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It’s been a while since we’ve had a guest post, particularly one that carries forward the theme of Writers Worth. This month, Sharon Hurley Hall returns to the blog to share another story of how she cut through a particular roadblock in her career.
I love Sharon’s take on a fear many of us have.
Writers Worth: Turning Fear Into Opportunity
by Sharon Hurley Hall
Last year’s Writers Worth was all about fear. You’d have thought we covered it exhaustively, but as I’ve assessed my writing career in the last year, there’s one fear I don’t think we’ve talked about, and it all hinges on one question that’s certainly kept me awake at night for a while:
What if I can’t write any more?
How I Fell Out of Love With Writing
First, some back story. I might have mentioned that in my house, both of us freelance. Most of the time that’s worked well, with at least one of us having a lucrative gig at the right time. But in 2017, things went awry. Some huge expenses (tech that had to be replaced, car trouble and so on) meant we needed more income than usual. So when a remote job landed in my lap, I took it, while continuing to freelance on the side.
Never ignore that small voice in your head that tells you something isn’t a good idea.
I ignored it, and taking that job turned out to be a mistake. Sure, the bills were paid, but the rest of the experience wasn’t working for me. The people I worked with were nice, but I was overworked, under-rested, and pretty grumpy about the whole thing. Writing 7 days a week can do that. I lasted 15 months, but while I was there, I started to fall out of love with writing.
Even typing this kind of gives me the shivers, because writing is what I’ve done most of my working life (apart from a five year hiatus where I freelanced a bit and taught other people how to write).
Turning Fear Into Opportunity
I’ve always felt pretty lucky in being able to make a living from something that I love. But that recent working experience turned writing into a bit of a chore. Hence the question: What if I can’t do this any more?
In my other life as a Reiki Master, I know it’s important to keep your own cup full . Not only is it good for you, but it’s also good for other people you want to help. As a writer, I believe it’s also part of valuing yourself.
So, over the last year, I’ve been trying to find writing related things that fill my cup.
One thing I did was to fall back on my other love: teaching. I started (after years of dithering) a writer mentoring program called the Biz of Writing. I’ll be running it again from February. The purpose is to help new writers (and those who are stuck) get their heads straight about promoting their writing business. Of all the writing related activities I did in 2018, that’s probably the one that brought me the most joy.
My second big project of 2018 was to self-publish a book based on academic research. It’s called Exploring Shadeism. I had such fun doing that that it’s inspired me to work on some of my other back burner projects.
So, what did I learn from this? That even a scary question like “what if I couldn’t write/” can open the door to new opportunities. If you reframe it as “what would I do next if I could choose?”, then there are all kinds of options for valuable, fulfilling work.
What Comes Next
As for the writing. I’ve reached the decision that I’m not giving up on it just yet. I’m still freelancing, but am getting even more choosy about the projects I accept.
For the rest, I’ve still got a lot of words in me, and I’m going to explore avenues other than writing for clients to try to rediscover the joy and my sense of self-worth.
Have you ever faced this kind of crossroads?
Sharon Hurley Hall is a professional writer and blogger. She’s written for publications as varied as IBM, OptinMonster, CrazyEgg, Search Engine People, and Unbounce. In her previous life Sharon was also a journalist and university lecturer (teaching journalism, of course!) You can learn more about Sharon at sharonhh.com.
7 responses to “Writers Worth: Turning Fear into Opportunity”
Well, my twin, 😉 I am smack dab in the middle of my own crossroads. I am partially retired from business writing, which in my world means I cut waaaay back on the number of clients and projects I take on. I am basically working with clients I love on projects I love. And I love it! 🙂
But, it was not my intent to retire from personal projects. Instead I have all kinds of “plans” that are not happening. A good part of the reason is a four-legged, 10-month-old child that came into my life (some call a puppy) coupled with an increase in mom care.
My blog has gone silent, the work-in-progress site remains dormant, the ebooks wallow in wordless wonder. My fear is the unfulfilled. I am exploring support (a difficult thing for me to ask for) to figure out how (and what) I want can be accomplished.
I’ve loved watching your career evolve, Sharon. Anyone taking your mentoring class is very fortunate. I wish you much success and will be waiting to hear how things go (although it may have to be when the puppy is sleeping). 😉
The more I talk to people, Cathy, the more I realize that this sort of crossroads is normal (though it’s hard to know that when you’re just having conversations with yourself).
Sometimes family has to come first and everything else has to slot in around that. Hoping you’re able to organize a system that works for you all soon. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Sharon. Knowing other writers I respect, like you, have had doubts is important for all of us.
I still love writing and words, but I’m starting to hate the business end of things. Finding clients. Negotiating rates. Setting terms. Making clients stick to the terms. Invoicing. (Actually, I LOVE invoicing, I just hate waiting forever for some clients to pay.) Those are all necessary evils, but sometimes I find myself wondering what it would be like to be a staffer somewhere where you put in 8 hours a day and can relax at night and on the weekends instead of thinking about new pitches and digging up potential clients. Then I remember: most staffers hate their jobs. LOL!
Yeah, sometimes doing all the admin gets tiring, Paula, but then you have to weigh that up against the advantages of being your own boss. 🙂 I’ve definitely had those thoughts a time or two myself. These days, I’m paying more attention to what FEELS right.
Sharon, thank you again for a great post! Also, anyone who might have missed the Twitter chat, just search for the #WWMChat hashtag and you’ll find that chat and the previous one.
Cathy, you said something that made me sit up straight. “I am basically working with clients I love on projects I love.” That, in my opinion, should be the goal for every one of us (and I think it’s a blog post in the making). It’s a great way to approach business, possibly at any stage. It’s definitely harder to do that when we’re fresh at this and struggling to get a business going, but what a great goal!
Yeah, it’s a lesson I wished I learned long ago. It makes a huge difference in my project work. 🙂
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