Don't Quit Your Day Job

Let's back it up a bit! - photo by imagerymajestic

I've been helping a friend who is trying to launch her own freelance business, mostly providing advice, giving examples of what I did, and letting her know what worked and what didn't. She's enthusiastic about it, which is awesome, but sometimes maybe just a bit too much so.

She currently has a full-time day job that (mostly) pays the bills, but she's eager to take the plunge into full-time freelancing. In fact, she asked me to help her draft a two-week notice to her her boss! Her thought was that if she put positive energy out there, with the intent to become a full-time freelancer, the universe would be happy to oblige.

At that point, I had to throw on the brakes and (virtually) sit her down for some tough love. This was the email I sent to her...

Whoa! Slow down!!!

Please listen to what I'm about to say and know that I am saying it as a friend and someone who care about you.

You are not ready to quit your job.
When I left my job to freelance full time, I was in a very different situation:

1. I pretty much had to leave because I was going to lose my job due to repeated absences because of taking care of my son. It was quit or get fired.
2. My husband had a job that could (sort of) support us. Not well and not comfortably, but we could keep a roof over our heads and the lights on.
3. I knew that if things got really dire, there was always a content mill. I don't know of any similar sites for graphic designers

Remember that it still took me more than a year to pick up my current steady client, and work was pretty piecemeal up until then. I was busting my butt to build credits.


How do I know you aren't ready? You told me. If you are having trouble paying the rent on your current salary, you are not ready.

Here's my advice: Start saving every penny you can from your freelance design jobs and sock it away in a savings account. Figure out how much you need for six months of living expenses - rent, food, lights, etc. When you have six months of living expenses socked away, you have enough to quit your job. At that point you will also have more experience and professional credits and be in a better position to get the good-paying jobs.


While I understand the Law of Attraction and the desire to put the energy out there, quitting your job now would be like running onto the freeway and hoping that positive energy would prevent the cars from hitting you. I suppose it might happen, but I'm certainly not going to test it. You absolutely MUST have a safety net. MUST. If you hit a dry spell and don't have a back-up, you'll be screwed and homeless. It's hard to work remotely from home when you don't have one!

Is it going to be tough while you are working to save up? Yeah, probably. But it will be worth it. There's a reason why boxers train with weighted gloves. When you are actually ready to quit, it will be much smoother sailing. Hell, it will probably feel like a vacation!

Please, please, listen to what I'm saying. Don't quit your job unless you score another one. You just aren't ready to freelance full time yet, and that's okay.


What would you have told her?

What I Read: 2012

I have stacks like this throughout the house. -- Photo by adamr

At the beginning of 2012, I challenged myself to track all the books I read throughout the year. Mostly it was out of curiosity -- just how many books do I read in a year, anyway? I also thought it might make a cool blog post: What I read, how I felt about each one, and the impact the books had on my life.

There's some really good stuff on here, along with some puerile crap that I can't believe I managed to force into my eyeballs. I also noted which books were read in book club. Some of these were rereads, and I've noted these as well. I'd love it if you noted your own stand-out books of the year in the comments!

The List:



1.       We the Living – Ayn Rand (book club)


This was a pretty heavy choice to start the year. I had never read an Ayn Rand book before, but I know people who both love her and hate her, so I was definitely intrigued. Can't say I agree with her viewpoints, but it was an interesting book.

2.       Full-Filled – Renee Stephens
Just what the world needs... another diet book, right? This one was pretty good, actually. I lost some weight with it. I think it's a good program. I also really like the podcast series that accompanies it. Ultimately, I wasn't able to stick with it, though.
 
3.       Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads – Rosaline Wiseman (book club)
The concept here was interesting, but ultimately felt really stereotyped. I also felt it didn't apply to anyone whose child isn't "typical."
 
4.       1984 – George Orwell (book club)
Boy, were we on a roll, huh? (Don't worry, we worked out way out of it later.) This was my selection. I had never read it before and apparently needed an excuse. It made me think a lot about the fact that most news is now printed online, where history can be changed with a click.
      

5.   Organized Simplicity – Tsh Oxenfried
Loved this one! I need to reread it. She really lit a fire under my butt. I've since subscribed to her blog, and I look forward to her updates.

6.    The Gunslinger – Stephen King
These were rereads.  

7.   Drawing of the Three – Stephen King
 
8.   The Wastelands – Stephen King
 
9.   Wizard and Glass – Stephen King
 
10.   Wolves of the Calla – Stephen King
 
11.   Don Juan in Hankey, PA – Gail Martin (book club)
This was a fun farce set in a opera house. Light reading and pretty funny. Also, it was edited by a good friend of mine and member of the book club.

12.   S.T.A.R.S. – Susan M. Heighway & Susan Kidd Webster
This was sent to me by the editor of Autism Aspergers Digest. She thought I might find it helpful for an article I was working on. She was right.

13.   Is Everyone Getting Together Without Me? – Mindy Kaling (book club)
Another light and silly read from the star of "The Mindy Project" (among other things).
 
14.  The Life of Pi – Yann Martel (book club)
This one inspired what I'm quite sure is the best book club discussion we have ever had. Over piles of excellent Indian food, we discussed our own personal spiritual beliefs and learned a great deal about each other.
 
