You know that old saying, “Hurry up and wait”?
That seems to be what getting started in the freelance writing world is all about – bursts of proactive outputs followed by a lot of waiting.
Waiting for someone to get back to you about creating a custom logo. Waiting to connect with that other freelancer on LinkedIn. And of course, waiting to hear back from those pitches you sent out so you can land your first real writing gig!
Perseverance is key in this business, and a little bit of patience will go a long way as well. But what do you do while patiently persevering until you can have that next burst of activity?
The answer is easy, you write.
Spend that downtime honing your mad skills, yo!
Isn’t that why you got into this in the first place? You want to stand out from the crowd, rise above the noise and to do that your writing needs to set you apart. At the end of the day, that’s what sells you. Your words.
So it makes sense to use every spare minute you can creating, polishing and perfecting that skill. It’s money in the bank.
The next time you are stuck waiting on someone or something else before you can move forward, take a moment, shift gears, and then start pounding those keys.
- Write a blog post
- Write a blog post and save it for a rainy day
- Send out another pitch, or three
- Leave thoughtful comments on a few blogs
- Email your aunt Gertrude and thank her for that batch of rock hard oatmeal raisin cookies.
- Check in with an old friend and ask how they are doing
It doesn’t matter, just pick one and write. Focusing on your writing will make you a better, and more marketable, writer in the long run. If you want proof, take a moment to read some of your older work. Do you see how much you have improved? Can you see your voice shining through in your newer content? Psst. It’s from all of that writing.