Freelance Writing Blog

Freelance Budgeting Tricks

Posted on August 17, 2011 by lwidmer

Another good day yesterday. I got started on the large project. I’m not waiting for them – some of the content will not change, and I can almost guess which portions. It’s huge, I’m running low on free time, and I have other projects I have to get going on. I’ll compare documents later to…

Holiday Shopping

Posted on August 16, 2011 by lwidmer

Running early this morning – I try to schedule doctor’s appointments for as early as I can get them. Today, it’s for 7:30. Amen. I can be back and working by 9:00. Yesterday was great. I handed in the second of the three articles due this month, and the check arrived already for the one…

Monday Marathons

Posted on August 15, 2011 by lwidmer

She’s employed! Daughter has finally found a good starting point for her new career. She’s working in a familiar industry – insurance – and she’s getting in at a great starting rate. Amen, alleluia! Good for her! Ironically, it’s a company I met with briefly at the conference a few months back. Since then I’ve…

The Great (or not so great) Compromise

Posted on August 12, 2011 by lwidmer

I wish every work day went as smoothly as yesterday. I sat down in the morning and in two hours, I had a finished article. One down, two more to go (well, three if you count the new one due in September). I credit my pre-planning. Knowing the time crunch, I did all my interviews…

Smooth Landing

Posted on August 11, 2011 by lwidmer

It’s great to be back. I hope I left enough to entertain you until I returned. I knew before I left I hadn’t done a post for yesterday, but I was exhausted, out of time, and just out of ideas. I’ve found a way to overcome that “I need a vacation to recover from the…

Blog Goodies

Posted on August 9, 2011 by lwidmer

Sometimes a great post is just a great post. These are no exception. I bookmark when I can those posts that make me talk or listen up. My intent is to share them. If only I remembered to. Well, now I have. Here are some great posts from the writing community: How Do You Know…

Guest Post Redux

Posted on August 8, 2011 by lwidmer

Still off enjoying campgrounds, bugs, and hiking. Looking back over the posts of the last year or so, I noticed a lot of great advice – from you. Here is just a small sampling of guest posts that have graced this blog. Feel free to leave comments on this post or on those posts (the…

More Head-exploding Things

Posted on August 5, 2011 by lwidmer

Hop on over to Get Paid to Write Online and read my guest post. I’m still on vacation, hopefully with a cozy camping spot, but I wanted to share some of my more intriguing finds this past week. Here are some more things that make my head explode: Rules that make no sense whatsoever. It…

Monthly Assessment: July 2011

Posted on August 4, 2011 by lwidmer

Thought I forgot about the monthly assessment, didn’t you? Well, I did. And because it wasn’t the best month for me, I was tempted to ignore it completely. However, if I’m not accountable to you, then I can’t better myself. Same goes for you. Today I’m off for a week of camping and relaxing (I’ll…

Insanity Via Craig’s List

Posted on August 3, 2011 by lwidmer

It’s nuts around here today. I have a ton of stuff to get done before I head off to Maine tomorrow. Five interviews between 11 and 4:30, car in for an oil change (who has time?), and negotiations on yet another job that came in on Friday. Thanks to Wendy Johnson for sending over this…

Wendy

August 3, 2011

It is disgusting on so many levels. Notice they say that this project is for a good cause and they have wonderful intentions for it, but I'm sorry it's a lie. If you really wanted to help others, this ad would not have been there. Get off your butt and go through the right channels and red tape to write an inspirational book on such a sensitive topic as this. Counselors and prevention groups would have been the best choice for that material.

They're not just exploiting writers, they're exploiting people. People who are going through some tragic issues that don't need to relive the pain by writing their story so you can make money.

Lori

August 3, 2011

That's what concerns me most, Wendy. It feels like exploitation. "Show me your scars and I'll make money – oh, by the way, you're on your own after that."

Cathy Miller

August 3, 2011

Just when you think you've heard (or read) it all…sigh*sadly shaking head*

Damaria Senne

August 3, 2011

I cannot believe that anyone who claims to be working for "a good cause, is sensitive, and comes from a good place with wonderful intentions," would actually publish such a harsh ad and circumvent organisations that work with people who want to commit suicide.

P.S. Lori, enjoy your vacation.

Wade Finnegan

August 3, 2011

Wow! Is all I can say.

Have a great vacation Lori. I hope your interviews go well today.

Ashley

August 3, 2011

Someone with "good intentions" or with any brains at all wouldn't have posted this on craigslist. There are certainly ways to get a story like that that will turn out to be inspirational … all this poster is saying is that they're too lazy/cheap/stupid to go through the proper channels.

Enjoy your trip, Lori! Glad you're getting things taken care of so you can take some time off without worrying about work.

Devon Ellington

August 3, 2011

If it was legitimate, it wouldn't be posted like that on Craigslist. It would be done through recognized organizations that deal with this. It needs to be flagged and removed. It could, literally, kill someone who's right on that edge.

Paula

August 3, 2011

I agree with every comment above. If it's for such a good cause, why not name it? Um, maybe because the good cause is refilling the "best-selling non-fiction author"?

The line that stood out to me was the one about worthwhile rewards int he long run. Right. Like people who are suicidal want to hang around for the long run. Perhaps that's exactly what the poster is banking on. (Pun intended.)

Disturbing, exploitative and disgusting don't even begin to describe that listing.

Lori

August 3, 2011

Pretty pathetic, isn't it Cathy? Worse, I visited the link to the site and people contemplating suicide are there commenting. So far it's been a bit of a commisseration, so maybe the best thing to come of this is that they realize they're not alone. But what happens when that site is yanked?

Thank you, Damaria. That's exactly my reaction to this, too. It's harsh and unfeeling. And it's obvious this is not someone who understands how to deal with humans.

Thanks, Wade! Packing the bug spray. 🙂 And I'm three interviews in – two more to go!

Ashley, exactly. It's way beyond professional behavior. It's lazy, and it has the potential to do some serious damage.

Devon, if I knew where that ad was, I would. I'll tap Wendy for that.

Paula, I suspect someone thinks he/she will be trumped if they name the organization – if it exists. I think it's someone trying to make the case for grant money without actually building the case organically and with tact. What a sleazy tactic.

Wendy

August 3, 2011

I flagged it when I saw it as violation of TOS. I went there a bit ago to see if it was still up and it is. WTF?

Here's the link direct to it:
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/wri/2519488899.html

Flag away. They won't let me do it anymore.

The website name sounds like a place you can go to find out how to do it, not a place to find out how to get help.

Lori

August 3, 2011

I'm on it, Wendy! Thanks. 🙂

Jake P

August 3, 2011

Words escape me.

allena

August 4, 2011

kinda off topic, but I'm also sick of writers/publishers thinking they can get "grant money" for a book or project. I've seen a lot of that on CL, including those searching for a grant writer to get fundingg for thier entirely for-profit project.