Building Your Freelance Writing Career Alongside Your Day Job

I never thought a web site would make my heart flutter. But I have to admit, that when I first stumbled across Associated Content, I fell in love.

For those of us who envision a life that involves earning a living with our writing, instead of the daily grind that is our commute, our cube farms, our meetings, our nitpicky customers, and our bosses, a place like this is a lifeboat for our dreams.

I'd wager a bet that most who are regular contributors to this site either dream of working full-time as freelance writers or are already doing so. You can't surf AC very long without coming across the testimonies of other Content Producers who are making that dream a reality with the help of this site.

But as often happens, it didn't take reality long to shake me out of my dream world and smack me upside the head.

I won't be one of the Content Producers who fires my boss so I can tap away at my keyboard all day any time in the near future. My day job is still my lifeline, or at least my mortgage payment. Others have managed to give their boss a pink slip, whether just through writing here or by combining their work at AC with other freelance opportunities. Maybe they're already more established writers. Maybe they aren't the primary breadwinner in their homes. Maybe they haven't strapped themselves financially as much as I have. Or maybe they're just more willing to spread their wings and fly without a safety net.

Whatever the reasons, I'm one of those who dreams of freelance writing full time, but in the interim finds herself caged by a day job, pacing about like a restless tiger in a zoo. I'm pretty sure that there are many others like me here at Associated Content.

My current reality doesn't keep from dreaming of reaching my long-term goals. But the truth is that working towards them while maintaining the job that pays the bills is tough. You have to learn to strike a balance between working towards your dream and remaining focused and successful in your day job.

Some days, it hardly seems worth the effort. You already worked a full day. Why spend your evening writing articles when you could be zoning out in front of the TV? You'll just be back in the office tomorrow anyway. Other days, you're so inspired by your writing projects that your job seems like a cruel imposition, and you almost have to tie your hands to your chair to keep from writing articles at your desk rather than do the work you're being paid to do at that moment.

Here are some of the habits and thought processes that have helped me walk the balance beam and inch closer to my goals.

Watch Out for "The Writer's Disposition."

If you're a writer, chances are you know what I mean by that.

Of course, we're all individuals. But as a whole, the "writing community" is a creative, sensitive lot. We're often inspired, insightful and hard-working. But the flip side is that we're sometimes extremely introspective and reflective. Taken to extremes "sensitive" becomes "overly emotional" and "introspective" turns into downright self-centered.

Writers spend a lot of time thinking about the human condition. We can't think about the "human condition" without considering our own. It is very easy, when your dream of earning a living on your words is visible but not yet tangible, to feel emotions ranging from envy of those who have made it to extreme frustration to downright despair. As we have through the ages, writers who aren't quite living their dream spend a lot of time asking "what's wrong with me?"

Put to productive use, that need to analyze, evaluate and understand can add depth and meaning to your writing. Turned inward in a negative way, it can cause you to become downright depressing and whiny. You might become that friend no one really wants to be around, because you're always sighing about how hard life is. Or maybe you're that spouse or significant other who never seems quite content. Even if you don't let your "writer's disposition" impact your relationships, it can hurt your writing.

When you want "all or nothing," it can be tempting to just give up trying. You're still stuck in the daily grind, so why bother spending your limited free time crafting articles that don't seem to get you anywhere? You can just have a few drinks or read some sappy poetry and sigh instead. Or maybe you'll let one night of not being able to come up with something to write about cause to you declare yourself in a full force bout of writer's block.

If you want this writing thing to work, you have to overcome your own frustrations and emotions. You have to learn to look at small victories as better than nothing at all, and see each article as one more notch in your belt. You have to remind yourself that crawling closer to your dream, even at a turtle's pace, is much better than sitting in the same place.

Use Your Job for Content Ideas

Yes, the day job sucks. How can you expect to be a successful writer when you spend your days in a cramped cube with fluorescent office lighting washing the memories of the weekend's sunshine and fresh air from your mind? How can you be inspired to write that next piece when all you heard all day was your boss asking about that report and your officemates droning on about spring fashion?

