by DanPowers on April 30, 2009
I choose my writing time based on the type of project I’m tackling, and that can range from the late nights at the dining room table to the regular mid-morning focus-fests at my desk with multiple windows open on two computer screens. As I’ve asked around, many fellow writers have preferred times - even self-imposed mandates - for their writing. I’ve gotten into the habit of writing when there is time inbetween the less flexible appointments of the week.If there was a way to create a certain writing window the same time every day, I wouldn’t be as productive. The variation of work time throughout the week is as necessary and attractive to me as the constant diversity of my projects. Over the years the range of topics I’ve been fortunate to research has ingrained an innate desire for the next unique writing experience - unique in topic, sources, quotes and sure - what time of day all those components come together. If you’re always writing during the same window of time, try writing your next draft way early or way late. Just try it.
Your best work may await you after midnight
by DanPowers on March 21, 2009
I didn’t drink coffee - and I mean I didn’t even drink a few sips - until I was around 30. It was never something I picked up during high school, and in college I was a Coca-Cola drinker. A 2-liter at night was common. Anyway, somewhere about 7 or 8 years ago, I tried a mocha on the prompt of a friend who loved lattes. The chocolate taste was much better than any coffee I’d ever tried, and getting a mocha a couple times a month when out to breakfast was the start of this now nearly daily relationship.
I Need Some Coffee For This Project...
I’m not certain that having coffee helps my writing, but I wouldn’t say it hurts either. I’ve found the normal scenario of setting up in a coffee shop with Wi-Fi and writing an article becomes more interesting with the coffee jolt. By interesting, I think I should say unpredictable. (Spontaneous and creative may be more positive adjectives. ) The stream of consciousness that gets revved up can make my angles more compelling, unique and pointed. There’s also a chance I cold lose focus and pursue a tangent of commentary that is fascinating in the moment, but later reads strangely off-topic.
Having analyzed articles pre-submission against the writing scenario I was in has helped make me more intentional about how I use “the buzz”. And there are different buzzes per coffee shops, brands and probably even baristas. I know if I go to a certain Brewing Market in Boulder, my large mocha will jack my brain for about two hours and I can crank out my writing with frantic glee. If I go to a certain Vic’s Coffee shop I get more of an incisive focus that almost always helps me reveal deeper nuggets of detail that weren’t apparent during the intial outline process. A different shop’s coffees somehow sends me wandering the vastness of the internet, following links like PacMan until I’m reading about some corruption lawsuit in Jakarta for my article on new trends in Colorado landscaping.
You can have similar physiological reactions to food, and paying attention to how your coffee - or any food/drink choice - affects your concentration is worth the effort. Now where’s that chocolate-chip muffin…?
by DanPowers on March 14, 2009
I made an appointment about a week ago for an 8:00 AM interview yesterday at the business owners’ office. I said I’d call to confirm the day before. Well, I called about 5:00 PM and left a message, with my cell number to call if anything changed.
In the morning there was no message and the interview went great when I arrived.
Why Didn't I Call The Day Before?!
Right.
My contact was not there, although I did speak with him by the office’s phone as he was driving northward to a destination 2 hours away. We had to reschedule. Had I called in the morning the day before - when I listed to do so in my own calendar - I would have used that time for a different project.
I mention this experience as both a public admonishment to myself and to prompt my readers who are writers to be vigilant in their confirmations for interviews. Of course, I took the time to check out a restaurant nearby that I had written about a few years ago but never tried their breakfasts. Lemons always have some lemonade in them.
by DanPowers on February 25, 2009
In 1998 I snagged my first email account at entrepreneurmag.com. Since that time I’ve tried additional web-based email accounts as well as direct accounts for a couple businesses and websites I created. At this point I have over 10 for various purposes and projects, and I’m comfortable with managing several information streams.
For freelancers, I recommend having at least 3 email addresses: one for friends and family, one for you direct business communications, and a catch-all address. For a free service I have been very happy the last few years with Gmail.
Here’s what to consider: Friends and family means those people who email you relatively infrequently, and most importantly they aren’t likely to forward your email address randomly such that you get onto inane and unwanted email lists. (This could easily be more than two email addresses: think family/work friends/college friends/volunteer group friends.)
A business address focuses your thinking when you’re in that email account to just project-related items. The third address is for newsletters, online accounts, membership sites - any of the places that require an email but if they don’t fall into the previous two categories, assume this email address will be sold and the spam will soon be flowing. You can periodically reevaluate whether you need the info that flows here, and dump it if it’s just overrun with garbage.
There are free services that aggregate several emails and other online inputs (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and I’ve created easy forwarding rules that allow me to follow all my inputs regardless of the account I’m in at any given time.
Plus each account provides a niche option to provide a tagline, link, photo, sales prompt - all sorts of things that would resonate with your audience. For my family email address I show a link to our YouTube page for the latest videos of our adventures. Business clients - a link to this site, and a Twitter account prompt. Other emails have a Linked In tag.
Being online is a completely customized and categorized reality - don’t try to squeeze all the aspects of your life into just a couple emails addresses.
Free PR? Naw, Too Busy
by DanPowers on April 30, 2009
It astounds me when one of my assignments ends up being too busy to schedule a call or visit for an interview for an article that is meant only to highlight what is so great about them - and at no charge. Over the years this has happened frequently enough that I wonder what part of a business owner’s brain actually helps them be profitable when they also can dismiss the chance to tout themselves for free to large (or shoot, any size ) audience.
In the past couple weeks I’ve experienced rescheduling, last second apologies and plain ol’ getting stood up regarding my appointments to talk to the owners of businesses that I would otherwise be writing very light, upbeat stories about - for publications that go to tens of thousands of people at no charge to the business.
Even worse is the lack of follow up by the marketing person from one business. Wouldn’t free press be one of the most easy and prioritized projects of the week for such a person?
Okay, I’m ranting. Indulge me. If you’re a freelance writer, I know you’ve been in this spot. If you’re not, don’t let this deter you from becoming one. Just know it’s part of the job.
So I’m now right to deadline having finally talked to one of the admin assistants to the business owner (another one just totally bailed, saying “I guess it’s not going to work out”) and I’ll be writing a little later in the evening than originally planned.
{ 0 comments }