Freelance writing pays the bills. We can, to a certain extent, pick and choose clients but clients have the last say on our writing. We have deadlines to make, set topics to cover, and we need to ensure a voiceless delivery. Creative writers are different. We can write what we like, follow trains of thought to their illogical ends, take our time and edit (or not) as we see fit. If you believe this, then you need to wake up to reality.
Creative writers, especially ones who want to get published, need to be aware of publisher’s requirements and their audiences tastes. As far as timing is concerned, if we want someone to publish our work, then we must ensure a steady supply of good material. And it is possible to sit overlong on a piece, editing it to an early grave.
Sure, we need to be happy with our work but we also need to be aware that a good publisher will give quality feedback and critique that is just as important as how we “feel” about our work. Creative writers can learn a lot about professionalism by adopting the work ethics of those writers working as journalists, freelancers and other contract writers. It”s not a bad thing to be organised and working to a clock, especially if it’s a self-imposed one.
The truth is that creative writers are freelancers. There are competition deadlines, publisher’s deadlines, even our muse can be pushy enough to prompt a deadline. There are contracts to think of, audiences to acquire, techniques and plots to hone. To become an author isn’t just about putting one word miraculously and perfectly after another. There is a real world of business out there that can swamp us and depress us if we do not acknowledge it and deal with it.
Inject a degree of professionalism into how you write. It can relieve a lot of unnecessary tensions.