15.   The Digital Writer’s Guide to Highly Effective Work Habits – Sean M. Platt
Good advice in here. I've put a lot of it to use.
 
16.   The Digital Writer’s Guide to Twitter – Sean M. Platt
More good advice, but I'm a major Twitter slacker.
 
17.   Song of Susannah – Stephen King
Finally got back to Roland and the gang.
 
18.   The Dark Tower – Stephen King
 
19.   Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
I read Hunger Games last year with the book club. Finally thought it was about time I finished the series!

20.  Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins

21.   The Lucky One – Nicholas Sparks (book club)
Not something I would pick on my own, that's for sure.
 
22.   Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman
I started this last year and the book went missing at some point. Finally found it and was able to finish it! Loved it!
 
23.   Big Trouble – Dave Barry
A reread. I just needed something light and hilarious, and this fit the bill perfectly.
 
24.   Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – JK Rowling
Of course, this was a reread. I reread these at least once a year.
 
25.   Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – JK Rowling
 
26.   Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – JK Rowling
 
27.   The Primal Blueprint – Mark Sisson
My sister went primal and convinced me to do so for quite some time. I lost a bunch of weight, but then I fell off the bandwagon.
 
28.   50 Shades of Grey – E.L. James
Read it to see what the fuss was about. Still can't believe I made it through this mess. Ugh.

29.   The Wind Through the Keyhole – Stephen King
When I reread The Dark Tower earlier this year, I had no idea this one was coming out. Great timing! It was nice to get back to these guys.
 
30.   The Well-Fed Writer – Peter Bowerman
Sooooo glad I read this one! It made a MAJOR change in the way I do business, and things have really taken off! (One of the reasons that blog posts have been... sparse... later in the year.)
 
31.   American Gods – Neil Gaiman (book club)
I put this on the book club list after reading Neverwhere. Another one I've been meaning to read for ages. I loved this book. So much. So so much.
 
32.   Game of Thrones – George R.R. Martin
Wanted to see what the fuss was about. This one was definitely worth my while!
 
33.   A Hunger Like No Other – Kresley Cole (book club)
The beginning of my book club's "porn phase." I gotta admit -- it was pretty good!
 
34.   Practical Paleo – Diane SanFilippo
I tried to get back into primal/paleo eating. Good information and a healthy way to live, but ultimately, not for me.
 
35.   A Clash of Kings – George R.R. Martin
Toward the end of this book, it pretty much went sailing through the air. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be continuing the series. Luckily, a friend convinced me to persevere. So glad I did!
 
36.   Sex and Death in the American Novel – Sarah Martinez (book club)
The continuation of the porn phase -- and written by a friend and former book club member!
 
37.   Tides of War – Christie Golden
Mists of Pandaria was coming out! I had to know what was going on behind the scenes, right?
 
38.   Eat Like a Dinosaur – Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry
Trying to make a family transition to paleo, hoping that going gluten-free would be beneficial for Elias.
 
39.   A Storm of Swords – George R.R. Martin

40.   A Feast for Crows – George R. R. Martin

41.   The Casual Vacancy – J.K. Rowling (book club)
This is technically a book club selection, but I read it months in advance because I adore Ms. Rowling (she's kind of my hero). This book was excellent, but I felt like it had "I am not a children's book!!!" scrawled across each page in Sharpie pen.
 
42.   A Dance With Dragons – George R.R. Martin
 This should really have an asterisk behind it since I just started it in December. Have you seen the size of this thing?? I'm taking a vacation this weekend, so hopefully I'll finish it then. I guess it will technically be the first book on my list in 2013, too.

So there you have it. I read 42 books in 2012. There were more that I started and didn't finish for one reason or another, but I didn't count those. I was actually expecting it to be more, but I did get really busy toward the end of the year.

The Weekend Dilemma

Are you working for the weekend?
Photo by phanlop88

I can never decide whether weekends are good for working or if I should try to stick to the five-day work week and give myself some time off.  During the week, I see the weekends as a pool of available hours that can be used to catch up on projects.  Those weekend hours look especially appealing to me on days like to today when I have to help out in my daughter's preschool, take my son to an occupational therapy appointment in Seattle (which winds up being about a four-hour round trip), and there's a sink full of dirty dishes waiting for me too (note: this post was actually started on Monday morning and finished on Wednesday, which is probably indicative of the problem!).

But then the weekend comes, and the last thing I want to do is actually sit down and work.  I got some stuff done this weekend.  I got some reference information to the magazine publisher who needed it for some statistics I quoted in an article, and I have the newsletter almost completely done for the preschool (just waiting on some photos... if they don't get the info to me by today, I'm publishing it anyway though).  Unfortunately, I only got about two hours of real pay-the-bills work in throughout the entire weekend though.

The excuses are, of course, numerous:

• I need to catch up on housework.
• I want a break from the hectic week.
• I want to spend time with the family.
• I want to catch up on my reading.
• We rented a movie that I really want to see.

And so on and so forth.

