blog, Year in Review, and Goals for 2017

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This post contains affiliate links.

As I’m writing this post, it is 3.45 pm, and it’s snowing heavily outside. Power is out for the second time, and I’m just glad we live on the sixth floor of a seven-storey apartment. (My intolerance of heights disappears when there are floods everywhere, and I’m just glad we are safe, warm and dry.)

2016 has been a weird year, to say the least. I’ve had personal and professional ups and downs, as well as financial ones. I’m not going to talk about what a terrible year it has been on a global scale. We all know what happened. News and social media feeds and friends’ updates, and even our favorite cartoons, constantly reminded us that the world had become even more dangerous than many of us knew.

Best of 2016 for This Writer

Let’s not mock anyone who feels 2016 has been the worst year ever. If they live in a country where terrorism attacks have increased, it might truly be the worst year ever.

Now that we acknowledged that, below are some of my highlights:

  • I finally decided on the theme and launch date of my travel blog.
  • I was published on The Washington Post’s Solo-ish blog.
  • I took some great courses on advancing my writing and my writing career.
  • I started to stick to some of my earlier resolutions.
  • I read some great books.
  • I’ve made some important decisions to make 2017 different in a terrific way.
  • I was active on some amazing FB groups, made great connections and friends.
  • I started cold-pitching.
  • I responded to calls for submissions, meaning I wrote according to a given theme and sold two articles in this vein.

Some of My Favorite Movies of the Year:

Favorite Novels

Favorite Series (That Premiered in 2016)

  • This is Us
  • Bull
  • Good Behavior (My review on my entertainment blog.)
  • Designated Survivor

Plans and Goals for 2017

  • Train my Dragon Dictate: Apparently, there is a book on it. My hands hurt, but typing has always been my favorite method of getting my point across and recording those points.
  • Move, move, move! I plan on getting a gym membership or taking regular dance classes again. I’m particularly interested in zumba.
  • Travel, travel, travel. I haven’t been aboard since 2015, and I’m itching.
  • Pitch, pitch, pitch! This goes for both fiction and non-fiction. Gina Horkey’s 90 Day Pitching Challenge was an awesome prompt in the right direction, but I still have some organizing to do. I haven’t been able to keep up with the 10 pitches-a-day goal. I fully plan to this year.
  • Eat more healthily. If I can’t eat perfectly healthily, I will at least add healthy stuff to make the relatively less healthy better. For instance, to keep my blood sugar level in check, I’ll have some nuts with your dark chocolate. Advice borrowed from one of my country’s top nutritionists.
  • Launch my first e-book on productivity.
  • Take on more coaching work
  • Respond the more submission calls.
  • When you are taking a course, actually apply the sound advice.

2016’s Top Posts on the Blog

  • How Not To Pitch An Editor: Be Vague and Impatient. Pitching is our bread and butter. Whether you’re looking to guest post, apply for a staff writing job or pitching ideas, you need to know your pitching etiquette. I offer two of the most important things to avoid with real life examples.

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That is it. What about you? What are your favorite moments of 2016? What are your goals and plans for 2017? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

How to Stay Fit, Productive, and Sane As A Freelance Writer: 10 Tips for Having The Best Freelance Writing Work Day At a Shopping Mall

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Özsüt, Akasya
The café this post was written at. Özsüt, in Akasya shopping mall, Istanbul.

Sitcoms of the 80s and 90s depicted shopping malls as teenagers’ haven. No reason it can’t be one of your offices.

Look, I know a shopping mall isn’t the epitome of health. Yes, a walk in the woods or going to a coffee shop with a sea view is better. But sometimes you need the change, size and the warmth.

If you are already healthy and can stand the harsh winter weather, please, by all means, walk outside every day. As much as you can. Even if it is just to and back from your favorite coffee shop.

But:

What if you sweat so much that by the time you get to the coffee house, even if it is just 15 minutes from your house, you look like you fell into a lake? Including and especially your hair? There is no possible way you can conveniently carry extra clothes, underwear, and hair-dryer along with your laptop and other freelancing essentials. Not unless you have the shoulder strength of a veteran backpacker. I don’t. And oh, one change of clothes doesn’t take my sweat away.

You might think the sweating is because I’m fat, but I’m not. While unfortunately I have extra weight I’m trying to lose, calling me fat would be scientifically incorrect. Picture below for scale.

 

Birthday Mohito, Hard Rock Café, Istanbul
Me, December 2016. Birthday Mojito.

Okay. So you, for one reason or another, you can’t walk to favorite coffee shop every day. You don’t live in a mansion, and you don’t have a treadmill desk (aff. link). You don’t have a gym membership. How are you going to get your exercise?

That’s where shopping malls come in.

I live in a city where malls are ubiquitous. They come with a selection of restaurants, coffee shops and all kinds of stores. And with so many malls to choose from, there are ones that aren’t too crowded and too expensive.

