Monday 30 December 2013

A year in perspective

2013 was an interesting year for me with many firsts....but I don't feel it's been my best. I think over the last year the pressures of adult life have really caught up with me, and somehow along the way when I thought I was really free, I feel more tied down than ever before. But that's a state of mind, one I need to work hard to change. 

In 2013 the major achievements were:


  • Graduating with a Masters in Creative Writing
  • Getting paid freelance work
  • Moving out into my own flat and being financially independent
  • Meeting my wonderful boyfriend and being together for over four months and a day (hey, I'm not counting that closely)
Major revelations of 2013:
  • Living on your own is expensive, and sometimes quite stressful making ends meet on a below min wage income
  • Time runs away from you when there's things to tidy and put away. I rather like organising my bedroom, it can be fun.
  • Getting paid to write does not always mean that it's fun.
  • Somehow in the day to day stuff I've lost that sense of magic creative writing used to bring me. 

Now I'm not a huge believer of new year resolutions, but writing needs to be back in my life, I'm missing something. My blog for the last two years has been me whinging, and life is too short for that. Time to write.

Saturday 7 December 2013

It could be that time of year...

It could of course be the fact Christmas is coming ever closer and I'm feeling a bit festive this year. Christmas has become a bit of a none holiday for me, all this big build up to a strained day with the family, but a few factors are different this year. I have my own home to decorate to my liking, I also have plans to spend it with my boyfriend, a concept that was alien for a very long time. It seems to be gearing up to be a nice holiday. I am working Christmas Day but that's only the morning and it'll be great seeing the kids unwrap their mountain of presents. 

It's only been a few days since I went on my copywriting break, but suddenly writing some words on a story is becoming absorbing. It feels like such a long time I have felt like that when writing, its a strangely intense feeling but a good feeling. I still feel rather unsure if what I'm writing is any good, or if I can still actually tell a story without being boring or losing the point. 

In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter, the fact is that I'm writing a little again, and that means it's a start. 

Friday 29 November 2013

Career Expansion Time

My last few entries haven't been the most positive or most uplifting, a poor reflection on myself a person. Generally I am happy and people seem to think I'm nice to be around, but recently I have felt something creeping in almost unseen and unheard. 

Boredom. 

I've been getting a bit bored with my jobs, I feel that it's not exactly leading me anywhere career wise. Having a fulfilling job is a strange idea to me. Feeling passionate about something isn't something I've felt for a long time, and copy writing doesn't exactly get my blood flowing. I'm not half bad at copy writing when I set myself to it, after all I'm a creative writer. The advice often goes that you shouldn't have a job related to writing, and I'm now a firm believer of that. I see copy writing as a skill rather than a job title, I've spent the last year writing all sorts of copy, and I feel I can expand my skills into a sector such as marketing, that way I can possibly start climbing up a ladder towards something. 

So I've come back to the good old fashioned internship route, it's the best way to find some experience, and if it's remote it can save me a bit of money in commuting, as I don't really have the chance to get away from my current part time jobs to afford London rail tickets.

So on this decision I have decided to pause my freelance writing activities on PPH.com, it's been a great website to help me figure out my career for the last few months, but writing copy just isn't making me happy, it's a means to an end. 

So, it's time to mix it up and give the big wide world a proper go.

Thursday 21 November 2013

Why I've avoided NaNoWriMo......

.......


Exactly that reason, I'm struggling to form words at the moment. Life is steering me towards another path and I can't pick up its hints at the moment. I think life needs jump on a soapbox and shout or wave something bright and shiny in my face. Last year I was SO excited for NaNoWriMo, I jumped into it like I knew I was going to swim and even though the great odds of sinking were there. 

This year's run up was rather like this.

August: 'I should really plan something, maybe one of my old novel ideas modernised....oh wait I need to get this blog done for a client, then I need to be off to the pub and working first thing in the morning. I'll do it later.'

September: 'Character names.....character even full stop.....can I even think up a decent character now? All I know about it telling someone how shiny this kitchen is and why they should buy it... I'll do something later.'

