Power in a Blog Reply

I often read through the replies to this blog and are pleased that other freelance writers, new and those well into their careers, are stopping to add comments to my blog.

While I am not into social blogging, these people are stepping up to the plate and affirming to people breaking into the freelance writing business that the skills taught here are important.

Many people want to get paid to write, but they flounder. I did. I worked for hours and made no headway for almost a year. I read books - but they were not written by real freelancers. They were basic 'How to Get Started' books that you could probably have taken the word 'freelance' out and put in 'actor,' or 'screen writer,' or 'Ebay sales.'

I did loose hope a few times. Once I had to take a job in a coffee shop, which just proved to me that I was not suited to working in that environment.

I took another job in a factory. It was good, until I realized that 'fools lead fools' and no one was interested in doing a good job, they just wanted to be a petty little 'Nero' in a tiny pond. I was frustrated that, on one side, they cried because the plant was going under. On the other side, they wouldn't do anything to protect their jobs.

Did this change my attitude? I don't know. I wish I had kept a journal for that first year. Did I work 10 hours a day, but waste four of them? Did I use research as an excuse to meander through the Internet? Did I waste an hour a day doing important things, like laundry, walking the dog?

Did working for people set my resolve so when I came back to writing - I worked! I started to drive myself. I can honestly tell you that when I moved, all my writing went on the back burner. I did not have half the gumption of Sharon Hurley Hall who has been working through a move from England to Barbados, where taking four months to do a job appears to be normal.

All I can say is, pick a freelance writing job that you like - and teach yourself to work. Put factory pictures up on the wall. Put stories of labor abuse on the wall. Put your children's pictures on the wall. It doesn't really matter - just put something on the wall that will keep you motivated when you start slacking.

And ...

If you agree with what I am saying, put your response here...put a link to information you know is relevant. Have your say. There are some new writers who are learning from this blog, give them the 'hands up' that you never had.