Blast Your Writing BlocksWritten by Angela Booth
*Article Use Guidelines*This copyrighted article is free for you to use as content in opt-in publications, or on your Web site. When you use it in opt- in publications, or on a Web site, please include resource box. However, please do not charge for it. Please DO NOT include it in CD compilations, paid-subscription sites or in publications for which you charge. ** Summary: Writing blocks are usually related to some form of anxiety, or to a lack of information. Here's how to conquer them. Category: Writing Words: 800 Blast Your Writing Blocks Copyright © 2003 by Angela Booth How many words do you write a day? Some novelists manage 2,000 words a day or even more, but most writers feel they've done a good job if they can turn out 500 to 1,000 words. If you're writing zero words a day, you're blocked. Writers get blocked because they're anxious, or because they don’t have enough information. => Dealing with anxiety Anxiety can show up in various forms, either physical, mental, or emotional. You may feel tired, or have a head-ache. You may decide that you're bored with what you're writing, or so depressed you can't think. Or maybe you convince yourself that you're just too busy (the lawn needs mowing, and you should spend time with kids). You'll do your writing tomorrow. The anxiety block is hard to manage because you often don’t realize that it is a block. You have terrific reasons for not writing. No one would expect you to write with a migraine, would they? And you really do need to mow lawn. The only way I've found to manage this block is to be tough on myself. I set myself a daily word target, usually 1,000. I may not reach that target, but before I go to bed, I MUST write 500 words. Every day. Paradoxically, I've found that even when I'm not in mood to write, or when I have a headache that would fell an ox, I feel better when I've written my 500 words. I often go on to write full 1,000. The most pernicious anxiety block occurs when you're convinced your writing is worthless. This block may happen as a result of chaos in some other area of your life: perhaps with relationships, or illness, or finances. Handling this block takes careful management. First, try to see that it's a block, which has happened because of stress you're under. Your writing is fine --- you've just lost perspective. If you can convince yourself of this, it's a major achievement.
| | How to Safeguard Payments as an International WriterWritten by Brenda Townsend Hall
Freelance writers operate on a basis of trust. Whether accepting commissions or sending off unsolicited material to likely buyers, they probably concentrate far more on quality of their output and their marketing effort than on honesty of buyers. In days when writers worked primarily for publications in their country of residence, it was easier to check soundness of potential buyers of material, even if checks were fairly casual, such as recommendations from other writers. Now, however, opportunities afforded by Internet, electronic publishing and e-mail mean that writers quite literally have world as their market. Over past few years I have sold material to Hong Kong, Singapore, USA, France, Belgium, Jordan and UK. To be fair, I have only twice encountered problems over payment. On one occasion I received promised cheque but unfortunately it was of bouncing variety and I ended up paying bank charges for privilege of trying to cash it. I decided that in this case publisher, who did not respond to my requests for explanation, had forfeited restrictions imposed in contract and I sold article elsewhere. On second occasion I made repeated requests for payment and was promised that cheque was on its way. However, no payment ever arrived and I am not sure how to go about recovering my money. Nick Inman, now resident in France, highlights difficulties surrounding payment of freelance writers in Europe: You'd have thought that it would be easy to collect a debt in civilised countries of European Union and that National Union of Journalists (NUJ) would help you to do it. But not always so. I am particularly concerned about burgeoning expatriate press, worst of which behaves as if it were a entity unto its own: out of reach of British law and NUJ's solicitors; and not quite a full member (because of language) of host country's own media. Besides which, many countries of Europe barely understand concept of a freelance contributor. But it shouldn't matter who you are or where you choose to live: a debt is a debt. The unpaid supplier has legal right on his side under EU regulations which came into force last August: these state that a client has to pay you 30 days after he (or she or it) becomes aware of how much he owes you, or after you have delivered work - whichever date is later. This rule can be overridden by agreement between you but that is only legitimate excuse for late payment. In theory then, non-payment, particularly within Europe, shouldn't be a problem. But it still happens. So what is answer? First, I suggest freelance writer needs to put in place some means of self-protection. Work out a simple set of terms and conditions and, whenever a new client is proposing work, send these to client and ask for them to be signed and returned to you before you deliver anything. Say what your fees are and when you require payment but also say what you undertake to do on behalf of client. A further safeguard is to request an advance payment of 25 - 30% of agreed fee. If, on other hand, client has a contract, look carefully at payment provisions and ensure that they are acceptable to you.
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