Comments on: Sometimes Writing and Editing is Boring!

By: Shannon Evans

Shannon Evans — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:07:09 +0000

I look at my giant labrador foot warmers (Mocha and Luke) and think to myself, “If I were not a freelance editor and writer I would have to shower before 4 pm again. I would have to brush my teeth and hair before I logged into the company network. I would have to actually be pleasant to people on a daily basis, face to face!” Then I give my slobbery foot warmers each a head ruffle, pick up their leashes, and go out for a romp in the woods or on the beach. I find this reflective method life affirming and renews my resolve to make my editing/freelance business successful.

By: Hayli M

Hayli M — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:15:40 +0000

Yep, rewards system is the way to go! I even took a no-pay monthly column once just because it sounded like a fun and quick project, completely different from the monotonous real estate and financial topics I usually write about. It is indeed a great diversion and – bonus! – wound up offering decent pay after a couple months. It’s motivation to plow through the boring stuff. The driving range works well too.

By: Matt Keegan

Matt Keegan — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:23:00 +0000

Good point, Shari. My corporate clients are wonderful, but I just cannot imagine working for them!

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Tue, 02 Oct 2007 02:25:15 +0000

[...] Sometimes Writing and Editing is Boring! [...]

By: Shari Schmidt

Shari Schmidt — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:40:39 +0000

Whenever it gets boring I remember how much I hated my last job. If I fail as a freelance writer, I’ll have to go back into the corporate world. I love corporate clients. I hate being a corporate employee.

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:39:05 +0000

lol… I agree with all three of you and use your systems… no vegie garden here, but I do have a wee garden… mowed the lawn yesterday in the middle of a project.

Matt, 20,000 words isn’t that much… about 90 pages… double spaced… most books are 50,000 or so and up.

By: Gloria Hildebrandt

Gloria Hildebrandt — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:44:52 +0000

I make myself a cappuccino and think about the hourly rate I’ll get for doing the work.

By: Matt Keegan

Matt Keegan — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:25:44 +0000

I concur with AW — rewarding myself for tackling a difficult task is essential to maintaining sanity.

Even with the most enjoyable projects, I find that taking a break and doing something else (like visiting this blog) is just the diversion I need. As long as I keep my breaks short, I will manage my time wisely.

20,000 words?! E-gads.

By: AW Duea

AW Duea — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:11:51 +0000

I use the reward system on myself. I give myself a couple of hours of editing (or writing a rather dry newsletter, as the case is today), then plan to do something more enjoyable once I’ve put in those hours. I might go harvest some vegetables from the garden, or write a blog post I’ve been looking forward to, or work on an idea for an article that will be fun. That works for me!