The problem is that if I don't dedicate at least part of my weekend to work, I feel like a total slacker. Part of this is because of days like today when I know I'm only going to log two or three hours of work at most (I'm going to take my netbook to the appointment though and hopefully sneak at least another half hour in).  The other part is that I feel a strong commitment to my clients, and when deadlines are tight, the time has to come from somewhere, and I'd rather not stay up until two in the morning trying to get the work done.  

Another option is to plan to work the weekend and make other days throughout the week my days off.  While making Monday my day off sounds ideal, I think it's not very practical and could make clients not-so-happy, since that's the beginning of the work week for so many people.

Decisions, decisions...

Do you work on weekends or do you declare them hands off?  

Long Overdue Update

I'm always kind of astonished that I get paid for this.
Photo by Michal Marcol

I have a terrible confession:  I've been letting this blog languish while I've been off playing with the other kids.  Poor blog. I know how that feels.  I'll try to do better.

I wanted to post an update on my writing world.  I can't help but laugh when I look at my initial goals from "back in the day."  I also can't believe that "back in the day" was really only about a year and a half ago!  Lots of changes since then...

I'm very pleased to report that all my scraping and clawing and writing anywhere I could has really started to pay off.  I just got picked up as a contract copywriter by a company that designs websites for medical professionals. They have a stable full of clients who need content for their websites, and I can work as many hours as I want in a week.  Granted, like all freelance work, the hours aren't guaranteed to always be this steady.  Slowdowns are kind of inevitable in this business.  But so far, things are looking great.  I just turned in my first time sheet, and I made more this week than I typically make in a month!

I've had a lot of questions since posting about my good fortune on Facebook, mostly wanting to know how I found the job and how I started from nothing and pulled myself up. Here are my typical answers:

• I signed up for every freelance job board I could find.  I learned quickly which ones were worth my time and focused my efforts on those.  
• I applied for every writing and editing job I could find that I thought I might be even remotely qualified.  
• I realized that I had an incredibly useful niche -- I am a healthcare content writer.  There's a huge market for this, and it's an area where I have plenty of knowledge.  
• While I started out writing for any site that would publish my work, I figured out which sites were more "reputable" in the freelance world and stuck with those.
• I viewed every piece I wrote as a stepping stone to my next job/prospect.  I didn't try to scale the ladder my first time out; instead, I took it one rung at a time with the goal being to get to the next rung on my next project.
• I asked for feedback on my work so that I can improve.
• I followed the blogs of other freelance writers and read what was working and what wasn't working for them
• I read book written by freelancers, especially those who specialized in copywriting, which was quickly becoming my niche.
• I was willing to try everything to see what I liked and what worked and where I was most successful.
• I write.  Constantly.  Every single thing that I write, whether it's an email, a Facebook post, a blog post, or an article for a client, allows my to subtly improve. When I compare my writing from last year to my writing this year, the difference is remarkable.  I want to say the same thing next year, too.

Asking the Best Questions

You won't get the answers if you don't ask the question.
Image by hinnamsaisuy

I had a very humbling experience recently.

After completing a project of a type I had never done before and sending it off proudly to the client, I received it back thoroughly marked up in Track Changes.  I was horrified and was sure that I had screwed up completely and would never hear back from this particular client again.  I responded with a timid "I'm sorry that this isn't what you were looking for. What could I have done better?"

She was wonderful.  First off, she assured me that she was in fact happy with what I had sent her.  Some new information had come to her between the time we had spoken and when she had received my work.  No big deal.  However, she did have some advice for me, if I was interested.

I eagerly replied back.  Lay it on me!  I want to get better, and how will I if nobody tells me what I'm doing wrong?

Her response:  "The best writers ask the best questions."  She was absolutely correct.  I was so afraid of looking like I didn't know what I was doing that I completely failed to get all the background and find out the levels of the committees and other crucial pieces of information that would have helped me get a grip on that particular piece.  I was also so determined to make the piece fit the formatting samples that she had given me that I hadn't allowed myself any room for flexibility, which really hampered my efforts.  I could have saved myself a lot of time and trouble by getting more detail up front.  She knew that I was coming in late in the project.  I didn't have all the background... heck, she didn't have all the background.

There was no reason to be afraid of not knowing.  She didn't expect me to know.  The best thing about making a mistake is that I'm far less likely to make it again.

Death of a Coffeehouse

Image by Jeroen van Oostrom

Last Friday, I met a friend at my favorite local coffeehouse, Caffe Felice.  The place was packed, and I had to move quickly to score us a table.  Practically since it opened, it's been my go-to place for writing and meeting people.  A central, public location that's never too noisy but not so quiet that you feel uncomfortable having a conversation. The coffee was fantastic, the owners were friendly...

Yesterday, following an appointment, I decided to go down there for a couple hours with my netbook to get some writing work done.  As I pulled into the Landing, I noticed that the parking was easier than usual.  Well, that's nice, I thought.  I should have no problem getting a table today.  I was lost in my own thoughts until I approached the door.  A brightly colored bouquet caught my eyes, threaded through the door handles.  A printed sign hung on both doors:  Closed.

I looked at the bouquet.  Had somebody died?  There was a card tucked into the flowers.  I hunkered down a little bit to read it.  I don't remember the exact words, but the writer essentially expressed her regret at the "unnecessary death of a small business and a fine addition to the Landing."  I stood there for a moment as the reality sank in.  It was gone.  My favorite writing and meeting place had vanished, suddenly, somehow, between last Friday and today.

