Issue 18
ISSN:1554-0804
Featured Product
Walt Whitman's Tomb Cards (Package of 6)
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In This Issue:
- This Week
- The Writer's Bookshelf
- Feature Article
- A Writer's Tidbit
- About The Fabulist Flash
1. This Week
Welcome to Issue 18 of The Fabulist Flash. Please forward it to all your writing friends.
It's been a busy week. I've started research on my next book 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live for Career Press. I've been in contact with city officials, city mayors, city convention and visitor's bureaus, and members of gay organizations across the country. Not only am I learning about gay America, but I'm also learning about repetitive research techniques.
I've also learned how to create online surveys. One of the hardest pieces of this puzzle to figure out his how to get an online form into an email box after someone hits the submit button. I got some outside help with this one from Form Mail (www.formmail.com) If you live in one of America's gay-friendly cities and think it should be included in the book take a short survey at http://survey.50fabcities.com and tell me why.
You may have noticed an addition in the upper left hand corner. The Fabulist Flash has been issued an ISSN. Isn't the Library of Congress great?
This week's feature article, Planning Time to Write by Karen Bianchi, offers some organizational tips to help turn your part-time freelance writing job into a career.
Until next week,
Gregory
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Gregory A. Kompes is a freelance writer and photographer. Learn more about Gregory and his work at http://www.Kompes.com
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2. The Writer's Bookshelf
The Electronic Bookshelf
by Gregory A. Kompes
Another important electronic source of ideas, education, and information for writers comes in the form of ezines and newsletters.
There are thousands of ezines to choose from, dozens just for writers. Most are free, or mostly free, while some require paying a subscription fee. Whether you decide to spend a little cash or just go for the free versions the important thing here is to subscribe to the newsletters and keep up with what's going on in the writing world.
Here are a few of my favorites:
The Fabulist Flash (http://www.fabulistflash.com) of course, this is my favorite and I admit my bias.
The Wooden Horse (http://www.woodenhorsepub.com) is a weekly newsletter that provides publishing industry news. Wooden Horse offers both a free and paid version of their newsletter.
Worldwide Freelance Newsletter (http://www.worldwidefreelance.com) is free and packed full of information, ideas, and markets.
Filbert Publishing (http://filbertpublishing.com) puts out "Writing, Etc." It's a little low end, but this free newsletter does frequently offer good advice and writing tips.
Absolute Write (http://www.absolutewrite.com) has a good free newsletter and they also have an excellent (inexpensive) newsletter with all kinds of paying markets for freelance writers.
Writer's Digest (www.writersdigest.com) has several free newsletters. Most of the content of these emails is advertising for the big list of Writer's Digest products. But, there are usually a few interesting ideas, articles, and letters sprinkled through. They also put out a monthly newsletter with daily writing prompts and I highly recommend this one.
Writing On the Run (http://www.writingontherun.com) puts out a short, free, weekly newsletter with quick, helpful writing and time management tips for freelance writers. I really like this one because it's straight forward and frequently written with a sense of humor.
Martha Alderson puts out an interesting newsletter called Blockbuster Plots (http://www.blockbusterplots.com). While Martha's focus is on fiction, many of her ideas also work well in nonfiction.
For titles of inspiration to writers visit The Writer's Bookshelf.
3. Feature Article
Planning Time to Write
by Karen Bianchi
In his book, "Achieving Financial Independence as a Freelance Writer," Ray Dreyfack, a full-time freelancer for 30 years, suggests that writers "ease" into full-time writing while maintaining their day jobs. If you're following this advice, either by choice or by necessity, you know that it's not always easy. Obligations to our jobs and families tend to take priority over writing. It's easy to lose focus of your writing goals when you have so many distractions in your life.
It's possible to pursue a career as a freelance writer, even though you can't commit yourself to it full time. All you need are three things: time management skills, desire, and a day-planner. If you have the first two things, you can get the third after you read this article!
Schedule Your Week
As in any part-time job, you must determine your hours of availability. My hours are from 9pm to 11pm Sunday-Thursday and 9pm to whenever on Friday. Every Sunday evening I check my calendar for the upcoming week. I schedule myself "off" for the nights with other obligations. Establish what your work hours are before you do anything else. Write your work days and times in your planner.
Writing Goals
Most experts promote the practice of setting writing goals. However, plans such as, "write something everyday" or "research on Mondays, write queries on Tuesdays." (you get the picture), are too vague for writers operating on a time crunch. What happens if your child has a band concert on Tuesday? Not only will that throw you off course this week, chances are, it will also set you back the following week. This can cause frustration and weaken your writing resolve. For greater productivity, set your goals on a weekly basis after you've determined your hours of availability. Plan what you will do at each work session, according to your availability, and write it in your planner. This way, you'll be focused the minute you sit down, instead of trying to decide what you should do.
Create A Secondary "To Do" List
This list is separate from your weekly plan. It contains tasks that require a small block of time to complete. Organizing files, writing greeting card ditties, sending out reprint offers, and researching writer's markets are some examples. This list is where you turn when you unexpectedly find yourself with some extra work time. It will also come in handy on those days when your work time has been unavoidably reduced. Without this list, you may end up spending this precious time trying to decide what to do with it. Designate an area in your planner for this list. Remember to cross off your accomplishments and add to your list as needed.
Organize Your Supplies
Keep everything you need in one area. Nothing wastes time like getting up to find items you need. If you have an office or work area, keep your most important tools of the trade close at hand. If you don't have an area designated for your writing, a bin with everything you'll need works just fine.
Use an area in your planner to keep track of your writing supplies. Make a list of everything you use. As you begin to run low on any of the items, make a note to replenish your stock as soon as possible.
Show Up For Work
This is probably the most difficult part of all, because there are always going to be reasons for not working. After you've made your schedule, do everything in your power to stick to it. No employer in their right mind would pay an employee who always makes excuses for not showing up. If you want to get paid for your writing, you must make time to write!
About the Author
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Karen Bianchi is a freelance writer who also holds a part-time "day job." She has 4 kids and is the publisher/editor of AwesomeMomsNetwork.com
4. A Writer's Tidbit
Are you researching a city for a book, article, or story? Don't forget to take advanage of the resources provided by Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVB). These organizations are designed to promote and sell their cities and provide history, current statistics, maps, facts, and lots more.
I like to start with Google (www.google.com). Search for "[city] convention and visitor's bureau." Once you get to the CVB website, click the "Press" or "Media" link for press releases, fact sheets, and and other pieces of the city media kit. Still can't find what you're looking for? Send an email or call the listed contact(s). They're job is to help writers find the information they need.
5. About the Fabulist Flash
ISSN: 1554-0804
The Fabulist Flash is dedicated to helping freelance writers find resources and inspiration.
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