Week 15 of Freelance Writing: Diary Entry #16
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about how quickly you can go from a beginner freelancer making no money to a well-paid freelancer with recurring clients. In most cases, it doesn’t happen as fast as people (usually people selling courses) want you to believe. This sets us up for failure.
Since starting as a full-time freelance writer, I’ve frequently had to reframe my thoughts about how quickly I can reach my goals, and how smoothly I can expect things to go.
This week I made some progress towards my goals, and sometimes that’s the best I can hope for.
My Schedule
This week I wrote all day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I worked on setting up my Fiverr account on Tuesday and Thursday before writing in the afternoons.
What worked
I still really love the amount of writing I get to do with this schedule. On M, W, and F, I usually work on my novel in the morning and switch to articles once I reach my word count. That’s been working out nicely.
What didn’t work
I had planned to get my Fiverr account all set up and ready for business this week, but it turns out that I wasn’t quite ready to make it live. I didn’t realize how much time I’d need to allocate to research competitors, make graphics, write my descriptions, and plan my service packages. I didn’t get as much done on it as I’d hoped, and that had a lot to do with mismanaged time and poor planning.
Plan for next week
Next week, my schedule will stay exactly the same. I really liked it and felt productive without being too overwhelmed.
I’m going to shoot to have my Fiverr account and at least one gig ready to go by the end of next week.
I’m also going to make sure I set some time aside for article planning, as that’s something I’ve been struggling with.
Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned
Challenge
This week I put off writing my weekly yoga article until the last minute because I just couldn’t settle on a topic. I realized I should plan out more of my articles ahead of time so that I know exactly what to work on every week. I’m thinking it may also help if I have a week for my ideas to brew before I write them.
Victory
I reached my word count goal for the week and published a yoga article. I also made some progress on my Fiverr account setup.
How I felt
I felt pretty good this week. I had moments where I spiraled into a cycle of doubt and anxiety, but overall I accomplished most of my goals and felt satisfied with my work.
Goal Review
Priority 1: Write 1800 words in my novel M, W, F to finish first draft by April 30th
I did it! Writing 1800 words of fiction three days a week is a lot more than I’ve done in recent years. Sometimes I struggle to get into the flow and maintain it, which just means it takes me a little longer to hit my 1800 words on some days than on others. But either way, it feels great to write that much and make steady progress with my novel.
Priority 2: Write and publish one article in Savasana Today each week
Here’s this week’s article:
Priority 3: Get Fiverr gigs set up and ready for business
As I mentioned earlier, this project requires more time than I thought it would. I want to make sure my gigs and my profile are professional and competitive.
This week I made progress, but the new plan is to get my Fiverr account polished and open for business by the end of next week.
Final Thoughts
I expected to have a few clients by now, to have written for a few big magazines, or to at least have made some significant financial progress.
Even though I haven’t reached those milestones yet, I’m working hard and I know I’m getting closer every day. I’m still laying the foundation, and that’s okay.
If you’re getting discouraged, remember that you’re making progress, and all your hard work will pay off in the end. Just keep showing up.
Have 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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