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Freelance Writing and Social Media

These past few months of blogging and freelancing have been very interesting for me. There’s tons of information out there which can be quite overwhelming. But over time I’ve learned to filter out information that’s actually useful. One topic that I’m constantly researching is writing and social media. What purpose can social media serve for my writing? How can the two actually connect? To be honest, I’m sort of old-fashioned when it comes to making connections, I’ve been very skeptical about relying on social media to promote my writing/brand.

The advantages

Besides being fast and seemingly convenient, social media can be an excellent avenue for promotion. Novelists, authors or more established writers can find success using the likes of Facebook or Twitter to promote their latest product. There are also pretty good websites out that that can be used as promotional platforms such as Amazon and Writer’s Digest. The choices are many and the possibilities could be great.

The cons

The thing is, using social media for writing purposes can be very hit or miss in my opinion. Quality vs. Quantity tends to come to mind when faced with the options of Facebook and Twitter. Sure, these avenues are successful for other areas such as personality promotion or music, but I personally think it clashes with the uniqueness of writing. Writing is a promotional tool within itself, so it makes little sense to use another promotional tool that’s based on social grounds, especially for the sake of numbers. If the material is good, it will get noticed and spread. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have or how many times you’re “tweeted”. Blaise Lucey does a great job of breaking down the effectiveness of Facebook for authors. This information helped me a lot in making a reasonable decision for promoting my brand.

The verdict?

I’m not interested in numbers or a lot of tweets, so I will not be using social media as the main platform for my brand. It may change over time, but right now I’m not seeing it. Instead, I will use it in a well thought out way that will help promote my work and my services. Just a side note, I had a Facebook account for 5 years. In the beginning it was fun; I got to connect with old friends and family members. When all of that wore off, it became pretty pointless. Plus it seemed to become invasive of what I was doing, my likes and where I did my groceries. The whole thing became annoying so I decided to shut it down. I have been thinking of opening another account, but strictly for the use of New3Creation. As my role as a writer continues to grow, it’s been easier for me to come up with a strategy that will be effective and cause me to stay in touch with my audience effectively. In the meantime, I’m keeping it “old school”. There are a few freelancing events going on in my area over the next couple of months. If you ask me, there’s nothing better than a meet and greet. I know good connections will be made in such a setting, and I’ll be sure to post my experience and share with you all once it happens. Stay tuned!

Writers, have you found social media to be beneficial for your work? If so, what specific sites are you using???

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Our Uniqueness as Writers

Everyone has a different voice, but now everyone realizes that for themselves. Some of us are quick to click around on other sites to see how others write and format their blogs. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s important to do that only ifyou’re trying to develop your own style. During this writing journey, I’m learning more and more about my writing voice I have and the things I can do with it. That’s one way blogging is so beneficial. It exercises the writing muscles as the unique voice develops. Time and time again I’ve seen blogs become successful because the writer chose to be themselves. It may not have happened overnight, but after years of developing and being themselves, an audience that appreciates their voice started to grow and the benefits increased for the writer/blogger. It’s very encouraging to see this happening as I develop my own voice. It helps me to know that I’m on the right track.

Keep Going

Although I’ve seen many writers become successful because of their unique voice, I’ve also seen blogs fail because the writer gave up posting for whatever reason. This is a lot easier said than done, but I’m learning to keep going and discipline myself to be consistent. As a result, it’s become somewhat easier to finish out ideas that were started and to express myself better. Not too long after that, the confidence level starts to grown and I have the guts to start reaching out and networking effectively (yes, there will be a post on that!).

Check Me Out

In addition to my recent guest blog stint, I’ve had other opportunities come my way. It’s very encouraging as far as other outlets coming my way. Not only do I have a lot to say, I have my own unique way of writing about it.

An article of mine was recently posted on P.E.R.K Consulting, an empowerment blog for organizations. It’s a small start, but a big deal for me in my writing journey. I’m also working on another gig that came my way just last week as a contributing writer! Once that’s done, I’ll be sure to post those links as well. Again, not holding back on my own way of writing is what will open doors for me. The same can happen for you, if it hasn’t happened already!

