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Proud to be Prolific
by Lizzie R. Santos

To a freelance writer, prolific is a magic word. It spells the difference between earning and earning a lot. It increases your worth as far as your editors are concerned. It gives you an edge over other writers. Being prolific is a trait that every freelance writer should develop. Here are tips to do that:

Here, there and everywhere

Have some pens/pencils and scratch papers anywhere and everywhere in the house, in all your bags, purses and even in the car. Great ideas just pop into your mind when you’re in the most unlikely situations: when you’re sitting on the toilet throne, when you’re waiting for the toast to pop, when you’re munching in front of the TV, when you’re stuck in traffic or waiting your turn at the cashier. What a waste if you forget those ideas just because you couldn’t jot them down!

Those "tip-of-the-tongue" words and phrases

Don’t waste precious time trying to think of the appropriate word or phrase that’s "just at the tip of my tongue" but which you cannot remember at that very moment. Do the same with doubtful words or figures. Leave a blank, skip it and move on. Just come back to it later when you’re editing your work because then, that magic word will just pop from nowhere!

Follow your body clock

If you’re a morning person, write in the morning. If you’re a night person, write at night. You are prone to lapses if you go against your body clock. You won’t be so productive.

Have a sparring partner

Having a prolific writing buddy can inspire you to be as, if not more, prolific as possible. Constantly "comparing notes" will challenge you to write regularly.

Abuse your topics!

Use your topics and concepts to the max. Write as many articles about a topic by attacking it from different perspectives. Use varying tones and styles.

Diversify

Develop a plot in different genres for different mediums. Transform a short story into a TV or radio script, a novel into several short stories, an anecdote into a personal encounter piece and so on until you’ve squeezed it dry!

Set a quota

Give yourself a daily, weekly or monthly quota. Fine yourself if you break your quota.

Create a writing ambiance

Have a comfortable writing area. Be sure that the light and ventilation are conducive to writing. Complete the effects: a picture window in front of you can be relaxing. Set up a tabletop fountain or dish garden, a small aquarium, scented candles, posters, paintings (and some music of your choice) to complete the writing ambiance that inspires you.

Blocked? Exercise!

If writer’s block is your problem, find a way to unblock it! Writing exercises can do the trick. Read articles on how to deal with this writer’s nightmare. You’ll find so many!

Just disappear!

Disappear from the company of people who prevent you from writing: visitors who stay for sometime, noisy roommates, a demanding boy/girlfriend... Hie off to a place where you will be more productive.

Snub the phone

Answering those endless (and often, nonsense) phone calls can disrupt your thoughts and slow you down. Invest in an answering machine so you can screen your calls.

On-line temptation

Checking your e-mailbox is tempting. Once you’re on-line, you’ll be tempted to surf the web or chat. If you want to be prolific, don’t open your e-mailbox until you’ve met your daily quota! Check your e-mailbox just once a day instead of every hour! Group-send mails instead of writing individually, which is time consuming.

Be an expert multi-tasker

Practice and master the art of multi-tasking -- you know, doing two or more things at a time. For example, train yourself to write as you wait for the washing machine. Or write as you perform your morning ritual at the toilet! (Didn’t I say have a pen and paper in every corner of the house?) How about writing a poem or thinking of short story concepts as you wait for the pressure cooker timer?

Think like a faucet!

Train yourself to write in any situation. It shouldn’t matter if you’re sad or happy, bored or angry. Just like a faucet, you should be able to write anything the moment you open your writing tap! You don’t have to wait for the muse to strike you. Show her you’re the boss!

Plant writing seeds

The moment a nice title, sentence or phrase pops into your mind, jot it down. You will find some use for it later. That saves you time thinking of a concept to work on. Don’t delete unfinished articles. Come back to them later. When you have free time, think of concepts and/or titles that you can use to jumpstart your next pieces.

Get inspired

If you’ve been feeling sluggish for some time, read some great works that can inspire you to get back to writing mode.

Prepare the ingredients

Before you start writing an article, have all the necessary files/references ready: graphics, photos, charts, statistics, names of people (with correct spelling and proper titles)... you will include in the article. Your thoughts will be disrupted if you have to make phone calls just to verify some names/facts. You’ll waste time if you have to open different files in your computer just to look for important data.

Stay fit and healthy

Eat healthy, exercise regularly and practice a healthy lifestyle. Even if you have a whole luggage of ideas, you can’t write as much if you’re sick all the time.

Keep the ball rolling

Don’t collect your writer’s fee from a publication unless you have something to submit. That will make you write another piece right away. You want your money, right?

Use your planner

Prepare a daily or weekly schedule of the articles you intend to write. That way you can schedule difficult articles first (when your energy level is still high). You will also know if you have everything you need to complete your article/s.

Make an inventory

Have the necessary tools, supplies and equipment you need within reach. Having a stock of staple wire, ink, bond paper, diskettes, Internet card, etc. can save you precious time.

Order please!

It’s hard to write if you’re surrounded by clutter. If you can’t find the stapler, the page you photocopied as reference, the diskette you need, or the list of topics assigned by your editor, you’ll just waste time rummaging through your mess. Organize your workplace. Ambiance + order = increased output.

Write now, edit later

Follow the C-A-R-E writing sequence: conceptualizing, actual writing, revising and editing. Before you start writing, plan what you want to write. Know what you need. Once you have a clear concept, start writing. Just write! Never mind spelling, grammar, etc. Revise and edit only after you’ve finished your piece. Editing as you write will only disrupt the flow of your thoughts and slow you down.

Sure, you’ve heard the saying, "Slowly but surely." But for a freelance writer, slow is no way to go! If you want to conquer the market, your motto should be, "Proud to be prolific!"

Copyright © 2003 Lizzie R. Santos

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