October: 'I need to think up a storyline, or just even the opening, nothing seems to inspire me any more. Maybe if I just open a document and start writing....'

End of October: 'NaNoWriMo starts in a couple days and I still don't feel anything right now. Maybe if I pretend it's not there it'll go away and never have existed, but last year was such a good experience....'

Early November: 'Crap.....NaNoWriMo started a few days ago. Too late for me to start anything I guess.' 


I suppose personal life wise things are good, I've been sorting out my huge to do list of stuff such as get a new sofa sorted out, the toilet is finally getting fixed today, and if I can sweet talk the guy fixing the toilet, he might even get a ladder and change the lightbulbs for me, cos hey, when your ceiling is nearly 15ft high, it is a little difficult to reach it with a chair.

So it's only a few days left until NaNoWriMo is over this year, but maybe I'll take up my pen again next year when the odds are a little more favourable and I'm not killing inspiration with copywriting. Just maybe next year....

Thursday 3 October 2013

Keeping on track

I'm wondering if all this blog writing is a good idea for the long run, it's rather humdrum and isn't really stretching my brain at all. I might need to look at a career change, maybe go into marketing. I'm not quite doing it right at the moment, but a good friend of mine has suggested I do a guest post on his blog, so I'm going to link his latest article on here. He's well worth a read and I'd highly recommend his services!


http://nbcontent.com/2013/10/03/what-is-seo-a-brief-guide-for-noobs/

Monday 23 September 2013

Writing and relationships

The freelance work isn't going as well as I hoped at the moment (personal problems rather than a lack of work coming in.) I have recently got a new boyfriend, a wonderful, caring, intelligent, good looking, funny...I can go on for quite a while! Now it's been a long time since I've had to seriously juggle life and relationship commitments, before it was only ever university work and that could be skidded around...

We live about an hour apart so it means making the most of it and often staying away for a few days or having him stay here for a few days. This hasn't had such a bad impact on my emotional happiness but writing is getting pushed back in favour of spending time with him, so I need to be either managing my days away from him better or just get a better paid job! I had been feeling quite stressed out and self punishing about my lack of care for clients and missing a couple deadlines, but today I've gotten on with some emails, written a few blog posts and had generally happy clients. 

I don't feel as if I have risen anew but I'm organising my schedule a bit better and trying to see how and when I get work done. I recently received advice from a few good sources about what to do with my freelance copy writing career, if I focus on the creative and get a normal job. I've given up one of the more stressful clients, even if it is less money, the blog work is a bit more varied and I'm building up a few return clients too.

My boyfriend is wonderfully understanding and I knew he was a keeper when he offered to get a takeaway one night when I was stressing over some late work, even though we had both dressed up to go out. I don't feel many people would have said what he did, and I fell a little bit harder for him that night. 

Don't worry, I won't be writing gushy emotional poetry any time soon, that's for a bit further down the line! 

Wednesday 4 September 2013

There's click clacking but it's not the keyboard....

I've been to see a local chiropractor. After nearly a year of putting up with weakness and pain in my left knee I finally made the important call and got myself checked out. I did try the GP first but I got sort of waved off and sent to the physio. The physio was a lovely, lovely young woman about my age, and she did mean well but I felt the treatment she offered me wasn't right for me (stretches weren't going to cut it.)

So I had my first consultation a few weeks back, and here's the list of all my aliments:


  • flat feet (that was a shock)
  • Kneecaps getting pulled in
  • twisted pelvis
  • Trapped nerve in lower back,
  • my head isn't sitting quite right on my spine ( I always knew that was the case, just a 5 minute chat with anyone could confirm my head isn't on properly.)
  • plus other issues in my neck and arms.

He's been strapping my knee up, generally unpleasantly twisting and cracking my head off, the first time it took my by surprise that I swore. The next one I call the 'Russian', I have to lie on my side in a positon like a drunk cockroach trying to do a Russian kick, and then my chiropractor will somehow twist and push on my back to get the most horrible click from my spine. Thankfully he only does it once. Then I pay him for the pleasure of shifting my bones about and merrily and loosely wobbly my way back home to wait to repeat it again next week. 

