Lost In The Words

Getting paid to blog is becoming huge in the world of freelance writing. I admit that I am always writing for other people's blogs, often neglecting my own. (Sorry guys, the clients pay better than the adsense clicks have been!)

Two amazing professional bloggers have come together to provide a plethora of advice for those who earn their living as bloggers and for those who are just starting out. Deb Ng and Jennifer Chait, both successful bloggers with major blog networks, have started Network Blogging Tips, to help answer the big questions that many of us have about finding blogging jobs, driving traffic to your blog, and deciding if the pay is right.

I have read through quite a bit of the site and have found loads of information and tips that I plan on putting to use in the very near future. If you blog for pay, or are considering applying for a blogging position, do yourself a favor and see what these ladies have to say!

I think I may have finally found my rhythm. I have reached a place as a freelancer where I feel as if I belong. I know what I am doing (sometimes), know what I want, and am heading in the direction that will get me there.

For the first time in my freelance life, I am able to take the weekend off. I am not stressed over deadlines and can enjoy my family fully, until Monday morning. I have cleared my plate and am comfortable with the week's income. This is the feeling that I have been waiting for.

Granted, I have a fairly full plate ready and waiting for the coming week, that I may pick at if I get bored enough, but it is nice to know that I don't have to.

Maybe this will last, maybe it won't, but I am certainly going to do what I can to keep things this way!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then three thousand cliche's are certainly worth a website.

In stumbling for post ideas for my blog tonight, I came across a impressive list of writing resources. The item that jumped out the most for me was the Cliche' Finder.

I've always been a sucker for some fun with words, so I had to check it out!

You can browse through their list, search by keyword, or just get 10 random cliche's thrown at you. Here's a sample from one of the random lists:

Hit the mute button on him/her.
It's my way or the highway
Die in harness
Sharp as a pin
Got a hole in my pocket
Kick the dog and cat
Have the last laugh
Turn something into a zoo
Pull the rug out from under
There is a light at the end of the tunnel

While some of these leave a bit to be desired, browsing through the lists has proven to be more fun than a toothache, to say the least!

Over at Freelance Writing Jobs, Deb dug up a nice list of old posts that offer a lot of great advice for freelancers. I have been a daily reader there for a couple of years, and some brought back fond memories of my own learning process in the freelance game.

One particular post that caught my attention was "Do You Have All Your Eggs In One Basket?" This post has some great advice about spreading out your income streams, warding off a financial crisis should a client run out of work, go out of business, etc.

While I have tried to keep a fairly steady stream of work through multiple clients, I have experienced some very lean times when workloads got light in one place or another. If you are new to freelancing, this is a great lesson to learn. Dependency on a sole client or position when in freelancing can be a recipe for failure!

That said, do not overextend yourself either. Taking on too many clients can be disastrous, as well. Experiment with adding one client at a time until your plate is full. Keep looking for additional gigs as you go. As you learn and grow as a freelancer, you may outgrow some early clients and be ready to replace them with bigger and better things!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Someone must have noticed that I have been neglecting my blogging duties! Thankfully, this time I have been under a nice, big pile of decently paying work. I love being absent when it is for a good reason!

Nikki, at Chaos In The Country, has tagged me with one of the better meme's I have seen come down the pipe in awhile. This meme asks us to choose a quote that speaks to your heart and dedicate it to three other bloggers.

As did Nikki, I just couldn't walk away with leaving only one quote, as there are so many sides of me. Here are a few that show who I am as a writer, as a mother, and as a person.


Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish. ~ John Jakes


It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself. ~Joyce Maynard


I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much ~ Mother Theresa


As required, I am asking three other bloggers, whose personal insights I enjoy, to post their favorite quotes as well. I have chosen Kristen, Katharine, and Harmony (who needs to update her writing friends on how she is doing!) I hope you all have a few minutes to participate and I look forward to seeing your quotes.