Do you ever feel like your full time job is a prison sentence that is getting in the way of the things that you love to do? Well, if so you need to find a new lob, and until then here are a few tips on making the most of the time you do have to be creative and enjoy yourself.
Keep a pen and paper handy:
Sometimes an idea for a story or article will come to you while you are riding down the street, watching television, or just about to doze off for the night. As a writer your ideas are you most valuable tool, so never let one get away from you. Just one idea misplaced somewhere in the minds vast storage could cost you valuable writing time as you ponder your next topic. Take the time to write down more than one or two words. Nothing is more frustrating than looking at a word on a piece of paper that you scratched down right before you dozed off and having no idea what it meant. Using your best shorthand write down as many details as come to you. This will increase you actual writing time, and take away some of the stress that comes from staring at a blank screen.
Write what you know:
If your time is limited you may lose money by accepting an article that is going to require a lot of research. Earning that five dollar upfront fee may cause you to want to undertake a particular challenge, but you may be able to write two or three quality articles in the same amount of time if you are more familiar with the topic. Depending on the site you are writing for your rating could also suffer. If you rush through the research of an unfamiliar topic the chances are someone who is knowledgeable will outperform you even if you are able to put together a clever piece.
Edit after you are finished writing:
If you are constantly correcting your errors as you go then you are probably wasting a fair amount of time. You may be afraid that if you wait until you are finished writing to correct an error you may miss it later on. It is not only faster to take care of your errors at the end, but it will actually make for fewer mistakes in the long run. Correcting as you go may cause you to overlook mistakes when you are finished because you may feel that you caught most of your mistakes as you were writing. When you are finished read over your work thoroughly.
Learn the shortcuts built into your word processor:
A really simple way to save some time is to be familiar with your word processor. Most people, even those who write every day, have never taken the time to fully investigate all their word processor has to offer. Millions of dollars have gone into making your word processor better than the one before, so do not treat it like a fancy type writer. If you use Microsoft office then go to this site and learn about the shortcuts that you could be using. If you are a mac user, sorry about Steve Jobs, go to this site and learn about your word processors shortcuts.
It is possible to hold down a full time job and enjoy having a substantial influence in the world of writing. With every article you write you are working on increasing your typing speed and reducing your errors. Remember to keep up with all of your great ideas, because even if you are not able to accomplish all that you would like to at this point in your life there will come a time when you will be able to write to your heart’s content. When that time comes it would be great to have an arsenal of material to work with. Do not rob the world of your talent, and do not underestimate the impact that you can have on others’ lives. If you are passionate about writing then there are readers who are just waiting to be taught, amused, encouraged, informed, and blessed by what you have to say.