I think all the typing over the last few months has got my left wrist feeling very sore and bad at times, I've invested in a wrist rest, moved my chair into every position imaginable, tried to sit better, sit worse, the pain if just horrible. So last night I downloaded dragon naturally speaking. Now this is an alien concept for me, having to speak to my computer. My mouth and brain are loosely connected at the best of times, my brain and fingers are probably on better speaking terms. I think I need some mental training to bridge the gap of what my brain says to what my mouth actually says. It's going to take some getting use to, but the idea of lying back on the sofa ditacting my story to the laptop is quite appealing, it'll give my arms a bit of a break too. I can have the horrible ordeal of lifting a glass of wine to my lips once in a while. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Thursday 8 August 2013

Scoring P's....

This isn't a new street drug that I'm addicted to, it's plain ole penicillin. Working nearly 40 hours over 4 days really took it out of me, and on Monday I had to do some cheating and lying to get seen by a local doctor (my other surgery won't see me because I've moved without telling them...) and low and behold was given a nice course of antibiotics for a very very bad throat.

This stuff is great, it sends me out with the fairies. Not so good for a freelancer writer's life when the deadlines aren't considerate of you feeling unwell. Monday night I felt weepy and frustrated, I don't take being ill very well. A normal cold I march on through, it's just lots of lemsip and sleep time, but with a sore throat that felt like I was swallowing razor blades, I went home to my parents.

Tuesday night I struggled to write some bits on a new project, it involves a lot of research and it's taking a while to get the hang of the period and all the dates, but once I get a handle on it and what the client wants, I'll be away. The history of Nelson is fascinating, my memory for useless facts will do well out of this.

PPH.com is yielding odd bits and pieces here, I seem to be winning jobs all of a sudden which I'm very pleased about. September looks to be a very good month!

Thursday 25 July 2013

Freelance writing is like waiting for a bus...

Three turn up at once.

The dry spell is over! Phew! I'm glad! It's sort of been a nice few weeks off, but I'm glad the extra money will be coming in and I can start saving again. I thought I had missed the chance for a new project but I managed to get in there and show what I could offer, so that's one box ticked. The work on PPh has slowed, couple of hourlies sold but I prefer longer term stuff, it's nice to work with the same people as you get to know them over time and they will come to you first with work.

The typewriter works like a dream. I got a new ribbon for it and the words just pop on the paper, it's great to see everything in a clear ink and I'm not pressing as hard. I do need to slow right down though. Typed up a poem and some quotes on it, and I can say my eyes have been spoilt for perfect margins and even line breaks. All part of the vintage experience of writing on a typewriter though. 

The fiction writing had tapered off, I need to pick it up again, but after spending all day copywritng, staring at a screen just hurts and makes me feel tired. I have new glasses with a fancy anti-glare coating on them, but they hurt, I need to get them fitted properly. The typewriter might be frustrating, I have to see but I can't wait to see what I might write on it.


Tuesday 23 July 2013

Linkedin has actually done its job...

I joined LinkedIn a few years ago because my uni friends had done it. I've updated it occasionally and used a flattering picture that is semi professional (I haven't dared go for the professional 'author' picture yet.). I haven't relied on it a lot to network as being freelance means I don't tend to make many real life connections, and adding people I've met once isn't my thing even on Facebook. I have 59 friends, and no, I'm not a weird loner or bunny boiler type, social media is a part of my life but it's something I see as a tool to connect with people that mean something to me. 

My profile on PPH has yielded a new connection, a guy has got in touch with me about taking on extra work when he can't handle the flow of it. I consider it a great thing that someone's taken the trouble to find me especially when PPH don't disclose your surname. Anyone who's internet savvy can track someone down with a picture and a couple words.

I take it all as a good sign that someone wants my writing skills, I must be doing something right!

Monday 22 July 2013

Okay the typewriter dream is back....