Here’s how to make the most of that mall:

  1. Set your timer. We all stay focused for different lengths. If the Pomodoro technique of working for 25-minute periods with 5 minute breaks (and then a 20-25 minute break at the end of 4-5 periods) gets your productivity going, great. If not, find out your sweet spot. But for the love of gods of productivity and sanity, don’t stay glued to your computer for hours on end.

Yes, I’m guilty of this. I suppose most writers are. It comes back to bite me in the form of extra pounds and nerve entrapment. So I’m writing this to remind you and myself.

It’s perfectly fine not to distract yourself in the middle of a productivity burst. But we all know they don’t always happen. So take regular breaks.

What has got this to do with the mall, you ask?

  1. Take a short walk during your break. I don’t know how shopping malls work in your country, but in mine, most shopping mall cafés don’t have bathrooms of their own. So you have to take like at least 500 steps just for a bathroom break. 2 bathroom breaks, you already got your first 1000.

Now, obviously it is better if you walk continuously at a certain speed. But 500 every time you need to pee, and if you have a regular-sized bladder and keep yourself hydrated enough, it is still a lot more than the bathroom-going exercise in your house.

  1. Take a longer walk during your longer break. Explore the stores. The bigger the mall, the better. If you actually try stuff on, the more calories gone. Sure, it is not sports. But it is better than staring at your TV or just doing the dishes. And never underestimate how many calories can be spent during shopping. One summer, my main method of exercise was shopping, and I lost like 18 pounds (about 8kgs.) Of course, I live in Istanbul, a shopping heaven. Never underestimate the power of your legs.

What about my stuff?

Unless I personally know the staff, I just take all valuable items with me: desktop, money, phone. I have MacBook Air (aff.link), so leaving everything else still makes me light as rain. No one steals your coat. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to tell the staff you are coming back.

But no one thinks you are a runner when you leave behind a table full of stuff. It might not fly everywhere, but it has worked for me so far. And there are almost always other friendly people who will watch your stuff. No one minds having the responsibility of watching your coat and some stationery.

Alternatively, you can use a co-working space; some malls have them. Or you can rent lockers at a little cost.

  1. Go outside, even if it is just the parking lot. You obviously need natural light and fresh air. So go get it. You are already dressed; you won’t get lazy.
  1. Walk back home. Or take a longer method of transportation. As long as it is safe and doable, try walking back.
  1. Take the escalators, and walk on them. (Unless you have a problem with your knees and the doctors told you to avoid them.)
  1. Always take the longer route. Go to the further escalator, further bathroom. Stride along the largest stores.
  1. Choose a café or restaurant with healthy options. I get that eating healthily generally costs a lot more. But unless it is Burger King, there is something healthy (or healthy-ish), affordable, tasty and fulfilling on the menu. Order that.

A couple of customized tips for those with a sensitive stomach:

I have gastritis, so I feel your pain. I have to take medication every day and limit my consumption of coffee to two mugs. Eating outside is always risky. What you can do to reduce the risk of food poisoning, indigestion and nausea:

– Order plain Greek yoghurt alongside whatever you are having. If you are in Turkey or at a Turkish restaurant, order Ayran (a traditional soft drink made with yoghurt, salt and water.) It greatly reduces the risk of nausea and or food poisoning. It is also great for your immune system.

– Ask for extra lemons for your salad. Lemon that stuff up! And I don’t mean lemon juice or sauce. I mean actual lemon slices. Not everyone washes salad ingredients so well. With the amount of chemical products we use on plants, you can’t be too careful. Also, it is extra vitamin C. Don’t you love killing multiple birds with one stone?

– Order hot, plain black tea with your meal and drink it with lemon. Also reduces risk of nausea, indigestion or food-poisoning.

– If you can’t or won’t do any of the above, add lemon to your water. It is healthier, better for your metabolism and again, protects your precious stomach. You are welcome. 🙂

  1. Obviously, don’t ignore the health of your wallet. I recommend choosing a mall with a range of stores, affordable to are you freaking kidding me? In case you need to do some shopping, get that chore done, without killing your budget.
  1. Enjoy other people. You don’t have to mingle with them, but even being alone in a crowd lightens the unbearable heaviness of working alone. And if you are at a co-working space, you can meet other freelancers.

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There you go. As I said, if you can take long walks in nature, walk or cycle to your favorite coffee shop or office, it is much better. But if you need a change of scenery, it is far too cold or hot to be outside and taking a hike is not an option, try working at a shopping mall. It might be very good for you. Guess where this post was written?

 

A Love Letter to All Freelancers With a Health Condition

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flu

I woke up today with a heavy head and low energy. Again.

My flu shot is waiting for me at the pharmacy with my name on it (literally; I booked it). I’m just waiting for my body to feel okayish so that I can get the contents without getting sicker afterwards.

