How to Be a Disciplined Freelance Writer

To be a more disciplined freelance writer, I promise to do the following:

1 Plan my writing - I call this "mapping". On the Google calendar, I shall fill out each day with a writing task. Then I will send all of these to my cell phone via SMS so I won't forget them even if I am not in front of my PC. Mapping the articles requires a goal. For the sake of the exercise, I shall target my website. Providing online content is always a rush job. I shall give myself a target output by the end of the week and meet that target.

Mapping also includes a day for research. Since I can't always rely on the internet for Filipiniana materials, I shall allocate one day in a library. Research will help me to stay factual and objective, and spur more ideas for the next topics.

2 Write for publication - Gone are the days when I wrote just to express. These days, all my writing shall be aimed at publication. As I write, I shall automatically think of a target reader. I have never actively sought out the local magazines, but it is good to inquire if some publishers out there are looking for contributors. As for providing and selling online content, I shall not be motivated by the pay per click scheme rather, I shall concentrate on establishing a content niche, also via research and writing on the topics that interest me most.

3 Read and finish a book each week. For starters, I can reread the books already on my shelves and buy new books later.

4 Make sure I take a nap every afternoon.

5 Exercise, exercise, exercise.

6 Watch the time - I shall write every morning, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 AM. This means waking up early to fulfill other regular domestic tasks. I shall do a regular brainstorming for the next morning's article in the late afternoon after some reading. As for my regular bread-and-butter jobs, I shall block the night from 8:00 to 12:00 PM.

I have successfully fulfilled my promise in the past two weeks, resulting in eight articles for my website and a book review for Triond.com.

Hopefully I can keep this up, because, knowing me, I am good only at starting things. And at times I can be lazy or simply tired. So help me God.