And sometimes it seems that every project you accept takes much more time than you would like.
In fact, if you are a successful freelance writer, the projects you accept can start to eat up all of your time.
1. Focus on one project at a time.
If you're constantly thinking about all the things you need to accomplish each day, your mind never settles down to the writing project at hand.
Let everything else go when you sit down to write.
Just write.
Don't answer the phone.
Don't check your email.
Don't try to multitask when you write.
In fact, I find it helpful to block out a apecific amount of time for each writing project.
Then, when it's time to work on one project, it's much easier to stop thinking about everything else because I know I have blocked out time for all those other projects, too.
2. When writing nonfiction, it helps to come up with a structure for your article, topic, paragraph, etc. before you sit down to write.
Start with a jazzy title for your article, then create the lead sentence.
Next, figure out how you will structure the article by coming up with a few subtopic headings.
Once you have all those things in place, all you'll need to do is fill in the information under each of the subtopic headings.
3. When writing fiction, chunk the action out into scenes.
When you sit down to write, tell yourself you are going to write only a certain number of scenes that day.
Outline the scenes ahead of time, then when it's time to sit down and write out the scenes, you are good to go!
4. Every day when you get ready to finish that day's writing session, be sure you KNOW what you will start writing the next day.
That way, you won't have to sit down and stare at a blank computer screen tomorrow.
You'll be able to get to work immediately because you'll know where to start.
5. If you find you're spending hours at the computer with nothing to show for it, stop.
Get up and do something else.
Take a walk, take a bath, do some stretches, go out for a cup of coffee.
Your subconscious will still be working on the writing project that is giving you trouble.
Come back to it in an hour or so and you'll probably start to make some progress.
Follow these tips and you'll not only be working faster, you'll be working smarter, too!
And you will have more free time for other things you love to do.
Try it!
Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 35 published books, a freelance writer, and a writing coach.
