Freelancing Tips: Ways to Deal with Freelance Funk

Having a regular job, a home to attend, a little boy to miss all the time, a long-distance love affair and topped with an online writing job that's  that  is a little overwhelming to  juggle. Yes juggle. A recent movie I've watched starring Sarah Jessica Parker shows a busy woman juggling her different roles and how she managed to do everything with grace is just amazing. She's right in one point, we women always have a list - a mental list, grocery lists, to-do lists, and a lot more. This can be quite helpful in helping us deal with out busy schedules and lessen our changes of developing stressful scenarios. Here is a list of ways to help you deal with the stress that comes with freelancing. 

Acknowledge Your Stressors

To help you balance your many roles out, specify them one by one. I am a mom, a partner, a loving daughter, a public servant, a writer, a friend and others. You must learn to set your priorities from here and when stressed out, recognize the source of it. Knowing your priorities and the source of the problems will help you find the best ways to deal with it. 

Have a Plan

This is where those "lists" come in really handy. Having a to-do list can help you make schedule and allot time for each of your roles and responsibilities. As a daughter you can do you errands for your mom and dad on lunchtime of Monday. As a mom, you can schedule a movie date with your kids on Friday as a reward for their good performance in school. As a long distance wife/gf/partner, you can also schedule movie dates once a week via skype or advance book for a vacation to visit one another. In between work, these fun stuff is really something that you and your loved ones can always look forward to.

Manage your Time

Assess your role and ask yourself if you've accomplished and how you've managed your time for the week. See where you've run short and follow up or tweak things a little bit. 

Learn to Prioritize Things

Determine the importance and urgency of your tasks and assignments. Act according to their importance and urgency. Urgent matters are those with deadlines and demand your attention. These things needs to be addressed immediately, while those not-so-urgent but important schedules such as dinner with the kid or are often neglected. Be sure to finish those urgent tasks over specific periods so that you can have more time with your loved ones. 

Take Care of Yourself

You can only balance everything you juggle when your mind, body and soul is also in top shape. Rest and sleep when you need to. Have some sort of an outlet and getaway once in awhile. Arrange vacation and fun activities with your loved ones to loosen up every now and then. 

Will Write For Chocolates: Consoling a Desolate Writer

Over the past couple of weeks, I was caught in a roller coaster ride of celebrating the holidays, vacationing, travelling and preparing to move out to settle in my home province. I also needed to juggle a couple of client's tasks that we're needed in time for the holidays.

All these took on an overwhelming feeling of mixed fear, apprehension as well as a bubbly excitement for the unknown. I will be having a new career, this one is bound to be more in-line with my writing. Yet I still couldn't let go of the job I learned to love for the past two years. I am also feeling really down especially when I think about leaving all the people that I've and also have treated me like family. I always wonder now what will my new working environment would be like.

But despite all these, my days would go on whether I like it or not. The only consolation I have right now is this pouch of my favorite Reese's peanut butter cups that Baba bought before I fly back from Sabah.

I'm not liking the way my thoughts and my words are going at the moment but I know things would turn out just fine. If I consume a little too much of these chocolates, then I doubt if I would be fine! (Hello Tonsillitis!!)

The (Weekend) Writer's Gift Ideas

Personally, I prefer receiving travel gears and knick knacks for the holidays. So when asked for my wish list for the office Christmas party give away, I gamely listed the Bobble (highly innovative, envi-friendly water bottle), headware, and some book from Witty Will Save the World. I honestly forgot about the other part of me that also needed some upgrade - the weekend writer.

What are the stuff we really need that we never really had the chance to purchase/get? Here is my list of gifts that we word-weavers would love to receive.

Computer and Gadgets

Yes we're in the 21st century and jurassic computers? typewriters? Are anybody still using those? If you love a writer with their worth, some indispensable, pricey tool such as a handy netbook or laptop would the be perfect gift for them - make sure it's has a fast processor too. Slow internet connection is one thing, slow processor and timely hang-ups is an entirely-frustrating-other matter.

For me, getting some sleek gadget such as 1TB external hard drive would be a neat add-on and convenient tool for working on tasks wherever I go. And a reliable wireless mouse is also an essential tool I cannot do without!

However, something that is hugely sitting on my writer's wish list is an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5. I've dishing out the fact that I would actually need it and now I'm in a rush to apply for an unli-data iPhone plan from one of strongest networks in the country! Why iPhone by the way? I realized that many of my clients now are contacting me via FB messaging and while on the move, opening the lappy or accessing FB via my qwerty mobile can be frustrating. With an iPhone or similar smartphones I can also create content for my blog while on the road. Isn't that neat?!

If I get an iPhone, would I still need an iPad or similar tablet computer? Maybe not, but having one can be quite fun too. Paired with some bluetooth keyboard, iPads can easily replace the role of lappy for mobile computing. (Truly tempting!)

Some Pretty Knick-Knacks

A lot of writers are coffee or tea drinkers.  I'm sure your writer friend would also appreciate quirky coffee mugs, or mug warmers that will keep their java fix within easy reach.