I drove home, hoping to find some answers as to what had happened.  They were gone from Facebook (I had, of course, friended them).  Their website only linked to a domain name directory.  I found no links on Google that even mentioned that they had closed, only articles about their opening two years ago and the usual review sites.

What went wrong?  I'm racking my brain, but I can only think of a few things:

• Over the past year, their hours had slowly decreased.  At one time, they had been open until 9 pm, making them the perfect place to spend time before a late movie (which I had done), a meeting place for a book club (which I had also done), and getting a little evening work done while the kiddo was at Scouts (guess what?).  Slowly, the time they were open slipped back until they were open until 8 (which eliminated the book club option and the Scouts option), and then 7.  My visits decreased, since that evening availability was no longer there.
• The place was always packed, but I've been witness to people coming in with food from the 5 Guys up the street, eating their lunch, then leaving without buying anything at all.  Really, could you be more rude?  I always made a point of purchasing something when I went in, a coffee, an iced tea, oatmeal, a bagel... Were others not so considerate?  Was the free wi-fi slowly killing them while giving the appearance of a bustling business?
• While searching for answers on Google, I noticed that some person had written an utterly scathing review of Caffe Felice and proceeded to place it on practically every review site available.  I read through the review and came to the conclusion that the person writing it was... well, a jerk.  The owner, not one to suffer fools, was apparently quite open in letting him know that.  I can't say I don't blame her.  Isn't that part of the joy of owning your own business though?  Not having to kiss up to anyone you don't want to?  Did she need to do a better job of playing the "customer is always right" game?

I don't know the answer, and all of this is merely speculation.  I am sad, and I wish I could find out what happened.  I'm sure that there's a lesson to be learned here for small businesses or anyone who is their own boss.  

What is the lesson here?

The X-Factor, My Cousin, and Risk Taking

This past weekend, my cousin Kristin auditioned for "The X-Factor."  Although in the end she was not selected, she gave her very best, was allowed to show off her immense talent, and walked away proud of herself.  She knew she had given her all and had earned the right to hold her head high.  She's already looking forward to her next major audition.

I watched as the whole thing unfolded on my Facebook page.  Regular updates from both Kristin and her sister Kassie allowed me to vicariously experience the excitement, the nervousness, the sheer joy of performing in front of an audience.  In the end, I wanted to stand up and give Kristin a standing ovation for having the sheer guts, the  faith in herself to do what so many are never able to do.  She took a huge risk.  Maybe she wasn't selected this time, but the confidence she gained and the desire to push on are priceless rewards.

Kristin with Tommy Tutone, one of the judges.
Photo courtesy of Kassie Moxon

Why am I posting about this on a blog primarily about writing?  Any talent-based venture, be it music, writing, dance, art... each begins by taking a risk.  By standing up and saying, "I can do this.  I want to do this."

The way I see it, success in these ventures can be broken down into just two primary pieces:  talent and perseverance.  Bicker all you want about how big the percentage is of each piece, but without both, there will be no success.

Although a lucky select few are born with a brilliant innate talent, many of us are able to take advantage of a single spark of talent, or the hint of a talent.  Over time, with practice and teaching from others who have gone before us, we are able to hone that talent and make it shine.  Change it into something that others also find valuable.

You can have all the talent in the world, but it is useless without the drive and the perseverance to deliver it.  You must show off this talent.  Let others see it.  Put it in front of their faces if you have to.  If you have something to sing, get up on that stage and sing it.  If you have something to say, post it where everyone can find it.  Artists, paint your hearts out and then show the world.  You will get "no."  It's inevitable.  But eventually, you will get "yes."  Take that first "yes" and make it work for you.  Let it snowball.

Today I applied for a writing position that some might consider above my head.  I have faith that, given the chance, I could rock this position.  And who cares?  I took the risk.  I'll take it again.  You remember what they say about the lottery, right?  You can't win if you don't buy a ticket.

An Update on the Schedule Change

This is what we're trying to avoid.
Photo by Stuart Miles

As you may recall, I was working on trying to shift my hours to take advantage of those morning hours that I prefer to sleep through.  Since it's been a week, I thought I'd post an update.

Last week was spring break, so my thought was that I would kind of "ease into it."  It worked pretty well.  I was working by 9 am every morning, so that's an hour improvement right there.  I definitely felt more productive throughout the week, so I'm pleased with that.

Today was going to be the more difficult day.  I was going to be up by 6:30, sending my kid out the door by 7:30 and working by 8.  Wellll.... it's 9 am and I'm writing so it's not as bad as it was before.  But I found myself stomping off to go lie down a little longer at 7:30 rather than heading into the kitchen to start my coffee.

I see some success and I can identify the obstacles, so maybe I can still make this work.

First off, I'm working at 9 instead of 10, so that's still a victory, even if it's a small one.  Just like any other behavioral change plan, you have to celebrate the small successes, so yay me! (haha)  Secondly, I went to bed waaaaaay too late last night.  Then once I got to bed, I had a really hard time getting to sleep.  While I don't know of any way to force myself to go to sleep (at least any that I'm willing to try), I do need to work on getting to bed earlier.