The answer is simple. The best writing is about life. And like it or not, this IS life.

Your job uses you. Even if you're well paid and have a great benefits package, when you go to work your talents and skills are being mined to benefit someone else. When something uses you, use it back.

The world of work is a writer's gold mine. There are endless ideas swirling around you each time you enter your workplace. Make it your mission to find them. Whether you spend your days in meetings, sitting in a cube farm, waiting tables, running a cash register, or repairing widgets, there's plenty to write about right where you are.

Instead of complaining about the boring meetings you have to attend, write about how to make meetings more productive. Turn the annoying chatter of your co-workers into a piece on surviving in a noisy workplace. Let the conversations around you tell you what people are interested in reading about.

My job has given me limitless writing ideas. I've never had children, but because I've worked in a university advising arena for years, I was able to craft a piece on tips for parents of college students. I've shared my thoughts on surviving in a hectic, service-oriented workplace as an introvert. I'm currently working on a piece about adapting to a new boss after years of working for one who was also a friend and mentor.

Stretch your mind. Ask yourself whether each and every event in the workplace has article potential. Some will be discarded as lumps of coal. But others will be gold mines.

Keep a Notebook With You at All Times

If you're using your workplace as an idea generator, you'll need a place to capture your thoughts. Keep a journal or notebook with you. Tuck it into your planner or briefcase, keep it by your desk and carry it with you when you head to meetings or out for lunch.

When an idea strikes you, jot it down. Make notes on your observations or even just something strange or interesting you hear in conversation, even if you don't see them turning into articles. You never know when something you see or hear will be the perfect anecdote or example in an article, or when someone you see on the street will be fodder for a character in your next short story.

In the meantime, the note taking you do in meetings will make it look like you're actually working. No one needs to know that the furious scribbling you're doing is actually an outline for an article on cheap summer vacations and not your reaction to the customer service lecture droning on in the background.

Set a Time to Write Daily, and Stick to It

I know this particular tip appears in just about every writing advice article out there. But I'm including it because its one that took me forever to adopt. I'm a person who likes to be flexible, spontaneous, and spur of the moment. My day job doesn't let me do too much of that during my working hours. So in my off-time, I try to accommodate my preferences as much as possible. That lead me to thinking "I'll just write when I feel inspired to write, and that will work just fine."

But the truth is, setting a writing schedule and sticking to it works much better. If you want writing to eventually be your job, you have to learn early on to start treating it with the same seriousness and respect that you do your work.

Figure out when you're most inspired and creative, and make that your time to write. If you're a night owl who can barely drag yourself out of bed in the morning, don't try to carve out writer's time with your first cup of coffee. If you come home from work exhausted and drained, don't fool yourself and say you can write before bed every night.

For me, morning works best. My boyfriend leaves for work two hours before I do. I get up with him, we have coffee together, and then when he's on his way I write for at least an hour before I start getting ready for my own workday. This not only makes sure I get time to write, it lets me start my day job hours feeling like I've already done something good for myself and my future.

Your brain won't always cooperate. Your muse will be fickle and sometimes words just won't come during your "designated writing hour." Instead of getting frustrated, put the time to good use on other writing-related activities. Do some research for an article and make notes. Jot down outlines for articles that require a bit of organization.

Avoid Neglecting or Resenting Your Job

I fight this battle daily. When writing ideas are flying around in my brain, all I want to do is work through them. Leaving my home computer and heading into the office to spend a day compiling reports, answering the phone and doing the same tasks over and over again feels downright wrong.

Remind yourself that, at least for the time being, your job actually helps you move forward with your goals. Working towards your writing dreams would be even more difficult if you couldn't pay your rent, your mortgage and your electric bill. You can't very well have a computer if you don't have a house to keep it in or electric to power it up, can you? As extreme as it sounds, thoughts like that help me turn off the "I hate my job" blues.

