As a writer, you’ll find that work is cyclical. There are times when you are bogged down with work and don’t know if you can come up for air, and then there are times when you wish there were a trickle of something to do. There are a number of reasons this could be happening:
- You had to accept a number of solos before they expired.
- You had a number of obligations that coincided with your deadlines.
- You’ve been under the weather.
- A lot of your projects have been sent for revision.
- You’re new and you haven’t gotten into the swing of things.
The list goes on and on. What can you do to make things better and feel as if you don’t need writing help? Take control of your writing schedule! While that sounds a little crazy, especially if you have experienced any of those scenarios described, there are a few things you can do:
- Schedule writing hours
When you schedule writing hours and stick to them, you tend to get a lot done in that time. This will free you up for certain periods of time where you can handle your other obligations. When you schedule writing hours, you can think of yourself as being at a job where things have to get done at a certain time before you do anything else.
- Change your mindset
If you have hours set in stone and are finding them to be a challenge, change your mindset. Adopting a mindset of writing whenever you have free time gives you more flexibility to get your writing done when you can, instead of fighting with unseen forces to stick to writing times.
- Plan your day
Be strategic. If you know you have a number of items on your writing list, plan them out. This will help you in sticking to your list, and you will be able to get things done early, rather than trying to beat the hands of time.
- Time yourself
One of the best ways to know how much time you need to do something is to time yourself. Take a number of articles at different word lengths and research demands and note the time it takes you to complete them. This also helps when you’re planning your day because you will already know how much time it will take to do those particular assignments.
Being a freelance entrepreneur can be hectic, but it is definitely rewarding. Learning how to maximize the time you have and take control of your schedule is a learned behavior, but once you’ve got it, you’re good to go!
Writer Bio: Allaire W is a professional writer with a love for the written word and a sweet tooth that turned a hobby into a business. You can find her “cooking” up assignments while covered in cake batter.
