In a freelance writing funk? When your blank screen looks like a yawning abyss, it’s a telltale sign.
You don’t even want to approach the edge of that first line. All that emptiness reminds you of how far you have to go to get to the other side.
Despair sets in. Your mind reels. Productivity tanks. And your freelance writing well goes dry.
Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be like that.
There’s a way to get any freelance writing project to go from bud to blossom to bouquet.
For years, I’ve used three unique productivity hacks to blunt the fangs of writer’s block, get more work done, and make a living writing. And if you do it right, it’s almost a mindless exercise.
It’s how I’ve published a novel and landed assignments for magazines like Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, Vox, Popular Mechanics, WIRED, Writer’s Market, and many others.
If you’re in a freelance writing funk, feel like you don’t have any good ideas, or it’s taking you eons to write content, it’s time to let your mind go. Here’s how it’s done.
Meet freelance writing pro Tom Bentley
Tom Bentley
Meet Tom Bentley. He’s been a writer, editor, author, copywriter, and freelancer for more than 30 years.
He’s written hundreds of articles for top consumer magazines.
And he’s published nine non-fiction books and novels, with another on the way.
He’s also written for Make a Living Writing about:
How to beat loneliness as a freelance writer, what it’s like to write for Contently, Skyword, ClearVoice, and eByline, and how to cash in on writing short articles for magazines.
Plant a word-seed to get freelance work done
So what’s the mindless secret to being a more productive freelance writer? Word seeds.
Word seeds are in essence quick notes, and sometimes a single word, that vividly capture a concept.
Think of it like the pre-writing batter that makes the best cakes, because their ingredients are structural elements-ones that can grow to make the sum of their parts a sweet, risen whole.
The ‘shoes for poodles’ example
Say you are supposed to write the elements of a complex landing page for a marketing campaign selling shoes for poodles.
- Do you try to write the whole-cussed thing in one setting and watch it die? a ‘borning?
- Do you even want to risk trying to get the headline and first paragraph down in one run, fail, and rail against the cosmos?
I wouldn’t. I’d use word seeds to get started, generate ideas, and get organized to write.
I’d probably scribble something like:
- Curly toes to match curly fur
- Tie them with teeth
- Velcro
- Matching capes
- Athletic and evening wear, and so on.
That might not sound like much. But when you let your mind go and use word seeds, it has a positive impact on creativity and productivity.
If you want to be a more productive writer without losing your mind, here are three reasons to use word seeds:
1. The oyster-sand-pearl effect to boost productivity
Word seeds supply you several benefits. Listing terms and phrases in pre-composition sticks them like a swizzle stick into the soft folds of your mind. Believe it or not, they have that oyster, sand, pearl effect.
Even if you might not feel them, they are scritching and scratching in those soft folds and changing from seed to sprout.
The incubation period for ideas
Going back to my word-seed ideas after a day or two has always proven fruitful for me.
Review the seeds, and then sentences or entire paragraphs will appear fully formed, the whole cloth made of the thin threads of your notes.
Mounting evidence shows that concentration followed by relaxation is useful, even actions that are “mindless” like:
- Showering
- Listening to the radio in the car
- Vacuuming
- Bicycling
When you make time for mindless activities as a creative, there’s an incubation effect. The brain continues to work in the background, so that there’s a kind of Eureka! moment of insight.
Besides showing that vacuuming has a creative purpose, this has fascinating implications for addressing workaholism, the nature of creativity, and personal development.
Do this: Before your next freelance writing project, write down simple phrases and words about what you need to write. It’s a kind of warm-up for the brain. Your brain starts doing homework about your project while you’re thinking about other things.
2. Seedling security to keep freelance writing going
Writing down quick notes also provides some security to help you keep freelance writing projects moving forward.
- Ever had an editor reach out and ask for an update about your piece, and you’ve got nothing? Don’t do that.
Word seeds can help, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple notes can be enough. Plus, reading your notes provides a prompt that spurs new seedlings.
You can later organize them in a raw order of how the piece of writing might unfold. The process usually generates new ideas, too, like your next pitch or prospect you should contact.
Here’s how to maximize seedling security to speed up the writing process:
- Don’t discount the value of even a single word being a springboard to writing an ad, an essay, a marketing campaign for poodle shoes, a scene in a story.
- Use descriptive, vibrant words, not vague ones.
- Carry a notepad with you for when you’re away from your computer. Keep one by your bed.
- Note: Write legibly. (For me, this is impossible, but perhaps your handwriting isn’t the result of alien probing).
- Use word seeds to break down a writing project into manageable increments.
Does it work? I finished my latest novel by writing only a half-hour a day over a period of months.
Do this: Seed the end of your work day with a few words, thoughts and ideas about what you’re working on. It’s a way to caffeinate your next day’s work, and be more productive.
3. The curiously-creative power of writing notes by hand
There are some interesting theories on the psychology of writing by hand and its positive effects for learning, memory and thought processing:
The presumption is that some areas of your brain relating to information processing and retention-and even creativity-are activated by the physical act of putting words on paper.”
True or not, and despite the aforementioned fact I have wretched handwriting, I often write down the kind of word-notes discussed above, and anecdotally, seem to remember them well.
Lately, I’ve been writing my notes with a pencil. The soft scratching on paper offers a little brain candy of sound and texture.
Of course, if you have a 2,500-word article to write, scribbling away might be a creative outlet. But few editors will be happy if you send them your scrawl rather than a doc file.
But for short notes, that later lead to tall articles, scratch away.
Do this: Plant word seeds. Come up with ideas. Then write them down. Scrawl them on a napkin. Scribble them on your palm. Write them in melted chocolate. Or if you must, add a few ideas to your document before you call it a day. Verily, your word seeds will grow.
Train your brain to be a productive freelance writer
If you want to get more freelance writing work done, train your brain. Just like anything else, you’ll need to practice planting word seeds. But it works. It’s a great way to boost creativity, improve productivity, and grow your freelance writing business.
What’s your productivity hack for freelance writing? Share in the comments below.
Tom Bentley is a California-based freelance writer. He’s written for Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, Writers Digest, Vox, Popular Mechanics, WIRED and many other publications.