Life has a way of telling you something. Be patient and it shall happen. I went for lunch to a nice place with my mum...and so happened to see a very nice blue typewriter. Expecting a huge price tag I sheepishly asked the owner how much it was going for.

'£20.' she replied cheerfully. I gave my mum a look of 'You know how much I love you....'
Mum sighed and withdrew her purse.

But I had learnt a lesson. I got some scrap paper, fed it into the typewriter and tested all the keys. The space bar worked, the ink was a little faded but it was clear to see the machine was in good repair.

'An old man brought it in, it was his wife's and she'd had it for years. Hardly used I think,' the owner explained. 'she died a long time ago but he only got to clearing the rooms out very recently...'

Now that's some inspiration right there. Who says typewriters are useless?

Sunday 21 July 2013

Got to spend money to make money

I've found some freelance pieces of work! I won my first job the other day on PPH! It was only a small blog post but the guy gave me great feedback and it's got my confidence up that I can manage myself on the website. A few things I've learnt on the way:

Put prices up since PPH take 20% (ouch!!)
Get the work done as fast as possible.
Consider the cost of advertising.

You can post an 'Hourlie' a specific service that is meant to be quick and cheap (in my case anyway), I posted a couple but only got some views. It lead me to wonder was I too cheap, or not cheap enough? I thought £7 for 500 words is very reasonable. After no fish biting, I thought 'what the heck' I'll spend the tenner to get the Hourlie featured (that's how PPH make their money, cheeky scoundrels!). I put the post up on Friday morning, went off to help with the pub for the day, and came home to find I had sold three! THREE! And one is keen on repeat business so it's keeping me busy.

Not much money, but it's a start on PPH. Hopefully I'll attain the status of Pro in no time. 

Monday 15 July 2013

The freelancer's struggle

I think I've had it quite easy for a young freelancer. The company I've worked for has given me a fairly steady stream of work for the last few months, but now it's hit a bit of a dry patch and I can't afford a fancy coffee with some whipped cream on it, I'm thinking it's time to go out and find some work.

I'm a member on the following websites:

peopleperhour.com
elance.com

Now at first I thought it'd be easy to bit and pitch my ideas for potential work, and I know I haven't been hammering it hard enough, but I feel a little bit like a flea on a dog at the moment. There are going to be hundreds of us looking and pitching for work. The bigger, stronger fleas know how to and where to get the fresh blood, and us newcomers just have to keep struggling and jumping about until we land on our break. I got my break a few months back, and I need a new one on one of these websites. I think the trouble is you need to be seasoned and have a good build of feedback, but it's a catch 22 if you can never actually get the chance to build up feedback. 

Just gotta keep trying. 

I think the other half of my problem is I don't always feel confident with the job, that I could actually deliver the work to a high standard, after all I'm competing with people who have written hundreds of guest blogs and such, and I'm a newbie with not much experience under my belt.

The best motivation is to try to imagine what it's like to sign on at the Job Centre every fortnight. I don't really fancy that. Back to the grind of finding work. If that doesn't work, you'll find me at the checkout at Tesco's.

Saturday 6 July 2013

When eBay isn't your friend

I had to send the typewriter back and the whole affair has left me with a bad taste. Not a literal bad taste like I've been eaten ink, I wouldn't ever dare to sample a typewriter ribbon. The experience has left me a bit wary of buying an un-seen item like a typewriter from websites like eBay. The problem is that is you break one the guarantee ran out long before I was born. Only a few specialists who fix typewriters remain and their expertise will go soon, within a generation or so. 

It comes back to the fact that things become obsolete for a reason, they aren't suitable or practical anymore. I think there is still a place for the typewriter, it probably just isn't on my desk for a while yet. 

Friday 5 July 2013

When best laid plans go wrong

My postman is a lovely chap, he'll actually call my flat and bring my parcel up to me, sometimes up four flights of stairs. You don't get service like that very often. I think they must just enjoy ringing my flat, scaring the living daylights out of me. I have to hastily roll out of bed, don the nearest garment at hand and open the door to them looking squinty eyed and a bit messy. I'm sure they have funnier stories to tell of the state people are in.  I really much stop ordering stuff on eBay if I want to have a lie in more than once a month, but this item was worth it.

