Creatively Challenged

I'm afraid I'm rapidly reaching writer burn-out. I'm not sure what is going on lately, but I'm having the hardest time being creative. At work, I struggle to write catchy headlines and subheads. I can't seem to find a way to put a fresh angle on an "evergreen story." I'm starting to fear for my productivity in 2009 if I keep this up!

On the other hand, I keep an Excel spreadsheet with all my freelance assignments on it, broken out by month. I happened to start going over it the other day and was a little startled. Since January of this year, I've written:

• 9 newspaper columns (including restaurant reviews) and 12 articles for The Charlotte Observer

• So many blog posts in various places I've lost count

• At least 24 parenting articles both online and print

• Several other articles and briefs since I began working at Charlotte Parent

• About 4 pro bono articles for Little Blue World, including a celebrity interview with Perez Hilton where I got to talk to him on the phone!

So I guess I've been busy. And by the looks of it I won't be slowing down anytime soon. I just need to figure out how to take some kind of mental vacation (a physical one would be nice too) so I can recharge my creative batteries! How do you do it?

Free Verse

I'm tired and it's been a long day, so I think I'm just going to randomly scatter my thoughts into this post. Bear with me. I'll try to be grammatically correct but I just don't feel like worrying about what form this goes in right now! Maybe bullet points would make it easier to read:

• Have you ever had a good idea for an article but didn't do anything about it? Then six months down the road, you see your article pop up in a national magazine with someone else's byline? It's happened to many times, most recently in the October issue of Self magazine. I thought of an article idea about how to unleash your creativity awhile back, and lo and behold, I came across it in last month's issue. It was a good read, and a good kick on the pants for me to get off my duff and start querying the nationals again!

• I participated in the "Writer Mama Back-To-School Giveaway" in September, and Christina Katz recently named me one of the three most inspirational participants in the contest! She awarded us two signed copies of her books, and I'm chomping at the bit to begin reading her latest, "Get Known Before the Book Deal." I'll try and post a review of the book in the next few weeks!

• I found a cool new blog over at Health.com called "Poked and Prodded." I especially love the posts written by parents of a child with a peanut allergy. I have a beautiful, completely huggable almost 3-year-old son with a peanut allergy and severe speech delay, and the author's words hit right home. I try to be positive for the most part, but having a son with such a serious food allergy who can't express it in potentially dangerous situations is enough to make my heart stop at times. It's something we battle daily, and I still marvel at the insensitivity other parents have towards it.
  
  
• Looking for some new writing resources? I wrote a guest blog at Freelance Writing Jobs a few months ago as part of a contest, and while I didn't win, this post was a hit! Check it out when you get a chance.

• It's been sort of a melancholy day. I plan to finish it up by doing a little yoga and strength training after the kids go to bed. Coldplay's "X&Y" album has been on repeat on the iPod today. Namaste!
  

It's Been Too Long . . .

Since I last posted on this blog. I am ashamed. Things got unbelievably hectic starting in August, and my life has yet to slow down. Part of it is self-inflicted, as I am still training regularly and  competing in the occasional road race. After embarking on that journey this past May, I lost half of my body fat and now weigh 115 pounds, 93 of which are pure muscle. It's a great feeling to have the body of an athlete, but believe me, I have worked my tush off for it. It's had a tremendous effect on my mood  and energy levels, not to mention I don't run and scream from department store dressing room mirrors any more!

In August, I got a part-time job opportunity with a magazine I had been freelancing for over the past few years, and am excited to now be working as an associate editor at Charlotte Parent. It's hard work, but I am learning so much. After five years of sitting in a lonely home office, I enjoy socializing with my co-workers. And I still get to leave in time to pick up both my kids from school.

 I also still do some freelancing on the side, so life is good. And busy. My daughter started kindergarten this year and my son is at an in-home daycare, so juggling their demands, energy levels and working 25+ hours a week on my projects is definitely a balancing act. I'm going to sit down and work up a regular, weekly schedule for this blog, because I love blogging and enjoy the feedback I get from visitors. If I've learned anything over the past year, it is that we all learn tremendously from each other. I would not be where I am without the support and advice of fellow writers and mentors.

I'm interested to see how writers are faring in the freelance field during this time of economic crisis. Interestingly enough, I was approached for at least two other significant contract jobs right around the time I accepted my new job, which I found surprising given the state of our economy. But, I guess it makes sense. More and more companies are outsourcing their copywriting and reporting so they don't have the burden of full-time salaries and benefits for their staffs. Have you found yourself getting more and more work recently? Let me know how you're doing!

The Elephant In The Room

I found an interesting post over by Tamara and Lorna over at Freelance Parent. They often field the question "how much money can you make as a freelance writer?" So, they decided to share their gross income for the past month. It made for an interesting discussion, because I know that's always the "elephant in the room" when the topic of what a writer does for a living comes up in a casual conversation.

