freelance writing Archives

Resistance and Fear – Outsmarting the Beast

If there is one thing we all need to overcome it’s resistance. I’m NOT talking about ohms– the opposition to current flow in an electrical circuit. The type of resistance I’m talking about is the one we suffer from when we procrastinate or put off tasks that are essential to our creative or personal growth. Of course, what we resist persists–unless we do something to change the status quo. There is always a reason for our hesitancy or reluctance. The challenge is getting to the source of our discomfort to see what we can do to calm the beast that’s preventing us from moving forward. Sometimes, there is a good reason we refuse to change, but most of the time, it comes down to fear of the unknown and false expectations about what we perceive the future holds.

FEAR

No one likes to admit that we’re afraid, but if we look closely at our resistance, fear in any of it’s disguises is usually the source. Anxiety, angst, dread, panic, self-judgment–what ever you call it, fear is the epicenter of our unwillingness to move forward. Here are some of the unconscious beliefs harbored by the little monster called fear. I’m not good, smart, clever enough. People will make fun of me if…There’s not enough time to…Other people are better at… You get the idea. The truth is, our subconscious programming is alive and well sabotaging our efforts and preventing us from moving forward. How it plays out in life is different for everyone.

For example, it took me years to begin writing my adoption memoir. I was so afraid that my story wasn’t compelling enough, that I wasn’t a good enough writer, that I would never find a publisher. Then, one day, it occurred to me that I could just write the memoir for myself. I could write my story for my eyes only. Instead of putting undo pressure on myself to live up to a lofty expectation, I could write a little every day and see where it went. I could take a writing workshop and get feedback on my work. I could fill in gaps in my knowledge by reading books about writing fiction. Eventually, I built up enough confidence to share my writing with other writers and the smartest thing I did was work with an editor. Step-by-step, I overcame resistance and self published my book.

Self publication led to book marketing and new options for resistance opened up. Book in hand, there were new fears and challenges to overcome. But here’s the thing — knowing that resistance is inevitable makes it manageable because even thought the monster looks different, it’s always the same–fear. What if I couldn’t sell the 3,000 books I ordered? What marketing strategies among thousands would work? Would my book tour be successful? I was afraid of failing and I was also afraid of success. My book was raw and I felt vulnerable, afraid I’d told too much of the story, afraid I was too honest. I also didn’t have a clue about book marketing and my fear of failure was very real.

THE SOLUTION

I knew I was dealing with the monster of fear who manifested as resistance and procrastination. That monster would always be lurking in the shadows. So, I decided it was time to come up with a strategy for taming the beast once and for all. Turns out, resistance is strongest when there is a lot to gain or lose, but it dissipates and practically disappears when what needs to be done is broken into a tiny task, the smaller the better. So, I started limiting my tasks. Today I will email two adoption agencies and tell them about my book. Or, today I will introduce myself and my book to one local bookstore. One or two tasks at a time became three or four and eventually I was able to spend half the day on marketing. Eventually, I sold all 3000 books and I kept fear at bay.

That was twelve years ago. Since then I’ve encountered resistance multiple times. It’s always about some sort of fear–real or imagined. In every instance, the solution is the same: break the task down into tiny puzzle pieces and move forward one little piece at a time. The next time the dynamic duo, resistance and fear, turn up for you, take a moment to consider your options. First, ask yourself, What am I resisting? Then, identify the fear. If it’s not justified, move forward. Finally, take one tiny action.

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Jan Fishler is the author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (an adoption memoir), Don’t Stop Now: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life, Flex Your Writing Muscle (365 Writing Prompts), and PTSD: Lessons From Vietnam. She is a motivational speaker who also teaches writing classes online. More about Jan at www.JanFishler.net.

Hiring a Freelance Writer — Three Qualities to Look For

By Janfishler Leave a Comment

Of course, writing great copy, delivering on time, and staying within budget are important qualities to look for when hiring a freelance writer, but there are other traits worth considering.