The item I purchased I was really excited about. A manual typewriter, that beautiful, noisy thing I was hoping would bring my writing to new heights. 

Except the bloody space bar doesn't work, and writing on it feels like I'm trying to operate some heavy machinery, it feels akin to trying to drive a crane with lots of levers to push and pull. Heck I'm sure I was pedalling with my feet on some imaginary brake too. I've had to open a case on eBay to see if I can get my money back. 

Back to the laptop in the meantime.

Thursday 4 July 2013

Where do you write?

I am a product of my generation and that means when you walk into my flat, you'll find an excess of technology. I have my laptop which is my mean place of work and leisure. You'll see my printer, and then you'll probably find a digital camera, then a netbook, a kindle, mobile phone and an iPad mini. All sounds a bit much, doesn't it? Compare all of that to a reasonably comfortable family for four, the parents will have a laptop each, then maybe a work mobile phone, and then a personal one. In place of a family computer there will be an iPad, and then if we get down to the kids they'll each have a laptop, phone, MP3  digital cameras and probably an iPad each. That's not even counting what sort of speakers/docking stations they have. I can confidently say that most households these days will have some sort of internet device within reach in every room of their house, minus the bathroom (and iPads and other devices mean the loo magazine will be a thing of the past.)

This post isn't an attack on the modern gadget culture, I admit I am partial to good marketing and have an iPad mini. It's not hard to see that with all of this stuff around me, and since my internet was installed under a month ago, my writing output has just fallen. I decided today to have a little look about online for inspirational writing quotes and found this wonderful one from Ernest Hemmingway:

'There is nothing to writing. All you do it sit down at a typewriter and bleed.' 

Now that doesn't make me want to start using my blood for ink, but it makes you think, and as a young writer of my generation constantly surrounded by Facebook, twitter, laptops and tablet computers galore, writing has become a little second rate. It feels its the statement of what I'm writing on. When laptops came cheaper and readily available, and Starbucks coffee started to  dominate every street corner, a sudden magical combination happened; the coffee shop writer. I'm sure in a hundred years' this will be the classic image, rather than Shakespeare with a quill, it's going to be someone with funky hair, extra thick glasses, a laptop and his decaf extra frothy capalattecino sitting faithfully at his elbow like a well trained dog. The image of writing has changed, and with that the advice has too.

This has then lead me to look at the famous writing desks of our most beloved and famous writers. Jane Austen wrote her novels at a tiny table under a window, she favoured this particular spot because the stairs outside her room creaked, which gave her enough time to tuck away any of her work. 

It doesn't really look like much, but it looks comfortable enough for someone to write a few pages each morning. I bet she didn't spend weeks trawling the internet for a perfect writing desk either. 

Earnest Hemmingway is a little closer in our writing era than Jane Austen, he used a typewriter and lived in a very beautiful country and found his inspiration there. A quick google search reveals his desk to be a table in a library. This is of course what most writers dream of writing in, but the thought of being surrounded by all that dust isn't appealing to my poor sinuses.



The thought of writing a whole novel with pen and paper just makes me cringe at the thought of the cramp I'd get in my neck and back and wrist. But in Jane Austen's day you certainly did not get any government advice on how best to sit and have access the latest range of ergonomic furniture. She simply did it. Most writers won't write in a bad environment such as one with noise or bad smells. 


