Thursday, April 10, 2008

Sources, Where Are You?

Have you ever been given an assignment that didn't sound so bad at first, but after you dug in, left you hunting for sources under every rock you could think of?

That's where I'm at right now. The article is due Tuesday and so far I have one expert and no anecdotal sources. I'm trying hard not to go into panic mode yet. I'm not sure if I should go ahead and tell my editor that it seems to be a sensitive subject and I'm still searching high and low for one or two people to interview. Or should I just grit my teeth, forge ahead and get something turned in without complaining?

Because that's my problem. When it comes to writing, I'm a people pleaser. I don't like to tell editors I'm stumbling over road blocks. I don't want anyone to think I can't complete my assignments, tricky as they might turn out to be. Because then they may not want to work with me again. I'm kind of a wimp that way.

So what would you do? I typically start losing sleep when this occurs, which is never a good thing. And I'm so worried about it I'm procrastinating and not completing the work I do have sources for. It's a vicious cycle.

2 comments:

Misti Sandefur, Christian author/freelance writer said...

Renee,

What type of sources are you looking for? I might be able to help you if I knew. Also, in case you haven't already, try these sites:

http://www.experts.com/
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/
http://www.allexperts.com/
http://www.expertclick.com/

Renee Roberson said...

Ah, help! Thanks for the leads. I've tried ProfNet and Expertclick, I believe, but I'll try the others.

I'm looking for ways for single parents with infants to meet other parents for support. Online forums, social settings, etc. Kind of a narrow topic, which is causing the glitch!