I started freelancing when I decided that full-time work in the corporate world wasn’t for me. That was over twenty years ago. Don’t get me wrong — I loved the work, but as a creative person, I needed a schedule with more flexibility. That’s when I decided to step outside the box and become a freelance writer. At the time, I assumed that the only skills I needed were an ability to write anything and everything my clients required — from articles and brochures to training manuals and corporate training videos.

Competition was fierce, and I quickly discovered that I had to set myself apart from other freelance writers — especially those who had been in the business for a long time. This meant I had to look into my skill set and see what unique traits I had that would make me stand out. In other words, I had to offer more than my ability to write clear, concise copy, an impressive list of clients, and an elegant portfolio. If I was going to have a steady flow of freelance work, I needed my Excalibur.

It was then that I sought the advice of a business coach who asked me to state the three traits that made me unique. It took some conversation to uncover these qualities, but passion, desire, and integrity have kept me working over the years when others have been less fortunate.

If you are in the market for a freelance writer to help you grow your business through strengthening your online presence, then look for someone who has the following skills.

1. A passion for work and for life.

People who are passionate about what they do will bring their enthusiasm to the table, be fun to work with, and energize your staff. People who have passion tend to be sincere in their efforts and bring out the best in others. These are people who you will want to work with again and again.

2. A desire to do their best.

Writers with a strong desire to do their best will work relentlessly to exceed your expectations. They’ll go the extra mile just to prove their value and worth. They are only happy when you, the client, are happy. They are interested in creating a win-win relationship and look forward to receiving additional assignments from you.

3. Personal integrity.

People with integrity are honest. They’ll tell you the truth about whether they can adhere to your schedule and meet your deadline. They will be forthright about expressing concerns about the project should there be any, show up when they are supposed to, and be truthful about their skills and what they bring to the project.

The next time you’re in the market for a freelance writer, consider hiring someone who brings passion, desire, and integrity into the mix.

Should the Writer You Hire Be a Subject Matter Expert?

By Janfishler Leave a Comment

When you’re looking to hire a freelance writer, how important is it for the writer to have previous experience developing content for your particular niche? It depends. How technical is your information? How motivated is the writer to learn about your topic?

In the twenty-five years that I’ve been a professional writer, I’ve written for a wide range of clients and have provided content on a variety of topics. On occasion, I’ve had to address the issue of whether my experience qualifies me to write about a particular topic. Nonfiction writers make money by providing clear, concise, and accurate content as quickly as they can. This is the reason many writers stick to a few chosen topics; once they have mastered the learning curve on a particular topic, it’s easier for them to meet the client’s needs. However, this is not true for all writers — especially those of us who like the challenge that comes along with learning something new.

I began my professional writing career as a scriptwriter for GTE Lenkurt — the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System. Fresh out of grad school with a degree in Instructional Design, my job was to create training videos and other collateral designed to teach employees things like Crystal Filter Assembly and everything you ever wanted to know about microwave radios. While my formal education did provide me with a procedure for extracting information from specialists in any field, I can assure you that I knew absolutely nothing about the telecommunications industry when I landed this most coveted position.

Two years later, I left GTE to produce a telethon for United Cerebral Palsy Association. I wrote all of the segments for the five San Francisco Bay Area affiliates. At the time, I knew nothing about Cerebral Palsy, but it didn’t take me long to get up to speed. Five years later I owned my own writing business and was developing brochures, articles and videos about everything from the fastest motorboat on the planet (well, at least it was at the time) to a video series for Stanford University on Cardiac Recovery.

Because most writers are a curious lot, we are comfortable learning about a variety of subjects. Most of us do this at an astonishing pace because we know how to ask subject matter experts the right questions and craft their answers into insightful, intelligent prose. If you’re looking to hire a freelance writer, and the only thing they don’t have is experience in your particular field, then ask them if they are interested in your topic. If they are, then you probably have the beginning of a beautiful working relationship. As a bonus, keep in mind the fact that if you’re paying a flat rate per article, the burden to learn about your business is on the writer.