This image is the ever popular sort of writing for most writers. I admit I've been one of those types who likes to look out of the window more than I'm looking at my laptop. At university I was always out and about with my laptop in tow because I felt comfortable with being a coffee shop writer and I liked to get out. Sadly that was where I spent a good portion of my money, coffee wasn't cheap and I felt to justify my stay I'd have to buy a couple cups, and then I'd get peckish and muffin would soon follow... writing at home is a little cheaper on the wallet and I can enjoy good coffee thanks to my nice coffee machine (yes, more gadgets!). Since moving out to my own place, to a new town, I've found there is a lack of places really to hunker down and write. Where I was comfortable in a coffee shop, I feel now I stick out like a sore thumb. A attitude that that will have me never leaving my flat, I know, but the only place I'd feel comfortable writing is a chain coffee shop, and that's a trek across town, and their coffee can leave me feeling slightly queasy. At home it is then. This is my current writing space. It's a cheap table from Ikea, I do have a beautiful wooden writing bureau at home, but it's heavy and not quite practical enough. I don't really like having my printer on the desk, but you have to make do. 



I think as technology advances, writers will be searching for the perfect apps and advice books on how to write, how to plan their works. I was pleased to find a whole section on writing apps and novel planning apps on my iPad the other day. Then I sat back and thought for a few moments. I have a degree and a Masters in Creative Writing. I find myself watching horror films to pick apart the themes and how they structure the scary bits. I've been reading (proper) books since I was 10, and been writing since I was about 13, so why am I really thinking about downloading random apps that take up memory? Isn't a notebook and a pen enough to get me started on planning a story?

I'm still making a journey as a writer to find my perfect writing zen, so in a bizarre way to avoid technology within my reach of every room, I've decided to purchase a typewriter. I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival. I'm excited about exploring the prospect of writing with nothing to click on or distract me. I'll need a dictionary at my elbow of course, as my spelling is just terrible, but slowing down and wasting paper is probably a good way to learn more about my own writing process.






Monday 24 June 2013

Shaking off the holiday feeling

I've had a family holiday for the first time in nearly 5 years. It was meant to be just my mum and I, but at the last moment we asked my brother (not expecting a reply) who said yes after he got his passport sorted out. It was a week's inclusive at Lanzarote, warm weather, not too much sunburn and plenty of duty free alcohol. Well, when you go on holiday with your mum and your brother there won't be much heavy drinking going on but we went for a nice steak a couple times and thoroughly chilled and relaxed.

This brings me to the conclusion that holiday is not the best place to do any kind of writing beyond writing rude words on your friend's back in sun cream. I took my laptop (mum argued the ipad mini was worth too much and my netbook was too slow) and paid for wireless in the room. So did I get all of the work done early on? 

I probably spent more time reading over my novels than anything else. It gave me some ideas for the editing etc, but my brother also borrowed my laptop for a good portion of the time. He achieved a fair amount of creative writing, more than I have in weeks. I got it all done in time, but on the last day of course. I'm a deadline writer, I need someone standing over me with a threatening look and a hot cup of coffee they might just threaten to throw over me.

The last few days were hectic, squeezing in to see friends and working at my care job, but today, I woke up feeling a bit 'blargh', but have knuckled down and achieved a few emails at least and half organised my bedroom. The holiday feeling has gone, but not one I miss to be honest, the passive aggressive stress wasn't nice, and it's good to get back to my life.

I've been thinking about the purpose of this blog and where I want to take it, I need to start marketing my creative writing better, so many people are doing it successfully these days. 

Friday 7 June 2013

Why freelance doesn't always equate to professional

I've read a few guides on how to start off as a freelance copywriter, these were books I downloaded from Amazon written by authors who managed to launch themselves into a great career within a few months. I learnt a few things about how to pitch articles to people and about the general lifestyle and motivation needed by people to be self employed.

Motivation is a key factor for many people, and for many copywriters that driving force isn't always because we love what we do, but because we need the money. Motivation is something that gets us up in the morning, it makes us go about our day with some purpose (well, that's how books sell it.)

I watched the latest episode of the apprentice last night, and my god, I was surprised how bad this year's batch are. It's like they've let a good looking bunch of fourteen year olds loose in business themed theme park. These kids are out for the free pass and all they want to do it just run about pretending to be adults. They can go on a ride occasionally, pretend to walk and talk like a business professional. 

