Academic writing is different from content writing.
Bloggers do content writing. So do some freelance writers.
But other freelance writers do academic writing.
What’s the difference? And which type of writing should YOU do?
Today we are going to answer this question, which will help you decide on the type of freelancer you can be.
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Many people suffer from writer’s block. Bloggers, freelancers, and even authors have hit this breaker, which prevents them from moving ahead!
The threat of the blinking cursor or the starkness of the blank page succeeds in scaring off even the most seasoned of writers. You’re no different. Often, the stress is enough to demotivate many, and they end up skipping altogether, waiting until “inspiration” will hit them.
That’s why it’s important to act immediately when inspiration hits you!
In this article, my guest today will discuss writer’s block and provide the 10 best ways for overcoming it.
I hope you try at least some of these tips the next time you are stuck when writing!
Writer’s block is an actual condition that has plagued even the greatest and most famed writers (including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Peanuts’ cartoonist Charles Schulz). It happens when you lose your creativity and have the inability to produce new works.
It is usually caused by fear, timing, and perfectionism.
But it can be overcome!
However, the frustration faced by writers is enough to freeze anyone in their tracks and giving up seems an easier option. When you’ve run out of ideas, you’ll no doubt find it difficult to put pen on paper, unsure of how you wish to proceed.
What I usually felt was the need for perfectionism. Everything had to be just perfect on my first attempt, and it was foolish of me to think this way. I wasted so much time running things constantly in my head that I never got around to writing them on paper.
There are many things you can to get your creativity back.
There are also a ton of different things you can do to overcome writer’s block. But here are the best 10 (and proven) ways to overcome it. Read More
Admit it. Writing can be both boring and difficult. Sometimes it is a good idea to take a break and play some games, but if you are trying to stay focused, here are a few tools to motivate you, help improve your writing, conquer writer’s block, and make it fun again.
A Cliché Finder – a must-have for any writer
BlaBlaMeter – it lets you know how much bullshit hides in your text…
Written? Kitten! – counts your words as you type them and shows you a picture of a dog or a cat every 100 words (or 200, 500, or 1000)
I Write Like – a free, statistical analysis tool, which analyzes your word choice and writing style and compares them with those of the famous writers.
Vocabulary.com – provides a multiple choice quiz to help you learn new words (or to reinforce the meaning of words you might already know
One Look Dictionary Search – a unique search tool that helps you find what you need
I have to give a shout-out to Michele Clements James for the last four tools. 🙂
750 Words – This site tracks your word count, gives you a nice big screen to write on, automatically scrolls as you write (like a typewriter), and automatically saves your writing as you go. It also lets you know when you’ve passed the 750-word mark. 250 words per page is considered to be the standard accepted number of words per page. So, three standard pages are about 750 words. (Yes, I know I already mentioned this tool already.)
Share your favorite tool in the comment section. (If you cannot include a link due to the anti-spam plugin I use on this site, simply spell out the URL, and I’ll make sure to include the correct in my response to you.)
Did You Know You Could Become a Freelance Editor?
Being a freelance editor, in my opinion, is even better than being a freelance writer. First of all, it pays more. Secondly, it is the best job I could ever ask for. I love editing, I love words, and I love helping others. Finally, I love reaping the many rewards (check out the many benefits of being a freelance editor).
If you are not currently working at your dream job and want to be a freelance editor, then sign up to get on the “interest list” for my upcoming course!
I am in the process of designing a course that will teach you EVERYTHING about being a work-from-home editor and entrepreneur.
This includes:
– how to get paid up-front… ALWAYS! (before you do any work)
– how to get testimonials
– how to market yourself
– where to find work
– how to leverage social media for your business (because, YES, you will be actually running a business if you are successful!)
– how to keep accurate records
– how to easily calculate your costs
– how to communicate with potential clients so they turn into ACTUAL clients
– how to organize your time (so you can complete all of the tasks involved in running your biz)
– how to deal with difficult clients
– which projects to accept
– when to raise your rates
– AND MORE! (INCLUDING BONUSES!)
Plus, I want to get to know you so that I can give you EXACTLY what you need to succeed!
So, DO you want to know more about how to become a freelance editor?
If so, SIGN UP HERE.
I was feeling some pressure about what to write about for my next blog post, and I didn’t like this feeling. It wasn’t writer’s block, exactly, since I wasn’t stuck for a topic to write about (I can write about almost anything!) but I felt like I needed to brainstorm some new ideas. So what I did was this:
I took out my markers and sketchpad and wrote the main topic of my blog in the middle: ME.
Then, because I like colourful things, I began listing different topics all around my main topic.
I added a few lines, a few “clouds” to highlight each category, and this emerged:
I added a few things…
I had used almost all of the colours by this point, and so I decided to use one more colour to add four more topics at the bottom. Then I thought about what I had already written about, and added them to my mind map. The ideas were really flowing by this point!
Once I filled the page, I stopped. This is what my page looked like when I was finished with it: Read More