Tomorrow I have to be up early because I have an IEP meeting for my son scheduled for 7:30 am.  Yuck.  It's not going to be a productive day in general though... too many appointments.  But hopefully it will help with the overall schedule reset.  I'll update in another week and we'll see where I'm at.

I Don't Get No Respect

Seriously.  This is not what I do all day.
Photo by graur codrin

What do people see when you tell them you are a writer?

Option 1:  You in your pajamas and fuzzy bunny slippers at 2 in the afternoon, sitting at your desk and playing solitaire.

Option 2:  You in your pajamas and fuzzy bunny slippers at 2 in the afternoon, sitting on your couch and watching reruns of Judge Judy.

Option 3:  You in your pajamas and fuzzy bunny slippers at 2 in the afternoon, lying in your bed and taking your second nap of the day.

What exactly is it that we do?  Does anyone know?

If writing is your full time occupation, are you somehow lazier than your counterparts who get up and drive into the city wearing high heels or a tie?  Does planting butt in chair and allowing words to stream from your brain into your fingers, regardless of whether they are fictional or researched, make your work less serious?  Is it playtime, all the time, when you write?

I know it isn't for me.  It's been almost a year since I looked at my options and decided that making a go of freelance writing was the best decision.  I don't regret that.  But I wonder how I'm seen through the eyes of the people who know me.

I work hard most days.  My daily schedule is filled in from morning until about 9 pm.  I write in my breaks.  Just because my work is flexible doesn't mean it's less important.  I've come a long way in the last twelve months.

Get Up or Sleep In?

Prepping to do battle with my mortal enemy... my alarm clock.
Photo by Keattikorn

This is one of those eternal debates where everyone has chosen a side and no amount of persuasion will ever convince you to change.  Right?

Then why am I finding myself on the fence?

I've always been a late riser.  Happiness is sleeping in past 9.  But I feel like I should be getting so much more done during the day, so I've been giving those hours before 9 the hairy eyeball, trying to decide if I want to reclaim them or not.

This should be an easy decision!

Let me walk you through a typical workday:

6:20 am  Alarm starts going off.  I begin slapping the snooze button.
6:40 am  I relent, groan, roll out of bed and pull on my sweats.  I stagger down the hallway to drag my son from his bed so he can get ready for school.
6:50 am  I check my email, bleary-eyed, while my son gets ready for school.  I'm mostly on autopilot, but I am alert enough to make sure he's getting himself ready and hand out reminders as necessary.  If my daughter gets up, I send her back to bed.
7:15 am  Elias leaves for the bus stop, and I stagger back to bed.
8:30 am  My daughter begins pestering me.  I roll over and she either climbs into bed and snuggles or heads back to her own room.
9:30 am  The pestering wins out and I drag my sorry self from bed, once again feeling guilty for sleeping so long and wondering whether I could possibly handle getting up earlier.  I fix breakfast for myself and Maddie, get her hooked up with her favorite show, read email and Facebook while I eat, then start my workday at 10 am.

I could be doing a lot more with those hours in between.  Or could I?  Do I actually have it in me?  Or would I just stare at the screen for two hours waiting for my brain to wake up?

I've read plenty on resetting your circadian rhythm and whatnot.  After all, I used to work a job where I had to be in seat doing productive things by 7:30 every morning.

So how valuable is that sleep time?  The main question is -- is it more valuable than the work I could be doing during that time? 


Next week I'll experiment with getting up a bit earlier.  It's spring break for the kiddo, so I won't be getting up quite so early, so maybe it will be a way to gradually ease into it.  I'll report back on my success (or lack thereof).

Why I Don't Outsource Transcription

Photo by Brandon Sigma

As you may have noticed, I love interviews.  I don't love the transcription process quite as much, though.  It can be incredibly time consuming and monotonous.  Transcribing an interview is one of the times that writing really feels like work.

Some time ago, I was involved in a discussion on a writer's board about the value of transcribing interviews.  I just won't do it.  Why?  If transcription is such a nuisance, why don't I just outsource it and carry on with my writing?

Here's my main reasons:

1.  I'm seriously cheap.

Quality transcription is expensive.  At this point in my writing career, I just can't afford it.  Period.  But I think that even if I could afford it, I still wouldn't.  I don't want to spend money paying someone else to do something I can do myself.

2.  It's a great way to review the subject.

Listening to the interview again as I transcribe keeps the information fresh in my mind.  It also helps me find little nuggets of wisdom that I might have missed the first time.  I can use the time to really think about what quotes I want to include and how to incorporate the interview into my finished piece.

3.  I'm kind of paranoid about transcription.

In a previous job incarnation, I had to rely on transcribed pieces to do my job.  I was horrified at how many errors I found.  While sometimes the errors were funny, sometimes they were scary, since doctors also relied on these transcriptions, which were a part of the patient's permanent medical record.  The doctors were supposed to review the transcriptions before they approved them, but it didn't appear to happen very often.  Some of the scary mistakes I found were centered around doses that sounded similar, but could potentially kill.  For example, a common error was 15 vs. 50.  Said out loud they do sound alike.  But when the patient's normal dose of insulin is 15 units, a 50 unit dose could do some real damage.