When you're at work, focus on your job. Sure, keep your writing notebook by your side and make notes in it throughout the day. But start each day with work-related goals in mind, and accomplish them. Seek out new things to write about while you're doing whatever it is you get paid to do. Reward yourself for a job well done by looking ahead to your next chunk of writing time.

Kill Two Birds with One Stone When You Can

Some jobs will actually lend themselves to creating article content while you're doing your work.

For example, say you're responsible for creating training materials on the use of a new computer program at work, or maybe something more generic like customer service. Maybe for work, your content has to be very specific and oriented towards your co-workers or customers. But with a little tweaking and modification, could you take the same information and turn it into an article that would be of value to the general public? If so, then you've got one more bit of writing under your belt.

Choose Topics Near and Dear to Your Heart

When you already have a full-time job, the quickest way to let your writing activities fall by the wayside is to make them feel too much like work. We all want to enjoy our lives, to have some of the hours in our day spent feeling content.

When you're planning out article ideas, ask yourself what really interests you. Think about things you'd want to study, learn or read about even if you weren't going to try to write an article about them. Then figure out how you turn those interests into something that others will want to read up on.

As a writer, it is important to stretch your horizons. But when you've already got a day job, it needs to be fun for you too. Make your writing projects something you truly want to do.

If there is one advantage for those of us who balance our writing with another profession, the flexibility to choose what we want to write about is it. Those who rely entirely on their writing for income must gravitate towards the words that pay the bills. Many full-time freelancers spend as much time writing about topics that interest them only minimally as we do chained to our cubicles. They have to. If your dream is to make it as a freelancer, you still need to pay attention to the market and identify material that will get your work read. But if another job is paying your bills, you can choose to put that aside for a bit and work on a piece that truly inspires you whether or not it will sell, knowing that your regular paycheck will keep your lights on.

Don't Get Obsessed

When you work and write, it can be easy to let other things in your life fall by the wayside. There can be little time left over for family, friends and other hobbies and interests.

But remember that the best writers are often those who are always collecting unique observations and experience. To write, you need to get out there and live, too. If you don't see much more than your work and home offices and the stretches of road you travel in between, you'll eventually run out of ideas. Not to mention that the people in your life who love you will miss you and resent your lack of time.

Use Your Earnings to Buy Yourself Extra Time

As I stop writing each morning and grudgingly pull on my professional clothes, I can't help but sigh with envy at the thought of other writer's whose days at their keyboards are just getting started. The most precious thing of all to a writer with a day job is time.

That means that one of the best ways to keep motivated as a writer is to buy more of it.

When you can only write an hour or two a day, you won't earn a living as a Content Producer at AC or as a freelancer anywhere else. But in the meantime, maybe you CAN earn enough to buy yourself more time to write.

If you were already paying your bills before you started writing for AC, then any money you earn as a Content Producer is extra income. Let it add up, and eventually you might find that you have enough money to pay for help with some of the dreaded household chores that take you away from writing. Your articles don't pay the bills, but maybe they could help you afford a service to come once every two weeks to mow your lawn in the summer, or to hire an occasional cleaning service for your home. Take the time you would have spent on those chores and spend it writing instead.

Whatever Corners You Cut, Don't Make Reading One of Them

To make room in your life for writing when you already have a day job, family, and home obligations, you'll need to cut corners somewhere.

Prepare simpler meals. Consolidate the household chores. Give up a TV show or two. Go to a few less happy hours. Stay way from the shopping malls unless you really need something.

But whatever you do, don't give up reading. The best writers are also readers. Read books, magazines, and other's AC articles and blogs. Learn about writing styles and techniques, get topic ideas, and figure out what's already been done to death by reading others.

The day-jobbing writer has their work cut out for them. There are never enough hours in the day. But with patience, persistence, and a good outlook on the situation, you can steal a bit of time for yourself and move closer to your goals. Happy writing.