You know when you can hear something talking, but at the end of it you don't have a clue what they really said? One woman kept doing that for the whole day, trying to justify why getting some corporate people to decorate cupcakes was meant be 'team building'. 'But it was creative!' she cried at one point. Yes it was creative, but decorating cupcakes is for children, not to help banking professionals learn to communicate properly.

I wasn't surprised when the companies asked for a refund from the Apprentice teams, I'd have asked for a memory wipe of the whole day and the 60 minutes I lost watching the program. 

Working from home makes me feel like I'm not professional at times, but when I look at the people lined up on 'The Apprentice' it makes me feel I can be much better. But could I? I wonder if its an attitude cultivated in an office, which is something I am sorely lacking. All of my 'professional' experience is standing behind a bar learning how to banter and get a thicker skin.  Freelance work means I can't banter, and I am sort of laid bare, how am I meant to relate or cope with the demands of my clients?

The short answer is I have to just deal with it professionally. Not run around in sumo suits trying to say how to avoid conflict-oh let's just decorate a cupcake, it's more fun and creative and it might motivate me to do something constructive.

Monday 13 May 2013

Freelance Life

Wow, three months since my last post? Quite a lot has happened since then. So quick update:

I went from wanting to rent a place to buying one, then realised how expensive buying a house was (a few thousand just for the paperwork, then borrow the deposit off the bank of mum and dad) I felt I wasn't ready, so then I went back to the idea of renting. Found a perfect one bedroom flat in a nice area in a converted mill building. Fully furnished including TV and the white goods. Good all round deal except the sofa is truly truly past it. I mean it's on its last legs, it's saggier than a middle age WAG who's missed her botox appointment cos her hubby was cheating again and she had to go to court to stand by his side....but I digress there.

So I've moved out, sort of officially an adult now, got bills and rent to pay. I can arrange my collection of vintage inspired floral mugs in whatever order I want. I mop up every little crumb and stain after every meal and cup of coffee I make. I am all about getting this nice place nice. My social life is slowly improving, I can entertain and have people over for coffee without having to get called onto the bar at a moment's notice. I have a fancy coffee machine that dispenses freshly ground coffee. And it's red. It was half price, I can't be too fussy. 


My freelance writing work is pretty steady, it's a tough lesson learning to answer to a boss via email, and imagine his harsh tone when over the phone he's very pleasant and nice. Freelance deadlines are much much more stressful than uni ones. Not just a good grade but also future work and money hang on the quality of my work. On the whole my days are free, so I have to fill in the lance bit. I'm learning about how to search out new clients, even if the pay is a little low, it's all about adding to my portfolio.

I can't really define myself as truly freelance yet, I take in the term that I am working remotely and  whilst I am not technically employed by the company, they are my main source of work at the moment. I still work two part time jobs to cover rent and bills, so I do have a back up if the freelance does dry up. Moving out has been a gamble, but this is my chance to really start making a career. 

I actually have one, a career. One I've got on my own without pulling any favours.

Now excuse me, I think my coffee machine is calling me. I'm going to need my fix today. 

Friday 22 February 2013

Moving Out!

Shortly after my last blog post, I decided to make plans to start moving out. The writing job is giving me that little extra help and with extra hours at my other job I can afford rent and bills. Might be a bit tight at times but I think the time is right. I won't be far from home, but far enough to have a life and get more time for my writing. 

Sunday 27 January 2013

Coming through the haze

I graduated this week. It was a good ceremony, and what made it more fun was hiding in the toilets for half of it with my friend Marian, and then trying to make our way back to our seats with no one noticing, which is difficult since we have curtain tassels hanging from our ridiculous hats. It was cold, so cold that peep toe shoes weren't the best footwear for the weather. Once my feet defrosted, it was a good day, we had lunch in a nice pub, had drinks and I went home rather tipsy.

The next day I was blessed with a mild case of tonsillitis and a bad cold. I was planning on cracking on with some writing, but bad colds just leave me feeling totally and utterly useless and brain dead. Lying on the sofa napping all of yesterday has helped a lot, and the haze seems to have lifted this morning, which is a good thing because I really do have to crack on with some copy writing!!