While my articles aren't likely to kill or maim anyone (I hope!), I still want my information to be accurate.  I don't want to misquote anyone or state a false statistic.

Freelancing Around Asperger's

Use waiting room time wisely.
Photo by Ambro

I got a nice shout-out today over on the Urban Muse's website, in an article entitled Freelancing Around Doctor and Dentist Appointments.  The question raised was:  How do you do it?

The problem of multiple doctor appointments was one of the main reasons I turned to freelancing in the first place.  As nice as the security of a 9 to 5 (okay, 7 to 4, yuck) job is, it's practically impossible to weave it around a schedule involving multiple appointments every week.  As much as I tried to keep all the appointments on a single day, unexpected situations that were beyond my control continued to crop up.  To make matters worse, when all my sick time was being used to stay on top of the situation with my son, it really left us in the lurch when my daughter or I would get sick.

We did our best for as long as we could, alternating sick leave between me and my husband, riding the edge of the FMLA line.  But it simply couldn't last.  When my son required inpatient hospitalization, that was the last straw.  It occurred to me, as I was leaving work to try and make rounds at Children's, that this wasn't working anymore.  I was tired of arguing with my boss, I was tired of meeting with HR to discuss "my attendance problem," I was tired of worrying about the phone calls from school.  I was just plain tired.

At that point, I took a month of unpaid leave to figure out if we could make it if I left work.  I had already been dabbling in freelancing; maybe now was the time to see if it could really work.  Things are tight, but building fast, so I have a lot of hope.  We certainly aren't rich, but we are slowly digging ourselves out of a hole.  And I can work around the crazy appointment schedule, free to drop what I am doing to go put out any fire that might arise.  Not to mention, I've been able to use my experiences as fodder for writing, and I've discovered that I have a powerful voice in the autism/Asperger's niche.

Here's all the ways I work around the appointments:

• As mentioned in the post by the Urban Muse, I bring my netbook with me whenever possible to get work done, especially if it's going to be an especially long or tedious appointment.
• I use the downtime to check emails, read other blogs, tweet... things that are easy to do from my phone and that get lost in the shuffle of writing sometimes.
• I can make the appointment work for me too.  My son's doctors and therapists are a wealth of knowledge and are perfect interview subjects.  I discuss potential ideas and articles (briefly) and ask if they would be willing to schedule an interview later.
• Sometimes it's nice to just kick back and read a bit on my Kindle app. I don't get much time to just enjoy a book and the waiting room can be the perfect place to recharge.

What's your biggest time challenge when it comes to getting the work done?

Interviews Part Four: How Will You Conduct Your Interview?

I prefer face-to-face interviews.
Photo by Ambro

Are you  planning to interview face-to-face, via telephone or by email?  Each one has definite advantages and disadvantages.  Keep in mind that sometimes what is a clear advantage to you will create a hassle for your interview subjects.  You want to make this process easy for them as well, as you may wish to interview them again in the future.

Email Interviews


As a writer, these are likely the easiest type of interviews to conduct.  You craft your questions, send them out and poof!  like magic, you have a handy set of information to read through, in a format that allows you to copy and paste quotes, if you so desire.  Sounds great, right?  Here's the dark side:

• If your interview subject isn't a very proficient writer, you may get a lot of garble that you need to "translate."
• If your interview subject doesn't like to write, they may resent the extra work.
• You don't have the opportunity to ask other questions based on the answers your interview subject gives you.  This is actually the email interview's crucial flaw.  Often interview subjects will bring up some piece of information about the topic you might not have even considered.  But to follow up, you'll need to send another email, and then you risk annoying your interview subject.

Phone Interviews

I really don't like phone interviews, and I avoid them if at all possible.  Part of the problem is just that I flat out don't like the phone and I have a hard time hearing people on the other line.  That's kind of my own personal problem, but if you are anything like me, you probably won't like a phone interview either.  I also like to record interviews (always ask your interview subjects for permission to record an interview!), and that's difficult to do on a phone without special equipment.  

I also don't like that I can't read someone's expression when they are answering the question.  That can tell you a lot about what they think of the question, which, if you are observant, may allow you to change your line of questioning a bit or interpret the answer differently.  

So what are the positives about phone interviews?  They're convenient.  You can easily fit one in without having to leave the house, dressed in your jammies even, if you so desire.  They're convenient for the interview subject as well.  They can just write you in on their schedule, not have to go anywhere, and go right back to what they're doing when the interview is complete.  

Face-to-Face Interviews

Far and away, my favorite interview.  While it means you have to make yourself presentable and leave the confines of your comfy office (maybe not altogether a bad thing), it's really the best way to have full communication with your interview subject.  If you are meeting them at their place of business, it's also respectful to them and convenient for them.  You can take advantage of any openings they give you and go down extra paths that the interview opens up (time permitting, of course).  Even better, they may be able to bring someone else helpful to the interview, who can shed additional light on the subject.  To me, a face-to-face interview always feels like a friendly conversation between two people who are both interested in the same subject.  

Interviews Part Three: Creating Your Questions

The right interview questions can make or break your article.
Photo by graur codrin

Now that you know who you are going to be interviewing, it's time to set up your interview questions.  While you might come up with a couple during the course of the interview, you need to know ahead of time what you are planning to ask.

Guidelines for Creating Interview Questions:

1.  Don't ask yes/no questions.  Keep questions open-ended.

2.  Work toward your interview subjects' strengths.  You chose these people for a reason.  A great starting point is "What is your position on..." or "How does your work directly affect the...."  These could also provide cues for some great off-the-cuff questions.

3.  Be careful to avoid bias.  You likely are trying to prove/disprove a thesis statement in your article, but there's no reason to advertise this fact.  Frame your questions carefully to avoid any appearance of bias.

4.  As writers, we have a tendency to write flowery sentences.  Knock yourself out in your article, but keep your interview questions short and to the point.

5.  Put a limit on the number of questions.  As tempting as it is to ask everything under the sun (especially if it's a topic that is especially dear to your heart), asking five really good questions can provide you with all the information you need for your article.  Remember that your interview subject's time is just as valuable as yours, and unless you are paying them for the interview, they are doing you a huge favor.  Want to increase your chances of interviewing them again?  Respect them by keeping your interview short and to the point.

Interviews Part Two: Asking for the Interview

I prefer to email my potential interview subjects.
Image by Stuart Miles

Now that you've chosen your interview subjects, you need to somehow convince them that they are eager to speak to you.  This can be a little bit tricky, but a little honesty and flattery go a long way.  The main key here is to let your potential interviewee know that you have a problem and they are the only ones who can help you solve it.  This may or may not be true, but if you can get them to feel like they are the gatekeepers of knowledge, you will pique their interest and stroke their ego a bit at the same time.  And don't we all want to be special?

1.  I like to approach a potential interviewee via email.  It isn't intrusive and they are free to get back to me at their convenience.  The other benefit to this is that I can carefully craft exactly what I want to say and not have to worry about getting caught off-guard.  A possible drawback to this method is that it can be slightly impersonal, but I think that as long as you aren't sending a form letter, you should be just fine.  We are all pretty comfortable with email at this point, after all, and I think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.  If you don't hear back within a few days, though, I do recommend a followup phone call.

2. Explain your problem.  Tell your subject exactly what your article is going to be about and why they have such a unique viewpoint.  Going back to my article example, the director of special education is one of the people who actually makes the policies (following legal guidelines, of course).  She also sits in on the IEP meetings for many of the kids entering secondary schools, so by this point, she's seen it all.  She really is in a unique position -- she clearly wants to do right by these kids, but she has to do so while adhering to the guidelines.  The professional advocate has sat in on possibly hundreds of these meetings, but has a completely different perspective than the school district.  I want to capture that, and I want to let her know that she is going to be the counterpoint in this article.

3.  Hand out a touch of flattery.  We all like to know that we are important.  If you've met the person you are interviewing, remind them of that and point out something positive about them.  I met the director of special education at my son's last IEP review and I was impressed by how concerned she seemed to be about the situation and how dedicated she seemed to finding solutions, so I told her that.  I have worked with the advocate and learned a ton from her about working within the system, so I told her that.  Nothing untrue, and letting your subject know his or her value can go a long way.

4.  Check your tone.  Use a respectful tone, regardless of how well you know your subject.  Your subject may need to request permission from a higher-up to grant you the interview, especially if they work for a large company or agency.  If your email gets forwarded up to a boss or media representative, you need to consider how they will receive it.  I don't think you'll get approval for "Hey man, I'm gonna write an article about how to screw over the district rofl!!! You in??????  See ya later, you up for drinks???"  Keep it professional.

Interviews Part One: Choosing Your Victims, I Mean Interviewees

Picking the perfect interview subject takes your article to a higher level.
Image by vichie81

One of my favorite research resources for articles is an expert interview.  An interview from someone who really knows their stuff doesn't just provide soundbites for the article, it can often provide thought-provoking extras and maybe even send the article off on a completely new tangent.  Without the interview, we might be just rehashing the same old research someone else already conducted, providing no new viewpoints or information.

I like to reach for the top when I go after an interview.  I want to get the most influential person I can, the person who is making the policies and who has the power to create change.  I want people who are working on the subject every day, from every angle.  I want people opposing viewpoints, I want controversy.

Sometimes I have a vague idea for an article and I conduct an interview just to see what ideas pop up.  I got a great article out of an interview I conducted with my son's Boy Scout leader.  It turned into my first feature story, and I'm very proud of it.

This time around, I have a very specific idea of where I want to go.  I'm writing an article about advocating for kids on the autism spectrum.  I know from my own experience and from other moms I talk to that dealing with the schools is difficult.  Even though we are supposed to be on the same team, it often feels like we aren't.  I work with a professional advocate to navigate the system.

When picking my interview subjects, I decided to snag the exact people who are at odds with each other.  I want the director of special education for the school district and the director of the advocacy program.  Two rivals, facing off.  I'm looking forward to hearing what each one has to say, where their opinions are the same, and where they differ.  Finding the common ground is going to be the meat of the article, but figuring out why there are differences in the first place might not only make some nice garnish, but could even provide fodder for a second piece.

