Freelance Writing Week 11: Diary Entry #12
I have yet to have two great weeks in a row. Is that normal?
Remember last week when I said I felt like a real freelance writer?
Forget all that.
I achieved my goals this week and even enjoyed it sometimes, but I definitely didn’t feel like a real freelance writer.
Here’s last week’s:
My Schedule
I sent freelance writing pitches on M, W, F as my primary task, and wrote 1500 words on Tuesday and Thursday. When I finished my primary tasks I worked on articles, research, and other tasks.
What worked
Like last week, I enjoyed this schedule. I got everything done and appreciated the additional time I’ve been allocating to each task. I’ve found that this way of breaking up tasks really helps my productivity.
What didn’t work
I’m not sure my strategy is quite on target yet, so I had some doubts about whether I’m spending enough time on the right things.
Plan for next week
Next week I’m going to keep things mostly the same. I’ll be writing 1500 words for my novel on Tuesday and Thursday, and on M, W, F I’ll send pitches. Since I have had no success yet with the pitches I’ve been sending, I’m going to switch up my pitch strategy this week.
The rest of the time, I’m going to do some research and revisit my strategy to make sure I’m on the right track.
Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned
Challenge
I sort of just slid by this week. I did everything I had planned to do without putting up much of a fight, but I had a persistent feeling that I was missing something, somehow.
You know how sometimes you really feel you have a firm grasp on things, like you’re in control and flourishing? That’s how I felt last week, and it’s the opposite of how I felt this week.
The roller coaster barrels on.
On the pitch front, I only received one response from the last batch. It said, “this isn’t a fit for us, thanks for sending.”
Not sure when that will stop sucking.
Victory
I sent three pitches, wrote a total of 3106 words in my novel, and did some engaging on social media (here and LinkedIn). I started a new article and a new publication here, but haven’t made it all live yet. Look for that soon!
Even on the days and weeks where I’m not really feeling it, at least I can say I’m making progress.
How I felt
You can guess how this is going to go.
I felt off this week. I got everything done, but I was just going through the motions.
I want to say that I’m killing this freelancing thing, but I can’t, really. I’m still figuring it out… still struggling to find my place, my path, my passion in this world. Is that normal? Is it okay? I’m not sure.
I have to believe that most of us are figuring things out as we go. No one knows what they don’t know until they come up against it, and that only happens through experience. A function of experience is growth. As a new freelance writer, all of those things you don’t know feel like an obstacle, but it’s important to embrace them as opportunities to learn. That’s how to build the career you imagine. 🤞
Despite the struggles I had this week, I know that I’m generally on the right track. All I can do is keep doing what brings me closer to my goals, keep my eyes open to my weak spots, and keep improving.
Tools I used
Nothing new this week.
Goal Review
Priority 1: Send one pitch on Monday, one on Wednesday, and one on Friday. Writing jobs trump this for top priority.
I sent all three pitches this week. Woo-hoo!
Priority 2: Write 1500 words in my novel on Tuesday and Thursday.
Did it! I really enjoyed writing my novel this week. It was the more relaxing, creative task that really kept me going. It helped that I was writing the most exciting scenes of the book.
Priority 3: Write and engage on social media.
I did some engaging on here and on LinkedIn this week. I worked on an article but I didn’t publish yet.
Bonus: Work on a short story.
Nope.😭
Final Thoughts
I’m sure next week will be better. I’m not going anywhere — I’m going to keep showing up and striving to do better.
Here’s to a great week!
Follow my publication, Diary of a Freelance Writer, and check back next Sunday for another rundown of a week in the life of a full-time freelance writer.
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