Wow! Women on Writing

Happily ever after: harmonious endings for writers
By Christina Katz

We have all heard that "breaking up is hard to do." Chances are even good that you have experienced the challenge of creating a harmonious ending at one time or another. But for part-time writers the reality of a limited writing schedule often necessitates cutting back before springing forward with projects that demand top priority. So what's a busy writer to do? Become a skillful and gracious breaker-upper, that's what.

Here are some ways other writers cut back to help you negotiate what may feel like tricky territory:

Check in with yourself and fellow writers regularly
Author and freelance writer, Wendy Burt has created an "accountability form" for herself and her writing group. More than just a goal-setting and goal-assessment tool, this worksheet asks important questions that help freelancers complete the difficult job of pruning commitments that don't pay off in the long run, such as "Did you succeed in dropping one thing last week? How easy/hard was it?" The worksheet encourages writers to get used to cutting back regularly by providing the prompt: "Next week I will drop:" Burt says, the form is also helpful for 'fessing up about bad habits that need the boot, like taking personal calls during business hours.

Take risks but try to leave the door open
Writer Cathy Belben recently received an exciting career proposition that necessitated some skillful breaking-up skills while still keeping the door open, just in case. She has made plans to leave her hometown, her job and her cozy condominium in order to try her pen at script-writing in L.A. When a friend offered her the opportunity to live in L.A. and work on a show of his that was picked up for the 2005-2006 season, how could she say 'No'? So Belben negotiated a year-long leave-of-absence with her employer, offered her condo to friends while she's gone and is coming to terms with leaving the town she's called home her whole life.

Make a psychological break first
Kelli Watcherson is a wife and mother, who has dreamed of writing as a career for years. Although caring for her son Isaac is her first priority, she has managed over the last two years to take on regular writing assignments to build her clips and prepare to pitch articles to larger, better-paying publications. Although she didn't stop taking assignments from smaller publications until she received positive responses from larger publications, she learned to translate her frustration with writing for smaller publications as a signal that it was time to aim higher. As a result, she's successfully pitched ideas to the Oregonian and Oregon Coast magazine and is now doing repeat gigs. And, although she's grateful for the experience she gained writing for local publications, today she casts a wider net with her pitches that have earned her higher paying assignments.

Let go of "shoulds" and listen to what is true for you
I've found myself in a bit of a quandary lately trying to decide whether or not to continue taking weekly writing assignments from two editors I've gotten repeat assignments from. What I have come to realize is that there is no one right or easy way to make a decision like this. Despite whether or not I think I "should" keep pitching them stories and despite the fact that I enjoy the regular paychecks, the fat remains that my heart is not in it. And then I have a hard time seeing bigger, better-paying opportunities on the horizon. So rather than beating myself up for not wishing to "juggle it all," I have decided (after a long period of dragging my feet) to trust my instincts and as gently and professionally as possible, break off the obligation. Coincidentally, after making the decision, I received a call from the editor of a national publication about publishing an article I'd recently pitched. Go figure.

It's easy to believe that any writing opportunity is a good writing opportunity but that is not necessarily true. While we are building clips and improving our writing, saying 'Yes' as much as possible may be a good policy. But as we gain confidence and skill, we need to become discriminating about which opportunities are best and most in adherence with our long-term goals. And we can do this by examining our choices on a regular basis to make sure they still accomplish what we've set out to accomplish.

After all, what's the point of working as a freelance writer if we are not 'free' to make the choices that best meet our personal goals?

Christina Katz is the author of Writer Mama, How To Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (February, 2007, Writer's Digest Books). She has been doing just that for the past five years and has published over 200 articles in magazines, newspapers, and online publications. She teaches eight nonfiction-writing classes a year and is publisher and editor of the online monthly zine, Writers On The Rise, voted by Writer's Digest as one of the “101 Top Web Sites” for writers. Christina is a graduate of Dartmouth College and has an MFA in Fiction from Columbia College, Chicago. Visit www.writersontherise.com or www.christinakatz.com or www.thewritermama.com for the latest about Christina.