Take Breaks When You Need To, But Don't Give Up.

Agreed. Sometimes, I'm so focused on orders on the job board or deadlines, that I forget that I need to take care of myself as well. Remember, you can't pour from an empty cup.

By Top Girl studio.

https://www.instagram.com/topgirl.studio/

Just keep swimming. Just keep writing. Goodnight, everyone! :)

Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.

— Louis L'Amour

Introduction.

Recently, I realized that I have shared a few posts on here, but I never actually introduced myself. For starters, I'm Tammy! :)

I have always loved writing. I can remember writing stories (alone and with my younger sister) as a child. As a teenager, I enjoyed writing poetry, and I loved the creative writing class I took as a sophmore in high school. Throughout my teenage years and early 20s, I was constantly writing in online journals because I love being able to express myself through words on a screen (or even on paper).

Now, at 37 years old, I am a freelance writer on various websites. I am a member of a discussion website that allows you to practically blog for a small payment (spare change, basically, but a great website). I also have several non-work-related blogs for no reason other than the fact that I wanted to blog. Finally, I recently started journaling offline again, as a way to get my thoughts off my chest, but for my eyes only.

I've often said that if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd still take on my writing orders with my clients, and I'd still run my other blogs for fun. I would get bored otherwise.

Writing as always been a part of me. Being a writer is who I am.

I am not sure where I am going with this blog, or what order my experiences, memories and thoughts will be posted in. It's just a way for me to share my journey as a freelance writer, and as someone who enjoys writing for fun.

Speaking of which, I have an order on Fiverr to work on soon. I hope everyone reading this has a great day! :)

“I make writing as much a part of my life as I do eating or listening to music.”

— Maya Angelou

Oh nice! I want to share this with fellow writers, and I'll be saving it for myself as well.

8 Proofreading Tricks (That Save Valuable Time)

In this post, Writers Write reveals simple proofreading tricks to improve any manuscript or draft.

Good Evening, Writers and Readers.

I hope everyone is doing well! When my anxiety was bad, I dreaded Mondays. I felt they were the start of another anxious, depressing week. Now that my anxiety is back at a manageable level, I'm back to enjoying Mondays. For me, Mondays are for fresh starts; another chance to work toward my goals and make positive changes. This could be an insanely productive week. I could start fixing my sleep schedule again. Maybe I'll FINALLY figure this time management thing out. You never know what the week may bring. Right now, I'm working on a few writing orders on a writing platform. It's something to fill in the gaps as I wait for my clients to prepare and send off my work for the week. The orders are for a writing team, and I'm looking to knock out as many as I can before they're all gone. Then, I'd like to bake some cupcakes. Since I've been in an autumn/Halloween mood, I'm going to decorate them with black and orange sprinkles. So, baking is another thing I'd like to accomplish today. Writing orders and baking... how's that for a work-life balance lol?

Welp, I'm going to wrap this up, but I hope everyone has a great week! Take care! :)

I hope you all reach your writing goals for this month. Have a good night! :)

A new month has begun.

A new month has begun.

Cheer up this month! :) ⠀

First Post in Months!

Hey, hey, hey! It's been quite a while, and I've been meaning to sign back in and post, but I just haven't gotten around to it… until now.

I'll start off by sharing the reason I had stopped posting altogether. I was dealing with anxiety (which led to depression) for some of February and a good chunk of March. I've been dealing with it for years, but it became unmanageable and disrupted my diet and sleep habits. Since finding a psychiatriast (in addition to my therapist), I've gotten my medication changed and adopted healthy outlets (i.e., Animal Crossing and getting outside), and my anxiety is back at a mangeable level.

Next, work had picked up across several platforms, so I've been busy with my writing orders. I'm not complaining though; I'm grateful for the work, even when I was swamped. I would rather be stressed because I have too much than worried because I don't have enough.

Finally, I've been working on my work-life balance, so once I'm finished with my work, I'll usually shut down the laptop for the night. I decided this evening that I should really get in here and post something.

So, that's basically where I've been. I'll try to do better at sharing updates on my writing journey. If anyone reads this, or even if you don't, I hope you're all doing well! :)

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”

— Louis L'Amour

What I’ve Learned As A Freelance Writer

Hello, hello, helloooo. I hope you’re all doing well. :) I’ve been freelance writing for over 10 years, and I thought I’d share what I’ve learned as a freelance writer.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket I’ve seen websites go under, and I’ve had clients disappear on me. It used to send me into panic mode, but I’ve learned not to put all my eggs in one basket. Now, I always make sure I’m on enough writing teams and keeping in touch with my regular clients. I also bookmark other freelance/content writing websites to research as needed. Always Do Your Research Sometimes, a writing website sounds too good to be true because it IS too good to be true. Whether it’s for blogging or content writing, you should always research a website and/or ask for opinions before diving right in. At least that’s what I do. Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New Even though I had an account for years, it took me until 2018/2019 to even post a gig on Fiverr. It was different from the websites I’m used to, so I wasn’t ready until then. I’m glad I made that leap because that’s where I land some of my writing clients. The same can also be said for joining new writing teams and websites, or taking on a new client. If it’s possible and legit, do not be afraid to take the leap because it could lead to something great. However, Learn When To Say No When my Fiverr gigs started picking up traction, I would try to do anything. If I didn’t feel qualified? I’d turn it down. If I was already swamped with work? I would do it and cut it close to my deadlines, or I’d pull an all-nighter to get things done. I’ve learned when to say “no” and/or put up my away message. It’s good to be productive, but you don’t want to overextend yourself and risk burnout. It’s Okay To Make Mistakes - But Make Sure You Learn From Them When I first joined Textbroker, I made a lot of comma mistakes because I wasn’t knowledgeable in the AP Style. I went from avoiding commas (unless I was sure I was right) to taking the time to learn how to properly use the commas. If I’m unsure of anything in general, I hit up Google to double-check it. I also read out loud when proofreading, and I proofread my longer writing orders twice. You’re a human being. You’re going to make mistakes, and that’s okay, but you want to make sure you learn from them. Write Outside Your Freelance Work It’s good to write for fun and as a hobby. I run this blog, as well as a grief-related blog (because I lost my parents) and a fan blog for my favorite band. I’m a member of MyLot, and I have multiple online/offline journals for sharing my thoughts. Write outside of your work. Express yourself. Keep the creative juices flowing. And mostly, don’t lose your passion for writing.

Those are just a few things I’ve learned as a freelance writer, and I hope they help you to grow into the writer you wish to be. :) What have you learned as a freelance or creative writer?