The message came onto the display panel of my Saab yesterday – “Time for Service.” Since cars have somehow become smarter than people, I took it seriously enough to look it up online. Seems the car has been pre-programmed to give service notices at particular mileage or date points. Since we just turned over 56K,…
Saving the Project
We spent the weekend in CT with family, sharing stories of a wonderful life – that of his uncle Ted. While I’d met him only once, I came away from the memorial, which was a six-hour storytelling and singing, seeing several sides of this remarkable person – good and bad. It was time also to…
Fridays, Dark Clouds, and Weekend Redemptions
Let’s just say this week has not been the most inspiring or motivating for me. It started out shaky with some project-related tensions. Though the project was completed successfully, it was an exercise in patience as things went from odd to completely bizarre. Another project seemed poised for disaster, as well. Still another jolt came…
Guest Post: How to Succeed in Business Writing
Usually by Thursday I run out of things to say. Oh, I can vent until the cows come home, but I mean things to say about writing that’s new or unique. Lately I feel spent because of the “luxury” of having a lot of ongoing work. While normally creativity is inspired by lots of writing,…
On Shaky Ground
Today’s a vent day. I swear this week New Orleans has nothing on my career when it comes to that sinking feeling. By six pm Monday I was emptying a bottle of Chianti. It wasn’t just work related, though that was a large factor. It was also Tivo related. Damn thing has a broken hard…
Spec-ulating
I remember my first “real” magazine gig. It was for Highlights for Children and it was a piece I was writing on spec (for those new to freelancing – that’s a piece you write that the magazine reserves the right to reject without pay). Not the best solution for breaking into “the big time” but…
Sending the Wrong Mesage
I saw an ad recently – in the mall – that was just plain insulting. I won’t name the company, but the banner ad hanging prominently in the mall said, “Surf the Internet while your wife buys you slacks.” What’s wrong with that ad? I counted a number of sins in that one sentence. First,…
Monthly Assessment – February 2010
Wow, short month! Here we are again, baring our souls and our progress together. It was a very busy month for me despite my dropping a long-time client last month. The income I thought I’d miss was quickly replaced with better-paying work and much better working conditions. Here’s how my month shaped up: Queries:One. Seriously….
Raindrops on Roses?
When Julie Andrews sang that song in Sound of Music about her favorite things, it’s obvious her character wasn’t a freelancer. Either she’s an eternal optimist or she’s never waited months for payment. And while there’s a place in the world for optimism (a very large place), there’s also room for a little skepticism and,…
Quelling the Beast
What sends fears, chills, and anxiety right into your bones? For me, it’s when a client wants to talk about my project results, but not the same day. It’s not even that they say it’s bad – it’s that they say nothing. That’s when the voices in my head scream “They hate you! You suck!”…