What do you think? Are you a new writer trying to find your own voice? I’d love to hear about your experience as a writer and blogger.

Feel free to share opportunities that have come your way.

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5 Quotes that Helped Reshape My Mind.

I’ve learned a lot since beginning this writing journey. I’ve met some great writers who don’t hesitate to help and I’ve even fallen in love with reading again. With that being said, my reader attention has been heightened, taking more notice of words everywhere I go…they resonate with me in a fresh new way. Without further ado, here are 5 quotes I’ve heard over the course of my life that have changed me in more ways than one:

“The head is a beautiful mechanism; use it, but don’t be used by it.” – Osho, philosopher

When it comes to writing, the mind couldn’t serve as a better tool. That’s where thoughts, ideas and wonderful stories are birthed. But I’ve learned of the strong connection the mind has with the heart. It’s important to have a balance between these two components because on their own, both can get carried away. It’s good to have an imagination, but we have to be grounded at the same time in respect to reality.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” The Bible

This scripture has done a complete change in me not just as a writer, but as a person. Trust me; I am NOT speaking from a religious standpoint, but rather a practical one. So many people spend time trying to be like someone else and don’t take the time to discover who they are. It wasn’t until I was ready to do some self-reflection that this scripture came to life for me. Many things in the mind need to be attacked and uprooted because they’re the cause of many setbacks and sad stories. Changing the way you think will open so many doors for you and reveal the path to your destiny. Okay, I don’t mean to sound like some mythical speaker, but it’s true. J

“If you think the grass is greener on the other side, water your own grass!” – unknown

I read this somewhere, and cracked up laughing – but I don’t remember where I read it! If nothing else has motivated me to work on my craft more, it’s definitely this lovely quote. I don’t know who said it, but it makes perfect sense to me. There’s nothing wrong with admiring other people’s work, but being able to circle back around and use what you’ve observed for your own improvement is the whole point. Besides, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side although it may seem that way.

“Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

Believe it or not, this quote inspired me to begin my writing journey. So many things in other areas of my life have blossomed besides my writing. Once I heard my sister say it to me over the phone one day, it set things in motion for me. I was not going to sit around anymore. Whatever I was dissatisfied with in my life was about to get dealt with. I started cultivating; tending to things I wanted to see happen, and boy, have they started happening! At the same time, I’ve learned that there are questions that won’t ever be answered and things that are beyond my control. So I just work on what I can….I create! Such a perfect tie into writing! There are a few outlets in this world that allow such a powerful event to take place.

“Anything that’s too easy is not good for you.” – My ninth grade Earth Science teacher

Don’t asked me what I learned in Earth Science, because I’d be lying if I told you. That darn class was at 2 in the afternoon and I just remember being spent and ready to go home. Plus her classroom was always hot! That just made it even more difficult for my brain to process any information during that time of day.

But I digress.

During class one day we were having an off-topic classroom discussion about life in general. She decided to through some words of wisdom our way and they definitely stuck with me. I’ve come to understand how I must work hard. When I do, not only is it rewarding, but I know that no one can my my way and discredit me or tamper with what I have. Especially since my reward wasn’t handed to me; I worked hard for it and deserve the benefits I’m reaping from it.

Do you have an empowering quote that changed your life? I’d like to hear about it!

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It’s Not Enough to Just be Alive

Don’t just exist – live.

I don’t know if that saying comes from someone else, but I’m claiming it as my own quote! Copyright!

Alright, on a serious note, a lot of us have been taught to thank God for another day, or that it’s a miracle to be alive another day…if that isn’t a lie, then I don’t know what is. Furthermore if that’s what’s considered a miracle of God, then the standards of what God can do for one’s life is pretty pathetic. I will expound on that in a later post. Right now I want to focus on the fact that a lot of folks are just looking at survival. Very little thought is actually given towards living. I realized this for myself not too long ago and I’m still learning now.

