Keeping Our Freelance Work Flowing (In Lieu of a Steady Paycheck)

One of the major sources of stress for a freelance writer is the lack of a consistent and dependable form of income. Though we may have disliked the jobs that we left behind in order to follow our dream, we soon come to realize that there were indeed advantages to answering to the boss: generally guaranteed hours and a fixed rate of pay for the work we did. We knew what we would be earning month-to-month, and this allowed us to plan our finances and enjoy what time was left over for ourselves.

When we embark upon the great adventure of writing for print publications and/or the Web, we're wont to feel subject to the whims of fate - at least at first. Those fortunate enough to line up a steady stream of work in advance, and negotiate a good fee in return for their time and energy, need only worry about keeping the words flowing. Others might be plagued with anxiety right from the start, deliberating endlessly over what topics are in demand, what research might be required, and whether or not they can meet deadlines or fulfill personal quotas.

However nebulous and uncertain the world of freelance writing may seem, there is one general rule that can serve to keep us focused: the level of security that we create for ourselves is directly related to the amount of content that we're able to produce. This is a lesson that we're likely to learn whilst flying by the seat of our pants. We discover how we can write faster, how we can recognize the ideas and opportunities that keep cropping up, every day, in dozens of guises. Soon our minds will be trained to uncover the potential articles or stories hidden within nearly every experience of our lives. From there, it's a simple matter of finding the right outlets for them. The Web, in particular, is like a big bloated creature forever hungry for content. Our job is to keep feeding it words.

We can maximize our odds of doing this by diversifying in many ways: varying our subject matter, experimenting with different styles and voices, and writing for as many reputable markets as we're able to. Like inspiration itself, finding markets can become second nature once we've logged enough hours navigating and researching. Soon, recalling a certain editor's content preferences and submission guidelines will be as automatic as the process, at our last job, of remembering how to grill a medium-rare top sirloin.

The transition between working for a boss and working for ourselves can be stressful at first simply because it is an unknown. The price paid for freedom is oftentimes a loss of security; but in the case of a writer, this need not be a reality but rather just a feeling that will likely pass in time. There is inspiration waiting somewhere within every conversation we have, within everything we read and everything we dream. If we train our eyes and ears to be alert to its presence, and draw upon our skills and craft to make use of it when we uncover it, then we can keep ourselves forever in the flow - creatively and, hopefully, financially as well.