Comments on: Writers Worth: Turning Fear into Opportunity

By: Freelance Writing Portfolio 2019 - Sharon Hurley Hall's Writing Credits

Freelance Writing Portfolio 2019 - Sharon Hurley Hall's Writing Credits — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 14:47:38 +0000

[…] Writers Worth: Turning Fear into Opportunity […]

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 14:31:05 +0000

In reply to lwidmer. Yeah, it's a lesson I wished I learned long ago. It makes a huge difference in my project work. :-)

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 14:16:08 +0000

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!

By: Sharon Hurley Hall

Sharon Hurley Hall — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 18:32:26 +0000

In reply to Paula Hendrickson. 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.

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 18:22:52 +0000

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!

By: Sharon Hurley Hall

Sharon Hurley Hall — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 14:01:09 +0000

In reply to Cathy Miller.

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. 🙂

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 13:57:36 +0000

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). 😉