Don’t wait for everything to be perfect

If that’s the case, you’ll stay waiting because things will never be perfect. You can go out on a limb today if you want to. Get out of the comfort zone and do something different. I used to be scared to go places by myself because I was worried about what people would say about me. Now, I could care less. That decision alone has brought new ideas and revelations for my betterment. All because I decided to step out and go walk by the harbor by myself.

Make a decision

You’ve probably read and heard many things about living successfully and making changes. Well, nothing is going to happen if you don’t make a decision. Once you make your mind that you want to live and not just exist, the first thing you have to tackle is your mindset. So many harmful things have been programmed in us – from our own doing and from others. You will actually have to let go of certain beliefs and fears in order to make progress. If not you’ll be stuck at square one with a lot of regrets.

Linda Tanner — Okay so you’ve got the survival skills down…start living so you won’t have that confused and dazed look on your face.

Are you afraid of living?

At some point, please ask yourself that question if you haven’t already. We get very comfortable in living paycheck to paycheck or by being reactive instead of proactive. When it comes to living a better life we’re afraid to step out because of the changes that come. Don’t let situations or emotional occurrences make the decision for you. They can serve as a guide up to a certain point, but use your mind and determine what direction is best for you to do more than just exist.

Many times when we overcome or survive a touch situation, we get stuck in survival mode. That’s when the victim mentality creeps in and takes over. Everything goes downhill from there. Victims can NEVER live. Once they decide to stop being victims, then they can live.

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The Here and Now

I was doing my usual channel flipping the other day and came across one of Oprah’s programs (I can’t remember the title). They were talking about “the here and now” and it basically sent my mind racing. It triggered various thoughts as the the words resonated with me.

I thought “hmmm, I think I get it…”

A lot of the times we worry about what’s going to happen, what we can do about it and how everything is going to play out. Because of worry and fear, we make a lot of bad decisions to gain insight into the unknown. Bad intentions also develop because of this type of fear. A person may work themselves nearly half to death just for the sake of having a safe cushion financially. This is fine but when do they actually take the time to enjoy the fruits of their labor? It’s pretty pointless to keep such a mindset if you never have peace of mind. How about if you’re trying to lose weight? You’re focusing so much on your target weight that you get frustrated in the process and just give up after a while.

The reality is, we can only control what we are doing today. Sure, it’s great to set goals and aspirations, but those are vastly different from trying to form and control the future. From my experience, we can only take one step at a time. Get rid of each bad habit and develop good ones….one day at a time.

Do what can be done TODAY.

This is where the self-discipline war comes into play and a lot of folks fail or just give up. The fact of the matter is you won’t be able to skate your way to anything good no matter how much you pray, how good of sweet talk you may be or how magnificent you are at plotting and scheming. Again, I’m speaking from experience. At some point you need to nurture the drive by strapping on your boots and getting to work. No one can help you with that. Its about what you can do in this moment. Over time, it just may set you up for tomorrow and things will be taken care of.

So what are you going to do? Are you going to stay comfortable in your habits, which include worrying about the future, or are you going to tackle it a day at a time?

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Don’t Just Talk About it, BE About it!

There’s nothing more annoying than people who just talk about doing something all the time but never get around to doing it. Either they can’t (or won’t) make up their mind or they just want to blow steam…or maybe they just like hearing themselves talk.

Do something already!

On a personal note, I’m currently going through career changes for the better. For almost two years I’ve been dissatisfied with my work situation for different reasons. Simply put, I was not happy and was exploring what options were out there for me. I would vent to friends and co-workers about it, but they would just dismiss it as me whining or complaining. Nonetheless, I took the steps I needed to take to change things. Now that those changes are taking place, I’m moving on in my career and they’re floored and frankly, I don’t understand why. I wasn’t just running my mouth when I expressed what I wanted; I was also working on it. I guess they didn’t connect the two. They got the message now!

My whole point is, if you have a vision action needs to be taken at some point. When I decided to start writing/blogging, it came after a fair amount of debating and thinking. I stalled for a little bit but I eventually jumped on my laptop and got to work. It’s actually been a relief for me now that I’ve finally started writing again.