Honestly, for me, it fluctuates. Certain times of the year are busier. I typically find that the fall is extremely busy for me, and things pipe down a little in the summertime. (Or it may be the for the past few summers, I've had both kids home a lot so I haven't had as much time to prospect for new leads). And it all depends on how much you work. For the past two years, I'd say I've probably averaged 20 hours a week working, and that includes the not-so-fun business aspects of the job like filing, invoicing, prospecting, etc. So, without further adieu, I share with you the fruits of my labor:

• So far this year, my gross monthly income has averaged at about $750 dollars. That typically includes two to three regular clients. My largest client is an online Web site, and one or two regional magazine articles fill in the gaps.
• My biggest month last year was November, where I was working a lot as a stringer for the local newspaper and picked up extra assignments from one online site. I grossed $1,600, and worked extremely hard that month for every penny!

Now I'm hoping to triple my current monthly income once school starts, as both my kids will be in school at least six hours a day this year. I'm already trying to get my work lined up so my plate will be nice and full next month.

If you're working a full-time job but want to quit to become a freelance writer, Deb Ng has some good tips for you over at Freelance Writing Jobs. Good luck!

You're Only Human

I read an interesting post today by Jodee at Freelance Writing Jobs. She talks about the best way to handle a situation where you hand in work to a client that is less than stellar. I've had it happen. You've probably had it happen. We're all human. It's going to happen at one time or another. I used to take it really personal and feel like I let a client down in the worst way, which can be good and bad. Bad because it puts undue (and most of the time, unnecessary) stress on me. Good because it causes me to get my rear in gear and fix the problem, pronto! Most of the time, it turns out well. I've been fortunate and most of my editors have been really understanding and continue to send work my way. And those who don't? Well, maybe they aren't clients I want to work for if they are that inflexible and unforgiving of one honest mistake.

I think Jodee is right in her advice that you do the best job you can and handle the situation with grace. Turning in shoddy work and then disappearing off the face of the earth is probably not in your best interest. Do you agree or disagree, or does it depend on the circumstances? For me, I can't beat myself up too much if I don't turn in fantastic work in a two-day turnaround time, especially when interviewing sources is required!

She Makes It Look So Easy

I deliberately set aside the latest issue of Writer's Digest when it arrived in the mail a few weeks ago, as I wanted to have some reading material for the ride to the coast. Most importantly, I relished the thought of learning more about Diablo Cody, the featured WD interview of the month. I learned a few things I hadn't heard yet about Cody, such as how she started out her career typing copy at a Minnesota ad agency. I too started out in the biz humbly, I was an administrative assistant at a small ad agency in North Carolina right out of college. I did everything from make coffee to type up insertion orders to answer the phones. (I also met my hubby there, but I digress).

Fed up with not writing, Cody took a job as a stripper to have something to write about. Hey, whatever works, right? Now she's an Academy-award winning screenwriter with a plate full of projects. If only . . .

I like that Cody is so down-to-earth and matter of fact when she discusses writing. She basically looks at a blank page as the most fun in the world, because to her writing isn't work, but play. I'll have to remember that once I get back to writing my novel that always seems to get pushed aside.

Writer's Digest has also revamped their site, and I highly encourage you to take a new look at it. Honestly, I've been kind of afraid to because I already have way to many online diversions! But seriously, you can find writing prompts, blogs, informative articles, interviews, writing competitions, and even an online community. Very nice.

Back From Vacation . . .

And back to reality! We just returned from a nice, relaxing, sun-filled week at the North Carolina coast. It truly was wonderful, and I even finished two novels in one week, which is unheard of these days. I did have to log in a few days and check e-mail periodically, as the week before vacation found me turning in three different articles and I had to make sure my editors didn't have any burning questions. Hey -- I tried my best to be unavailable, but I just can't seem to do it!

The past few summers have found me scrambling to find reliable childcare so I could still get my regular work done without the help of of the wonderful preschool down the street. It's hard to toil away at the computer when I can hear the sounds of neighborhood kids splashing in in the pool down the street as I make my daily trek out to the mailbox to look for checks. I try to make it fun for the kids, because it is summer vacation after all, but inevitably, I find myself checking my e-mail every five minutes and frantically typing during my son's naptime.

I came across a great article on writing during the summer courtesy of the Writer Mama e-zine. You should really subscribe if you get a chance. I get excited when it hits my inbox, and they even gave this blog a shout-out recently (hi to all the new visitors who found Renee's Pages via the Writer Mama zine)!

Mary Andonian has been around the summertime block a few times, and I enjoyed her suggestions for "how to spend summer vacation." Just a few of the useful tips I gleaned from the article:

• Organize your workspace and materials -- with your children by your side! I know my daughter loves playing the role of office "assistant" so I'll be sure to have her help me get my desk cleaned off later this week.

• Arrange a child swap with a fellow writer mama. I have a few friends I need to call to arrange this very thing before summer's end.

• Send your children to summer camp! My daughter has been enjoying several this summer. The problem? My son wasn't old enough to go yet, so I had to find additional childcare for him while she attended camp. End result? Drop in profits! Next summer they'll both be able to go!

• My personal favorite: rejuvenate! I'm pleased with what I've been able to accomplish this year and look forward to planning the rest of the year out, when both kids will be in school and I'll have more time to block out strictly for work.

Hope you're enjoying your summer! I can't believe it's almost August already.