Another worthwhile gift that you can give to writers, bloggers or author friends is a nice and durable notebook or journal. I carry one at all times and jot down notes whenever I remember or think of something. Even if I have 2 right now, another one would be highly appreciated! :)

Gift cards and some cash bonus are also great gift ideas from clients to their writers, ghostwriters and contracted writers. I'm lucky to have such thoughtful clients ever since and for this season, I got enough from bonuses to book another RT airfare to Kota Kinabalu in February.

So, have you thought of anything to give the writers in your life yet?

Work on the Road: Choosing Hotels with Wi-fi Connection in Kota Kinabalu

I recently took a 4-day trip to Kota Kinabalu to spend time with Baba. I booked flights from Clark, Pampanga to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in after considering if I should grab cheap flights to Atlanta by using promo code FL15 on CheapOair instead. AfterwhichWhen travelling to another country, wi-fi availability of great importance especially if you carry with you online tasks and assignments. So this is my number 1 requirement when I looked up hotels for my first ever trip out of the country.

The three accommodation arrangement I made are:

1. City Park Lodge at Jalan Pantai

Among the three choices, I wasn't really sure about booking this because of the "Pleasant" rating it has on Agoda, but arriving here was really a "pleasant surprise." The place looked clean and well maintained. The staff were all friendly and the wi-fi connection is really good! They charge from RM 64-73 per night and wi-fi is available at the lobby/reception and public areas. I actually gave this hotel a very high rating (8.7)

2. Borneo Gaya Lodge

We were a bit disappointed with our stay here though the wi-fi connection is good enough to reach the rooms. I booked a double room from Agoda for RM 68, the pictures looked nice but we were given a room without a window and the hot shower wasn't working. If it's not located centrally in Jalan Gaya, I wouldn't give it a passing rate. Next time I visit Baba in KK, we won't be coming back to this hotel.

3. Cititel Express

For our last night in Kota Kinabalu, I choose a nicer hotel and though there are several complaints on the small-ish rooms, we were quite satisfied and really had a great stay here. I booked a sea-view room for RM 103 and we paid an extra RM10 for 1 day unlimited wi-fi connection. The hotel was a short walk to the waterfront and surrounded with shops and restos. Baba and I decided that this hotel was really a great choice, though we wish that wi-fi will be free next time!

Que Horror: A No-Internet Connection Horror Story

Recently, I took a vacation to my parent's hometown in the sleepy island of Ticao Masbate. With the crowd of people taking the time off as well, it was a rough ride going there. I looked into the possibilities of taking freelance online writing jobs but decided against it. I know how backward the island is, and reliable internet connection will only be wishful thinking.

I finished all my assignments before heading out and travelling all of 16 hours via ordinary bus plus 2 hours sea travel via an outrigger boat and 30 minutes of motorcycle ride to finally reached my destination.

I discovered there is some-sort-of-an-internet connection via my mobile phone and made do browsing facebook and messaging/chat through it. I had a few relaxing days with my son and explored the beach in the afternoon. I got a message from one of my clients on facebook a couple of days before I'm due to travel back. I thought it was an easy task and I only need a few sources to come up with the article required so I accepted it. I brought out my alternative broadband stick(Smartbro) and a bunch of patience for I know it's going to take some time for each page to load. I retrieved the tasks the night before I left the island and started my search. Started working on it, sent it out after finishing and turned of my lappy.

The next morning, I work up extra early for my trip starts at 5am. While on the boat I checked my facebook messages and surprised that I need do a couple of changes on one of my articles. I replied and promised my client the revised article after 2 hours because I was still on the boat. When I finally reached Bulan port in Sorsogon - I almost cried! No internet connection available! Que Horror! Really it was crazy and I don't know what to do.

These situations should be expected but I didn't expect it this time. I hastily send another facebook message using my mobile and informed the client of the situation and asked for a couple more hours extension. I hurriedly hopped on the next bus to Legazpi and after 3 hours, I was able to finally send the article to my client.

How about you, what freelance writing horror stories do you have? Did power shut down or unreliable internet connection also disrupted your schedule and your work?

Understanding the Role of the Ghostwriter for Blogs

I have recently been accepting on-demand ghostwriting jobs for several bloggers and I'm starting to like it. For one it pays really well and there's not much technicalities to the articles required.

The key to being a successful ghostwriter really is about understanding your role in the process. You are writing for someone else and you have to put yourself into their shoes most of the time. In most cases, I read about my client's blog first to understand how they write. I have to set aside my own ideas in approaching specific topics and learn to keep my ego in check. I may be the one writing it, but really the client still has the last say.

Collaboration with the client is also important as you need to regularly check whether your material really captures the voice and ideas of your client. You need to do researches and provide output that puts your client on the active voice. Being flexible helps a lot when you work as a ghostwriter, with this you can develop long, productive working relationship with your blogger clients.  

Online Work beats the Traditional!

The latest survey from oDesk shows a significant increase in online hiring as more and more now prefer such time saving, money saving and hassle free method over the inconvenient traditional ways. oDesk presents us with an infographic on how online work has disrupted the traditional ways of hiring: