April 2011 Archive Page 1

Checklist your way to productivity

I don’t know any freelancer that doesn’t want (or need) to be more productive. And even though I’m well organized (hubby would say obsessively so) and highly productive, I’m constantly looking for tips, tools and techniques to manage my time better.

Which is why I follow and engage with other freelancers I admire, like Linda Formichelli, Daphne Gray-Grant, Kim Stacey and Lori Murray.

In fact, it was Daphne’s #3 idea on this list that got me blogging more regularly.

How? continue reading

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104 unexpected places to find inspiration

Inspiration truly is everywhere—if you pay attention to what’s right in front of you and allow your mind to wander, make connections and generate ideas.

Here’s my not-so-short-list of unexpected places to find inspiration, in no particular order.

  1. an actual phone book
  2. back of a cereal (or any) box
  3. cookbooks
  4. eavesdropping on planes, trains, buses & subways
  5. pets
  6. kids
  7. neighbors
  8. art galleries
  9. coloring books
  10. old letters
  11. scrapbooks
  12. photographs
  13. abandoned houses (don’t go in … just imagine the story of it in its former glory)
  14. clouds
  15. library
  16. book store (as long as they still exist)
  17. different angles/perspectives (lying down, upside down, etc.)
  18. podcasts
  19. funerals
  20. weddings
  21. fortune cookie fortunes
  22. a sport you’re unfamiliar with
  23. sermons
  24. manifestos
  25. newspaper archives (think microfiche even)
  26. box of crayons
  27. toy store
  28. stuffed animal, salt & pepper shaker, coins, matches or other collections
  29. treasure chest/memory box
  30. nature trails
  31. old business cards, stationery and marketing collateral
  32. antique stores, flea markets, swap meets & auctions
  33. horse farms
  34. documentaries
  35. really old vacation slides
  36. hospital & nursing home residents
  37. chess & checkers
  38. fabric & yarn
  39. craft & hobby shops
  40. water (oceans, lakes, creeks, streams, sprinklers, fountains)
  41. swimming pools & swimmers
  42. family reunions
  43. old files (tax forms, warranties, etc.)
  44. the human body (have you ever really studied the back of your own hand?)
  45. haiku & poetry
  46. paint chips/paint store
  47. sunrise/sunset
  48. chopping veggies
  49. making tea
  50. hanging out at a coffee shop
  51. reading a textbook
  52. writing, cooking or eating left-handed if you’re right-handed or right-handed if you’re left-handed
  53. talking to a stranger
  54. reminiscing
  55. window shopping
  56. walking backwards
  57. talking to or teaching a child
  58. watching two people talk through sign language
  59. sitting on the porch doing nothing
  60. picnics
  61. typewriters
  62. postcards
  63. the classroom
  64. classic movies
  65. classic cars
  66. festivals & fairs
  67. gardens, topiary & bonsai trees
  68. historical accounts
  69. museums
  70. physical activity, sports & exercise
  71. exhibits
  72. trade shows
  73. chance encounters
  74. amusement parks
  75. music (listening or making)
  76. quotations
  77. human interest & love stories
  78. volunteering
  79. theater
  80. a starlit sky
  81. swipe file
  82. home & garden stores
  83. maps & itineraries
  84. garage & yard sales
  85. the news
  86. controversy
  87. Charlie Sheen (or the train wreck du jour)
  88. grandma’s advice
  89. business correspondence
  90. chat with a friend
  91. re-reading a favorite book
  92. hula hoops
  93. prayer & meditation
  94. deep breathing
  95. jokes & pranks
  96. puppy bellies & kitten noses
  97. success stories & triumphs
  98. produce stands & farmers markets
  99. manual labor
  100. white boarding & mind mapping
  101. handwriting a letter
  102. random acts of kindness
  103. blowing bubbles
  104. quiet & solitude

P.S. Why 104? Because I accidentally fat-fingered the keyboard and made a typo then thought, “Heck, why not 104?” Why not, indeed.

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How to instantly overcome writers’ avoidance

This interview got me thinking about how to overcome writers’ avoidance.

Writers’ avoidance, for the uninitiated, is the overwhelming need to …

  • urgently organize piles of files
  • whip up a batch of homemade something or other
  • clear the DVR by watching 6 hours of taped programming
  • playing Words with Friends until you have no friends
  • (fill in the blan)

… just so you don’t have to start the thing you know you need to start.

In case you don’t want to click through, I’ll give you the skinny on the tweet.

continue reading

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6 foolproof ways to unstick stuck writing and thinking

When it comes to writing copy, have you ever been stymied, stuck or and stumped?

Here are my best techniques for moving from blank page and empty mind to great copy and effective communication.

  1. MAKE SOME NOTES: Get out a piece of paper or open a blank document and write down these age-old questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Plug in your answers, relying on what comes to mind first. One-word answers? No problem. That’s you editing your thoughts to the succinct and pointed. Writing a tome? Run with it for a bit (see #3) and see where you land. Why it works: Relying on a proven formula alleviates angst about what to do first. continue reading
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12 random thoughts of a freelance writer

As a writer, I’m a natural observer and processor of thoughts.

My brain (and perhaps yours) runs continually in a stream of consciousness, taking thought from one seemingly random place to the next.

Sometimes that randomness requires my explaining just exactly how I made the conversation leap from cancer to cantaloupe.

Most times, I go with it, enjoying how my brain takes in, stores and organizes tibbles of knowledge.

continue reading

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The secret to moving your freelance business forward

Brand strategist and blogger extraordinaire Valeria Maltoni writes in this blog post:

Usually people ask me: what is the next Facebook? That’s entirely the wrong question. Moving forward is the best way to look forward.

Great advice for freelance writers, I think.

So many of us are lamenting the demise of what were once deemed the choicest writing gigs: bylines in national magazines, big-name clients, retainer fees and hard-copy book sales.

While I’m a huge proponent of planning, often we writers don’t make enough (or any) allowances for being nimble. What Valeria says means this to me: To take your freelance business in the direction you want it to go, get moving.

continue reading

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