My immune system is one of my biggest, most nagging problems. It is by no means the worst, and I don’t mean any disrespect to people who have to deal with much more serious conditions like cancer, autoimmune diseases and beyond.

But…

Getting sick all the time is no picnic.

Hearing from your friends “Again?” is not fun.

Only living up to like 20% of your potential because you have a fever and everything in your body aches is maddening.

Seeing having the energy to work at your desk for a few hours a welcome luxury is infuriating.

There are theories to why I get sick so often.

Before you can guess, let me lay down the basics:

– I don’t drink. When I do, it is usually a cocktail once a year.
– I don’t smoke. I run away from cigarette smoke, hookahs and whatever else produces smoke.
– I don’t do drugs.
– I hate fuzzy drinks.
– My only eating sin is eating too much chocolate, and I try to tone it down.
– I eat more healthily than a lot of people, but less healthily than fitness regulars and health nuts. I really want to be one of them. Once I get the health…Or should it be the other way around?
– I sweat too much. Not to the point that I can’t smell clean, but to the point that changing clothes so often burns more calories than a 10-minute work out.

Get me on the dance floor, and in one song, I’ll look like I fell into a lake.

When someone advises me to not go out with wet hair, I have to exercise self-control not to say something offensive. It’s not possible for me not to go out with a little wet hair. If I breathe, I sweat. My hair included.

It’s partly genetic, partly due to living in a populated and gigantic city, and partly due to side effects of the medication I took and continue to take.

Let’s get to that:

– I took too much cold medication for two years: I was studying to get into college, and we have a shitty education system. The pressure is unbelievable. All your future used to rely on a three-hour placement test, and you could only take it once a year. (It’s no better now.)

The pressure and anxiety are way more than what we felt watching Trump.

The exam determined the rest of your life. Or so we have been raised since we were little kids. I don’t blame my parents; I bought into it too.

We didn’t know about freelancing, people brilliantly switching careers or that most people ended up at jobs, willingly or unwillingly, they didn’t study for anyway.

A lot of us cracked.

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t devour the meds while people weren’t looking. My doctor subscribed them because I always had physical symptoms. Fever, sore throat, blocked nose/runny nose…

I just didn’t get better. Stress is not your immune system’s friend, and
this is a lot of pressure to put on any high school senior.

I got in. I got into a good private school with full scholarship. It was a useful major too: Business Administration.

But my immune system didn’t get better. The first year of the school was disappointing for a lot of reasons. Hell, after that much pressure, probably Harvard would have failed to impress me, but, alas…

I got fewer colds. What I had this year was different. Frequent nausea. No, I wasn’t pregnant. I had developed gastritis thanks to my awesome stocking up on so many meds.

And when you spend another year sick – a year that is supposed to be your most awesome and carefree – you lose it.

And I did. I developed OCD and depression. Maybe the inclinations were always there. Maybe my self-preservation and panic kept them at bay, while secretly making them stronger.

It took me a while to come to terms that I hadn’t lost my mind.

But this is not a story about mental health. My point is that mental health medications have side effects too. Like making me hungrier more often. Like sweating even more. Like totally messing with the quality of my sleep.

Fastforward 10 years and change, and I have:

– lived that carefree college year in Norway.
– been to 10 foreign countries
– attempted learning 3 different languages
– finished that degree and double-majored with another
– got a certification to teach English worldwide
– became a writer, which has always been my dream
– completed several screenplays
– made amazing friends
– learned a lot about life, myself, empathy and more.

But I also put on 10+ kilos, got my blood sugar level to dangerous levels, developed resistance to insulin, dealt with the highs and lows of being…well…me. You read about my immune system, right?

That takes a toll.

So no, I don’t have it worse than most people. But it doesn’t change the fact that my quality of life is negatively affected.

I still get sick a lot quite frequently. One favor my immune system did to me is that when I have a cold, at least it is less severe than most. I have the heavy head and the fever and the blocked nose, but I’ve never had to be hospitalized. (I’ve been hospitalized various times because of stomach problems, though.)

But I’m writing this from my bed. I’m thinking of the assignment I have due in a week, and I’m hoping my body will do me solid and give me enough time to recover and I can rock the essay without being tortured in the process.

Fingers crossed I can finally get the flu shot. Fingers crossed I will feel fine for a long time before I get sick again.

Your condition might be much worse or better than mine. You might be dealing with other health issues in the family.

The point is, I get you. I get why you get frustrated, why you produce less work than you want to. I get why people who don’t have the similar experiences don’t understand you.

I get why you are pissed off.

I’m here for you.

If you have had enough of your health issues, let me know. There’s power in sharing and understanding.

Let’s write on despite our luck and wellness levels. Let’s write on until we can figure out better solutions. Let’s write on.

Because while it might be hard, being happier helps your stress levels. And the kick of getting published and being paid for it doesn’t quite compare to much else. Does it?

Love,
Pinar

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