Resolutions? Really?

Here it comes! Are your plans in place?
Image by Salvatore Vuono

It's that time again.  Time to make a bunch of promises to myself that I will surely break by January 3.  Maybe I can try calling them something different.  How about goals?  Ugh.  That just reeks of rah-rah you-can-do-it life coaching strategies.  All that positivity makes me ill. Can we call it a plan?  That sounds pretty good.  I like to make plans. I probably would have made a good project manager.  I make the plan and someone else has to follow it?  Sounds good to me!

Back to the topic at hand.  My plans for the new year contain many of the old, perennial favorites, but I'm actually heading in this year with some decent strategies in place.  I just need to keep up the momentum.  Here's my PLAN for the 2012:

1.  Live healthier (and hopefully drop some weight).  I've already put this plan in action.  I bought a book from someone about dealing with all that inner junk, to help work on the outer junk.  I know that I definitely have a lot of baggage in this arena, so hopefully this will help.  Can't hurt, right?

2.  Get my money issues in order.  This is an ongoing project over at the other blog.  It's at least something that I'm always conscious of, so hopefully that will keep things going in the right direction.  

3.  Keep the house in better shape.  I am a terrible housekeeper.  I just don't know what it is, but I just plain loathe housework.  And the poor house reflects it.  I don't quite have a strategy for this one yet.  Obviously the simplest strategy is "pick up as you go," but just like the simple strategy for weight loss is "eat less and move more," there's something getting in my way.  If it were that easy, there wouldn't be a whole shelf in the library dedicated to it, right?

And now the writing goals:

1.  Get that stupid city license.  I have the paperwork I need for it (finally), but thanks to holiday money issues, I wound up having to wait.  First paycheck in January is paying for that darn license.  Then I'm going to put my local marketing plan into action!

2.  Finish editing the novel.  Ugh, I know.  I've been saying this forever.  My poor baby is just sitting there, neglected.  I need to just get over it and get it done.  I find it harder and harder to work on projects that aren't actively paying me at the moment.  I need to set up a plan for that darn thing and make it happen.

3.  Start marketing magazine articles more aggressively.  My first real printed magazine article is coming out in March.  At that point I'll have a solid clip.  I plan to drop that clip all over town.  I'm thrilled that I have cultivated a positive relationship with the magazine.  They want me to do more work for them and I'm really excited about that!  Speaking of which...

4.  Get that e-book done. The magazine wants to promote it.  A nationwide ready-made audience ready to read my work?  What the hell am I waiting for?  I think there's a fear factor here, and I'm going to need to deal with it.

5.  Keep working on improving my productivity and efficiency.  It's getting better, but there's still work to be done.  I found a nifty little toy yesterday.  An online stopwatch.  So simple it's almost stupid.  But it kept me focused for long stretches of time, and I really got stuff done.  Good deal.

What will you be working on in the coming months?

The Talents I Don't Have

Yeah, I can't do that either.
Photo by maya picture

I usually try to avoid holiday parties.  I’m not one for enforced frivolity, so most of the time I wind up sitting in the corner, clutching a soda and chatting with the one person I know (other than the host, who is usually never seen).   I attended this one for a few reasons: 

1. The hostess was someone I wanted to get to know better.
2. My husband’s band was scheduled to play.
3. I was actually encouraged to bring the kids.

The party was intended to serve two purposes.  Not only was it a holiday celebration, it was also a kind of housewarming.   The couple who were hosting had purchased the house about a year ago, for a steal.  Of course, when you purchase houses for a steal, you also know that you are going to be renovating the heck out of them, and this was the case here.  When I heard stories about how bad the house was when they bought it, it blew my mind. 

The house was gorgeous.  Restored hardwood, high beamed ceilings and so many wonderful, decorative touches all over the place.  Our hostess is an artist.  She makes the most beautiful handmade dolls you’ve ever seen.  As I received my tour of the house, I couldn’t help feeling jealous.  I wanted to live in this beautiful house, but I know that if I had been in the market and had stumbled across it, I wouldn’t have been able to see the possibilities it presented.  I simply don’t have an eye for that kind of thing.

There’s a lot of talents I don't have:  

• I am not artistic.  I cannot come across some random object and imagine a new way I could use it to decorate my home.  I can't even draw, past a quick sketch.
• For that matter, I have a terrible time keeping my home picked up and free of clutter.
• I am not musical.  I cannot imagine new music or tunes I haven’t heard before.  I can’t sing either, although that doesn’t stop me from belting along with the radio.
• I can’t play first-person shooter video games.  I get lost and confused, and I have a terrible time trying to aim.

But there’s so many things I can do, and when I’m feeling envious of someone else’s talent, I need to remember the ones I have:

• I can turn a phrase and create readable and enticing prose.
• I have a good eye for detail.
• I have a logical approach to life, allowing me to solve problems with little trouble.
• I make friends quickly and easily.
• I can solve logic puzzles that other people see as indecipherable.
• I can cross-stitch, creating my own beautiful works of art. 
• I can cook delicious dinners for my family, embellishing as needed.

That’s not half bad, actually.