Sunday 20 January 2013

Time to Gamble

The writer looked nervous. She sat with her hands clasped together, thumbs and fingers wiggling and twitching like ugly worms. Her breathing was deep and even, as if she was making the conscious effort to appear normal. No sweat ran down her face, but she licked her lips several times.
    Opportunity grinned at her, tipped his hat forward to cover his eyes. With an air of bored grace, he stuck his hand in his pocket and with something clasped tight in his hand.
    'It's all a matter of getting the right combination,' Opportunity grinned. 'I know you don't really want to be here, but it seems life pushed you my way.'
    The writer shifted in her seat, as if trying to think of something witty to say. Opportunity grinned, then placed his hand flat down on the table. He did it smoothly and quietly, as if not to startle the writer and scare her away.
    'Everyone comes to see me eventually, whether they're ready or not,' Opportunity tapped each finger on the table. Then he placed his other hand on the table and spread out his fingers. His hands were surprisingly under-adorned, rings or ugly tattoos decorated his skin.
    'You, most definitely are not ready.'
    The writer mumbled something, not looking up from her clasped hands.
    'Pardon?' Opportunity laughed.
    'I'm ready,' the writer whispered. 
    'Good! Let's get this show on the road!'
    The writer looked grim faced and then nodded firmly.
    Opportunity lifted both his hands, then placed them behind his head and reclined on the seat, utterly as ease, like he was sunbathing on a scalding hot day.
    Nervously the writer reached out for the item. Her hand closed about the item.
    'All you have to do is roll them, and get a good score.'
    She nodded, and rolled the dice around in her hands.
    'Some prefer what I like to call the cocktail shaker method,' Opportunity shook his hands near his head like he was busy barman. 'Or the thinking too hard method.' Here he shook his clenched hand near his chin, like he was contemplating his place in the world.
    The writer shut her eyes, breathed in deeply, and then smiled. She produced a hammer from her pocket, and placed the dice on the table, still covering them with her hand.
    Opportunity lifted an eyebrow. 'Breaking your fingers for luck?' he laughed sharply.
    'Not exactly,' the writer replied with a sweet smile.
    And at that, the writer brought the hammer down on the dice several times. Opportunity let out a single strangled cry. He was quivering under the table when the writer knelt down to look him in the eye. She threw a handful of bits at his feet.
   'Thanks for the chance, but I'd rather not gamble this one away, I like to make my own opportunities, it isn't always a matter of luck,' she grinned, and patted him on the arm. 'But don't worry, you'll be back in business soon.'
   Opportunity quivered like a child under the table, and watched as the writer left through a different door.


Thursday 3 January 2013

Writing, writing, writing!

I'm currently sipping at a black coffee (new years resolution, skim a few calories off my diet!) and sat in a coffee shop being the sterotypical writer who has nothing better to do other than gaze out of the window thinking artistic thoughts.

Expect I'm thinking about how much I hate hub gears, even if I don't fully understand how they work. My luck has finally turned, and I now find myself with my first ever 'proper' writing job. To say I was pleased as punch until I got onto trying to describ a hub gear. Overall it's taught me a lot about deadlines, and that I MUST MUST keep in touch with the people I'm working for. It's a part of me, I can go quiet, even with the ease of sending an email. Strangely in person I'm chatty, probably far too chatty, but with the internet I like to keep quiet.

I have a new writing position on an online magazine, Heart of Glass. I found it through the NaNoWriMo website, a user had been a writer on there. So I thought why not. It keeps my writing in shape, and I get to share my opinion with the world, happy days! Just wait until the comments come in disagree with me though! 

I'm down to my last two pieces for the writing job. I can't quite call myself a copywriter yet, I think I need a little more experience, but I've got my foot in the door at least. And how my fingers are hurting a lot more these days, too much writing, but it's want I want to do. Maybe Apple will invent a robot to do it all for me, and something to put my socks on too. Those will be the days.