Have you been debating or struggling to initiate something that you’ve been meaning to work on? Please don’t let the time continue to pass. The moment you start being about it, there will be relief and you will feel good about yourself.

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Time Management (Ugh!)

My recent decision to start blogging has definitely come with its challenges. But it’s a decision I’m completely comfortable with since it took me forever to think things through and do it. As I mentioned earlier, blogging is not a full-time activity for me. I have a full time job and it takes up a lot of my time. By the time I want to sit down and put in some work to my websites, I’m too drained to do it – physically and mentally. The past couple of months have been so overwhelming as I research the blogosphere, the do’s and don’ts and what I can do to improve my style. The plethora of information can be confusing if one is not careful. You’re advised to find a core audience, open accounts with every social media outlet in existence, master this app, subscribe to this mailing list, it’s so much. One day I had to buckle down and come up with a way to keep my interest in writing online while maintaining my personal activities.

Honestly, I’ve always been horrible at time management. I procrastinate a lot, so when things pile up I usually don’t perform until the pressure’s on. I know, bad habit. But there are a couple of things I’ve taken on that has helped me manage blogging and my full time job effectively. Everyone has their own system, so if you’re building your own maybe these tips will help:

Invest in a good notebook/writing pad – take it with you everywhere you go. If you’re a daily commuter like me, you can use your time on the train or bus to jot down any thoughts that come to mind and not have to worry about forgetting them. This has helped me a lot.

Blogging doesn’t have to be an everyday thing; set one day aside if need be – before I started blogging, I would read through my favorite blogs and be amazed at how much information writers were able to put out on a daily basis. How did they do that? Well, one of the tricks I learned was they don’t write everyday. One blogger told me she sets one day out of the week to write up all of her content, then schedule them to be published throughout the week. Who knew? I sure didn’t!

3. Don’t force anything, the inspiration will come – don’t sit at your desk beating your brain on what to write about next. Just do what you normally do during work hours (whether or not you’re actually working is between you and your cubicle J). The time you spend stressing on coming up with a hot topic for your blog will just pile up more things for you. Remember, there’s a time and place for everything. Once you get a flow the ideas will come one after the other. Keep that notepad handy!

4. Cover yourself: not exactly a time management issue, but an essential as a new blogger. Check with your ethics department at the job to make sure there will be no conflict between your writing and what your employer represents. This is something you may want to consider no more how laid back or sensitive your job may be. That way you won’t have to worry about misrepresenting your employer or yourself. Be sure to get something in writing that will cover your employer not having any problems with you being a blogger.

I’m still learning as I go along, so this list will change or improve. Where are you with your blogging experience? Are you just starting out or are you seasoned in your writing? What tips can you share to help the newcomers?

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On the road again…taking in the sights…

I recently read a great post about cross-country traveling that gave insight on the beauty of the United States. It’s true – if you’re not too excited about flying from continent to continent, you can get a lot of scenic indulgence in the U.S. There’s a lot to see and a lot to be inspired from. I had my own experience with cross-country when I relocated from New Mexico to Maryland. A friend of mine accompanied me at the time (I was nervous about driving by myself). I remember driving through Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Each state had its own “feel” to it. Their own sights and sounds.

I kick myself now for not doing a better job at keeping a journal because there were so many inspiring scenes to write about. Not even the tourists’ sights, just the windy roadways, the valleys and hills of Pennsylvania, and the run down streets of St. Louis. Other sights were just plain and scary. Completely abandoned gas stations that reminded me of scenes from horror stories, and stretches of roads so plain and quiet the only action they had was tumbleweed blowing across them. When it wasn’t my turn to drive, I could’ve busied myself with pen and paper. Instead, I opted to take a nap. Oh well. I know there will be many other opportunities and sources of inspirations to use in my writing journey. One day I would love to drive from coast to coast and write about the folks I meet, the scenes I witness and the overall experience of a journey.

Have you taken a road trip? What was your experience like?

