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Don’t forget to write the fiction. In fact, do it first thing.

Those of you who write fiction already know why this is important. You know that it’ll make your day feel better. You also may have, like me, been stressing out so hard about getting actual work that you just skip straight over the fiction because, “I can do that later.”

Well guess what? If you are a fiction writer–published, never-published, small-circulation published, whatever–then your whole day will go better if you spend even just thirty minutes a morning (or whenever your day starts) loosing yourself in that fiction. Or, for that matter, pounding your head on the desk over it.

Those of you who already write fiction know exactly what I’m talking about. Those who don’t–I promise there’s no need to subject yourself to the process if you’re not already obsessed with it.

If you are obsessed with it, go ahead and work on your obsession first thing. Your whole day will be less stressful, and the world will seem a little less adversarial.

Just a reminder from your friendly neighborhood crazed (fiction and article) writer.

Probably the #1 problem most writers have is overly-harsh self criticism of what we write. (Although not enough self-criticism plays into the game for some…). It can be crippling, really. It has been for me, until recently. There is a solution, though.

Just get some feedback from a professional, some how, some where. Worried that they might have too much criticism for you? Well a) if they do, then they’re just giving you tools to improve your writing and b) if they’re a pro, they’ll know how to say it without being an asshat.

And they’ll likely tell you where your strong points are, too. That kind of info can be worth a lot in the self-confidence, now-I-can-get-my-but-to-movin’ category. If I’d know how much it’d boost me up, I’d have gladly paid a pro a few bucks to do an analysis for me.

Luckily, I didn’t have to. I bought an ebook–don’t sneeze–on special at Warrior Forums (The Content Chef, if you’re wondering). The author–one Courtney Ramirez–puts out a thirty-day plan, the first step of which is “make a sample site”, with a side note saying “send your samples to me and I’ll give you some feedback.” (That’s my paraphrase, people.) So I figured what the hey.

She wrote me back with a couple of pieces of advice and some genuine, positive feedback. It was more of a boost than I’d thought, and just that little bit of self-confidence has boosted me into readiness for better markets. (I.e. I don’t feel like I have to stick around at eLance for a while before I advertise on Warrior Forums or Site Point). It was really just the little nudge I needed.

I don’t know if she’s still doing the feedback or not. (She says the current product isn’t much different than the original, so I imagine so. And she gets points for being honest and not trying to sell me the “new, improved” version–this after I told her I was planning on buying it soon. Mega points for her.) But if you check out a couple of writer forums, you’re sure to find a somebody or three that can give you some honest, constructive feedback.

And you can probably get the feedback for free. But if I knew two months ago how much just a wee bit more confidence can help, I’d have gladly slapped down a couple bills.

I’ll let you know how it goes with Warrior Forums.

I’ve read about the pitfalls of self-employment: the worries, the distractions, the tax on your self-discipline–looks like it’s all true! Things aren’t all bad in Bwritemploymentland, but I am starting to look at myself a little sideways at times. Surely some of you can relate? Here’s how I spent one of my first days at my desk.

Play with Wordpress
Do you know how many different plugins and themes there really are? A lot. An awful damn lot. And you never know, you might just need them all at some point–better download and use as many as you can!
Spend a long #@$%@#$% time looking at all the good SEO plugins and testing out themes on this and your other, sooper-sekret psuedonymous blog. Actually feel like you’ve accomplished something.

Time spent: 2.5 hours, if not three.

Read up on how to monetize your blog, so that you can make the big bucks when 10,000 viewers/day visit your blog to learn how they, too, can sell at least six articles a week to [low-paying content site].
Really, have you seen how much advice Darren Rouse has to give out on ProBlogger.net? This guy makes six figures a year blogging! All you have to do is read is site and apply what he’s learned and you’re there, right?

Well crap, no. First you’ve got to tear yourself away from his blog and write some articles of your own. Oh yeah…

Time spent: At least an hour-and-a-half.

Re-read the amazing article formula you bought down at the Warrior Special Offer Forum.
Click right HERE if you want to check it out yourself. It’s a great little formula for when you’re feeling locked-up. Although you might like to do a little more research than the young man suggests.

Time spent: Fifteen minutes or so, twice.

