Comments on: Technology Rocks

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:22:20 +0000

Try it, Anne. Let me know. What do you use for Skype?

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:42:11 +0000

wonder if my skype headset will work?

Agree with most of what you say here Lori, except I've had good luck answering ads... but I'm really picky.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:07:27 +0000

Wade, I have this GE one with a microphone sticking out of it — real geeky, but essential. It has adapters so I can presumably use it for my cell phone (not crystal clear on it) and for my cordless phone (doesn't work well at all on my old phone). I think I paid 12 bucks?

By: Wade Finnegan

Wade Finnegan — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:57:36 +0000

Hey Lori, which headset did you purchase. Does it have a built in microphone?

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:40:51 +0000

Just keep getting work out there. Every successfully completed assignment and/or published piece builds confidence.

Hang out with people who are CONstructive, and remove the DEstructive people from your life, even if they're related.

By: Paula

Paula — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:35:41 +0000

I never did the corporate thing - I babysat and marked music for the local symphony orchestra in high school and college, then went straight to freelancing - but the first time I felt confident in that unusual career path was at a regional writer's conference a couple years after I started freelancing.

At a panel discussing, one of the speakers said we were then emerging from a difficult economy for freelancers, especially if you were just starting out because freelance budgets had been slashed due to the economy. (Even in good times it's always "the economy," isn't it? Convenient excuse.) I sat there thinking, "Wow. I've earned enough to pay off my student loans and cover my daily expenses...good thing I didn't know it was a bad time for freelancing! Once the economy improves, I'll be doing even better!"

Between sessions, another attendee asked what I did. After telling her I was a writer, she said, "No, what's your real job?" I handed her a clip folder I'd made in case I met any editors (I didn't), so I showed her one. She couldn't believe I really was a working writer. I didn't learn much from the next session, so I skipped lunch and went home.

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:35:13 +0000

Cathy, I've just downloaded the Office 2013 preview. So far, I'm impressed!

My heart would lurch in the same way. I think I could be earning the same or more money in a corporate job, but I'd much rather trade "security" for sanity.

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:28:21 +0000

Pretty cool, Lori. Hmm, I didn't know that about Windows 7 either. I'm so visual, I'm sure it would take some time to get used to it.

I've shared this before. When I was at a writers' seminar, I heard a colleague state that he always figured in the worse case scenario, he could return to corporate. I felt my heart lurch at the idea. That was when I realized I was in this for the long-haul.

Gaining confidence comes from just doing it. You write more, you start asking for that high price, you start saying, No more.

I would guess it was around the start of my 3rd year that I started to see a shift in my confidence.

My writer buddies were definitely a positive influence and for that I thank you and all our colleagues. :-)