Freelance Writing on the Go
Home-based writing is probably one of the best jobs anybody could have. It has a lot of perks – from the opportunity to work at your own pace to having the freedom to enjoy breaks anytime you want. Freelance writing is indeed a heaven-sent job opportunity.
However, we have to face the fact that we, freelance writers solely depend on the internet, and without it – we’re dead.
Beating the deadline is a part of our lives. It is like a cup of coffee in the morning or a kiss from our loved ones. But if you suddenly cannot connect to the internet and you are past the deadline, you simply don’t have a choice but to anticipate a GC deduction or worse, a warning increase.
Nobody wants to have a late submission and much more experience a warning increase. However, there are times and there will always be those unfortunate events that we can’t avoid – power shortage, sporadic internet connection, corrupted file, virus-infected PC. These are just a few interruptions that we have to deal with as freelance writers but these factors should not be a reason for your warn level to reach its limit.
Each one of us must have experienced hours of power interruption, intermittent internet connection or PC problems. I did (and still do from time to time) and I had to go to the nearest internet café and deal with the irritating noise around, coupled with the humid environment inside the small and crowded shop.
These circumstances are inevitable. However, there is something that we could do about it. No internet connection? Go to the nearest internet café and for those privileged ones who own a laptop, there are a lot of establishments today that provide free WiFi. Now you have an excuse to go out, dress up and go shopping! (After accomplishing your tasks, of course).
If you have decided that freelance writing is something you can do for a long time and if you have learned to love the craft, be prepared for the worst. Everyday will not be a good day and an unfortunate event will always come your way, whether you like it or not. So to save yourself from a GC wipeout and 40% warning increase in the future, start saving. Make it point to save at least 5% of your monthly salary and buy yourself a wireless plug-it internet, or UPS or a laptop as a reward.
Freelance writing is definitely a dream job for most of us and we should do everything we could to keep it.
I strongly agree with the intermittent internet connection part. It is frustrating when you have the proper strength to write but your intermittent internet hinders your good aims. In my case though, I don’t go to cafes, and I don’t have a laptop either. Fortunately, the internet connection goes back in less than an hour, which explains an hour or two delay of my assignment delivery. (like… RIGHT NOW. SIGH~)
Another reason of my delay is my habits which I admit I should change! I usually claim an assignment, go to my job (which is by shift… let me see you get an idea what it is.), and I aim to write upon return to my home and after a nap. The bad part is when I begin, ideas don’t come in as fluently as I want to. Cue in the GC deduction. HAH!!
yah, invest in the tools of the trade, so to speak. good tip
Hello!
I have not read Papyrus posts in a while. Buti ito naabutan ko, very timely.
Yes, power interruptions are the worst. It’s just me and the kids and the yaya most of the time. So when there’s brownout, I’m usually done for. I’m dead. I can’t just go to the nearest WiFi station because the kids need me and they have entirely different schedules, and of course there is now way in hell I’m leaving them alone with the yaya. (I’m not making excuses for delays, I’m just sharing.) Maybe I should invest in plug-it Internet. How much ba yun, and does it really work? Like mabilis ba ang connection?
This is a good post. Very timely nga, lalo na ngayong rainy season when power interruptions are frequent.
Amen to this post.
All the while I thought the worst thing that could ever happen would be problems from the technical side of things; like power interruptions, no connections (even from the plug-it dongle) or the incapacity to lug the kids and brave the rains to hunt for a computer shop that will not corrupt every single thing you’ve done.
One thing that you should fear the most is getting incapacitated because of a medical condition. I’ve learned things the hard way and believe me, you don’t want your hands to give-up on you. Not only will your writing be affected, your days will be irritable and unhappy. I have a couple of other pre-existing medical conditions that I can handle, but getting carpal tunnel is by far, the worst. *bitter*
Thank you for this wonderful blog. It is very understandably correct especially about the reality of being a writer. I am new here and the surprises that might come being a member of EPH can be very exciting! I mean, its like I am going back to my college years again. The power outage, losing Internet connection, meeting deadlines… I’ve experienced all of these events before. So I guess if I’ll encounter them while writing here, I won’t be too hard on myself. All I have to do is save! Thank you so much!
i agree with the internet connection but the other problem that we freelance writer may encounter is, if you can’t use your pc for a long time. Sometimes you share the pc with other people. So you are only allowed a certain number of hours to use the computer.