Writing is a business: bold statement of obvious fact? Not for me. I tend to forget that little detail, even though it should be informing daily choices of how I spend my time. After all, I started writing because...well...that's who I am. I make up stories and play with words. I write.But nowadays, being a writer has become a bit more complicated. If I want to, say, get paid for doing what I love (and I do) I need to do more than play with words. I need to take on projects that pay short-term to fund my longer-term work. I need to send out invoices. I need to pay attention to whether those invoices are getting paid. Weird, huh?
Needless to say, this is not my favorite part of being a writer.
Occasionally, I check out self-help books about the business side of writing. (The Organized Writer, Creative Impulses, Julie Morganstern's Organizing from the Inside Out and Time Management from the Inside Out are a few favorites). These books all offer helpful tips and advice, whether you're just starting in the field or need a fresh dose of organizational inspiration.
Unfortunately, none of these books substitute for actually doing the work. Even writing about filing hasn't made a dent in my to-be-filed folder. Sigh.
Guess I have to go do the work....
:) Cheryl
Hello. One of my "followers" at Fantasy Debut also follows your site, so I thought I'd take a look.
ReplyDeleteI also have done freelance writing, and I miss the paychecks. I love it--all the research and everything. What I didn't like was the "on spec" nature of what I was doing. But sometimes, that's what you gotta do.
It is hard to shove that novel aside and do something more . . . commercial. But the money is a heck of a lot better, isn't it? :)
Hi Tia,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. It's good to hear I'm not the only one who has trouble balancing the needs for income and creative expression! Today I get to be creative, though: novel, here I come!
Cheryl