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My plan

A lot of my blogging first started on Hub Pages a couple of months ago. I had an ultimate plan in mind in terms of what I wanted to write and share, and those included my life’s experiences in starting over. There have been significant events in my life over the past couple of years that helped re-shape my mind and perspective on life. One of the biggest steps I took after starting over was buy a new home. At the time it didn’t seem feasible, it was a little over the top and buying the home didn’t provide much outlook into the future for me. Sure I had a steady job, but I didn’t know how I would fare as a homeowner as time went on. Again, me dealing with fear of the unknown.

When I first thought about buying a home, I was bored. I was doing my day to day job, paying my bills and being a law-abiding citizen. I wanted to do something that involved me investing in my future, something that I could call my own. When I would go for my daily jobs in the evening, I would admire the beautiful houses in my neighborhood and wonder what it would be like to live in one of them. That’s when the idea was planted in my thoughts and wouldn’t leave me alone. I started writing down plans, budgets and avenues I could take towards buying a house. I pulled my credit report, started researching and developed a time frame as to when I would like to be in my new home. The journey was incredible. It was filled with excited twists, setbacks, disappointments and endless changes. Although I had an original plan in place, things definitely changed along the way. There was an ideal location, design of the house, and budget ideas – all in place. Those things changed and evolved as the journey went along up to the day I settled on my house of choice. There were a few homes I loved so much and wanted, but couldn’t get because another offer was accepted over mine. When a seller finally accepted my offer, I was ready to move in the next day, but there were still more twists and turns to go thru before finally getting those keys.

At the end of the day, I’m glad of the choice I made and I’m reaping the benefits of owning my home. No, things did not go as planned to the t, but at the end of the day I was satisfied. There’s nothing wrong with planning, just know that things may not always go as planned. If there is peace within and patience, things will work out just fine. There’s a reason why life happens the way it does and we don’t always have the answers.

So why stress ourselves trying to figure everything out? I’m learning that for myself not just in day to day life, but in my journey as a writer. The original plan has been developed, redeveloped, switched, and retraced over and over again. It’s not going to stop anytime soon. The many changes are development and evolvement. It makes the journey that much more interesting and gives me that much more to write about.

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Getting Back in the Groove: New Responsibilities and Sacrifices

One of the most challenging things in taking on a new project (or in my case – a passion) is learning how to sacrifice certain pleasures in order to get things done. Since I made my decision to get back into writing, there are a lot of tough decisions I have to make in order to get my writing groove back. On a quick historical note, it’s been years since I’ve tapped into my writing. Growing up, all I did was read and write, but as I got older I really lost touch with it. In order to get back in the swing of things I realize I have to put a lot of bad habits aside and make certain sacrifices. For one, I have to master the art of time management. I hate being on a schedule, but right now it’s necessary in order for me to organize my thoughts and topics that I want to express. Breaking away from tv has never been so difficult – I was never a real tv person until now. It only gets in the way and it doesn’t help my creativity one bit. Perhaps I should just cancel my cable subscription?

Uh, the jury is still out on that!

One thing I can say is that my renewed passion for writing has definitely awakened my desire to read like I used to. It definitely helps feed my creativity and gives me ideas of proper expression. Arguably the most powerful form of communication, writing has gotten me through some tough times. When I was so angry and upset with someone, I couldn’t express myself verbally – it wouldn’t come out the way I wanted it because my thoughts and words were going a mile a minute which equated to a verbal mess. Instead, I would resort to writing everything down – the way I want it to be said. Did the person understand me? Yes. Did I get my point across? Definitely. As I continued to write things down, my ability to express myself verbally improved. I’m guessing it’s because I gave my brain practice to organize thoughts and feelings properly.

So reading, time management, passion and motivation are all at play here. This means new responsibilities, sacrifice (get off the phone and turn the tv off) and challenges are on my to- do list. I’m ready, especially since I’ve enrolled in the Blogging 101 course at the Commons. I’m so excited! I expect to be flowing by the time the course is over!

What motivates you to write? Do you struggle to keep a creative flow? Have you done the Blogging 101 course? I’d love to know – post in the comments, please!

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