Completely soak a t-shirt with sweat while running like a crazed hamster on the ski machine at your local house of masochism (aka “fitness center”).
Not only is it good for your heart, it’s also let you save time by helping you not want to pace the floor in worry so much. It’s great stress relief. Do it while you can still pay the membership fees.

Time spent: 40 minutes on the machine, 40 minutes there and back.

Stare at the computer screen and get 45 words into each of about 10 different articles. Swear you’ll finish them when you’ve done just a little more research, after you take a break for slamming your head against the wall a couple dozen times.

Time spent: 4 hours.

Read random Associated Content articles. Get caught up in an 11-page comic book artist interview. Quit halfway through the article because you know you ain’t interviewin’ nobody at five bucks a pop, never.
Really, some of these people seem barely even half literate. Why, then are they writing articles when some of us seem unable to…

Time spent: An hour-and-a-half

Look over all your free PDFs about how anybody who can write a measly little article or fifty can make a fortune in bum marketing WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A PRODUCT OF THEIR OWN. Wonder why nobody ever includes the HTML for a squeeze page.
Really, it’s way too easy to collect way to many of these things. And part of you knows you can do it, while the other part says that can never happen–for you. So you decide to start small and prove to yourself that money can be made online by writing articles. Once you believe that, then you can accept a few more things. At least, that’s the theory.

Time spent: who knows at this point. 45-90 minutes.

Write a long blog post about how you can’t seem to write at all. Don’t realize the irony until you get to the end.

Time spent: at least 40 minutes but probably not more than an hour.

Realize you made today a more successful day than yesterday, and that tomorrow is now completely in your hands.

Time spent: ain’t instant gratification great?

Well it’s time to write some articles for Associated Content. I’ve read a few articles on there and obviously everybody is in a hurry…I think I can to at least that well even if I’m jumping out of a plane. Seriously, I can write better than this with my cerebral cortex tied behind my ass.

So says the man who’s read just enough articles to get cocky.

I’ve written essays, love letters, hate letters, twelve-page term papers over insane English lit topics no one should ever have to write about. I’ve written short stories, novellas, and about 200 “just for fun” blog entries (under psuedonymous characters–and what characters they were!). Just this past summer I wrote out my entire life story, from age 0 to age 31. These 400-600 word articles will be a snap. I’ll get ten a day, no problem.

Before I get to the problem with all of this, let’s focus on the biggest problem with this blog entry: so far it’s been all about me. Cardinal sin. Time to make it about you. (And if you’re new to writing for an audience, or at least unpublished at it, lemme tell ya somethin: people would much rather read about themselves and/or information applicable to them than they would read about your life. Or mine. Unless one of us is dating Gillian Anderson. Which we ain’t.)

So here is my advice to you: before you try to write a certain kind of article, read about a hundred of them. Wait: read at least a hundred of them. It doesn’t really matter how well you’ve done with other types of writing: always familiarize yourself with what you’re going to be writing. Or you’ll end up locking up for a good ten hours like I did.

Somehow in school I got away with writing good essays without ever reading very many. I’m not sure if what happened here was because I really needed to absorb some sort of Associated Content Sekret Strukture of if I’m just putting too much pressure on myself. Maybe it’s a bit of both.

Unfortunately, I can’t advise anybody on how to keep from putting too much pressure on one’s self. I’m writing this from Day 2 and I’m still locked up as all hell.

Stick around, though, and I guarantee you’ll see a turnaround. And you’ll know that if my dumbass can do it, you can damn sure do it as well.

Until tomorrow,
Brad

So I took Napoleon Hill’s “burn-your-bridges” advice from Think and Grow Rich and quit my day job. The job security was nice but I noticed I wasn’t giving my internet projects the proper urgency. So I quit.

My plan? Write 10-12 articles a day and submit them to Associated Content, then spend the rest of my time looking at more lucrative (but slower-paying) writing gigs and trying my hand at bum marketing. (And, when I get some good samples, advertise my article-writing services to established internet marketers.)

I’m thinking I’ll need to put in five or six 12-hour days a week (plus a 4-8 hour one or two) for a while before I’m comfortable. That’s okay–I’m already an obsessive reader and writer, and it’s time to make it pay off.

Hopefully this blog will help me give and receive good advice, make new friends with similar interests, and have a little fun along the way.

Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you how it’s going.

Brad